Help us make a better magazine (and website!)
It's that time of year again. Culture's editorial brainstorm is in just a few days, and we need your brains!
This weekend, culture's writers, editors and assorted cheese people gather again (this time in snowy Vermont) for the annual editorial meeting, where we hammer out ideas and directions for the magazine (& website) for 2012. But we can't do it alone, and I'm not talking about the catering.
Let us know what we should do next. What stories do you want to see more of? What angles haven't we covered yet? It's an open floor, and I will read your comments aloud to the assembled throng. This is your chance to let us know what's working, what's weak, and what you want to see in culture in 2012.
cuke question mark by erix!
A column about cheese
A column about cheese shops/local cheese/local cheese makers in Europe (primarily) for people who travel would be helpful. I live in France and am an avid French cheese lover, so would be happy to contribute to a column of this sort. I get a lot of questions on my blog about French cheese so think there would be a market for this.
That's a great idea; we tend
That's a great idea; we tend to do broad regional features in Europe, but something that's really focused like an urban excursion might be fun!
New Content for the Mag
I might like to see Mag have pictures of cheese in 'real' people's lives. explore a city and see how they are eating cheese, buying cheese, what pairing with, sharing it.
We are talking about our
We are talking about our urban excursion pieces now, like our recent New Orleans piece, and talking about how we can include this...
Content for cheese makers
Hi - It would be really awesome if you posted recipes and make sheets and maybe even acidification charts and the like for various kinds of cheeses, aimed not simply at the curious hobbyist but also even for professionals, along with instructions for aging (affinage). Maybe tips on how to set up your own cheese cave(s) in your basement. I think you'd be surprised at how many people are looking for this kind of information. It's very difficult to come by. Peter Dixon used to publish a newsletter with this type of info. Also other tips for cheese makers; ie. how to eliminate certain problems in the cheese room, what types of animal breeds give what kinds of milk, etc. I think maybe being more of an artisan cheese industry resource would be really helpful
We've been discussing a
We've been discussing a specific cheesemaker newsletter for a long time... right now, we're uncertain when it'll launch, but this seems like a perfect venue for acidification charts etc. You can sign up for the maker newsletter here to receive it if and when we get our act together.
cheesemaker newsletter
why do you require a business name to sign up for this newsletter? I am not interested in selling the cheese I make, but do want to learn as much as possible and produce cheese of the highest standards. I would love to receive your newsletter despite not having a business name...
Kasia Wilson
Bend, OR
Hi, Kasia, You can simply
Hi, Kasia,
You can simply list yourself as "home cheesemaker" in the sign-up. We ask because the newsletter is really going to be aimed at pro-level makers. We also envision it as a community effort, where questions and comments would flow ways, and knowing where our readers work would help us make that possible.
WINE and Cheese
Would love to see more on cheese's little buddy, wine. Lemme know if you need submissions.
Okay, I'll put the word in
Okay, I'll put the word in for more wine in the mag. "Little buddy" though? More like big brother!
Cheese Travel
We love your magazine, and look forward to every issue. We vacation a lot in the Finger Lakes of New York, and really enjoy the growing number of small cheese businesses there, so we're always happy to see any of those folks featured.
It's not always been easy to find cheesemakers that we can visit when we travel, even in upstate New York where there are a lot of dairies. My apologies if you already do this, but maybe you can provide regional lists of folks making their own cheeses? I know that you already provide a searchable list of retailers . . .
Thanks!
P.S. I thought that the "Why I would bring my goat on vacation" was hysterical.
Sorry this reply was so slow,
Sorry this reply was so slow, but an index of regional cheesemakers, like our listing of cheese shops, is a great idea!
W.
PS - thanks for the kind words vis-a-vis the goat vacation contest... always glad to get a laugh.
Fingerlakes Cheese
Hey Nilsen,
Going to the Finger Lakes next weekend to do some wine tasting/cheese chasing. Where should I go to find good cheese up there?
the culture of culture
We hope you will strive for balance between cult and culture; as cheesemakers we subscribe more for practical content than for fad and fashion, as a micro-creamery its nice to know what's trending but we won't be changing production for it. From our perspective, we'd like your help in fighting the way "artisanal" is being co-opted as a marketing gimmick. Thanks for asking!
Several industry folks at the
Several industry folks at the brainstorm session have noted that they flip to the "new on the market" section first, and read the mag for perspective on the market. What features would you suggest that would serve you better as a micro-creamery?
How to Make Culture (website and mag.) Better?
I would suggest that you find some space on your site and esp. in your print magazine for one of my favorite food writer (she actually focuses on cheese) - Tenaya Darlington, aka Madame Fromage - http://madamefromage.blogspot.com/
[I read her when she wrote for the Isthmus, a weekly in Madison, WI and I follow her work to this day.]
Also, I would love to see your magazine come out bimonthly. Waiting three months for an issue is killer (and not in a good way...).
Adam Burke
Aurora, IL
Hi, Adam,Actually, you're in
Hi, Adam,
Actually, you're in luck. Not only is Tenaya is one of my favorite cheese bloggers, but she'll be contributing to the upcoming spring issue.
Thanks!
cheesemakers
I am a devoted subscriber of culture magazine, I am a cheese maker, I left California and bought a ranch
in Alamos, Sonora Mexico so I could follow a dream. We have goats, and jersey cows, some brown swiss also.
I love the article each month devoted to a cheese maker, I would love to see more photos of their operations, milk room, make room, etc. I also would like followup articles on people like Kurt T. who makes
Dinah's' cheese, I have read his book, we have communicated thru emails about his cave, but would find it
interesting to see what is working for him and just follow the trail with some of these great people. I love the
monthly cheese recipe, the crossword puzzle...Keep up the great job...
I also would like to read about some of the new cheese makers out on the horizon....GREAT MAGAZINE!!!!
The followup idea is very
The followup idea is very interesting to us; our cheesemakers have seen ups and downs since we last covered them, and bringing you the continuing stories might work very well.
Thanks for the recipe and crossword love, too!
Post new comment