After a rainy start to the season, we're ready to put a little spring in our step with this recipe. Pan-fried fresh halloumi, crushed peas, and a quick apple chutney. Simple, vegetarian, delicious.

Get the recipe here.

Photo by Yuki Sugiura

The number of cows in New Zealand has doubled to 6 million over the last thirty years as the country experiences record high dairy prices. Some meat producing farms have even transitioned to dairy to take advantage of the profitable, record high market prices. While more cows and farms means more jobs for New Zealanders, the green party is concerned about the environmental effects of so many cattle.

"With six million cows, that's the equivalent of 80 million people without the sewerage treatment," said Green Party MP Eugenie Sage.

Each cow is estimated to produce 14 times more waste than a human being which can pollute rivers and lakes if a dairy farm is not properly irrigated.

Read the full story here.

For over two years now a growing group of 30 women farmers in Taos, NM, has been meeting annually in January and February to swap advice, share stories, and exchange information on everything farm related from seed saving to goat herding to preserving.

In addition to holding their meetings, the group stays connected throughout the year through email networking. Workshops and other opportunities are shared with group members.
Kanter was recently inspired by a seed exchange she attended that was advertised over the group's email.
“The next thing I want to learn how to do is how to save seed — because that's real sustainability. It's just so important. Those seeds have the genetic make-up to be able to grow here in this harsh environment,” said Kanter.
The delicious artisan cheeses that some of the goat herders have made and brought to meetings, has also been an inspiration for Kanter who has a certificate in culinary arts from UNM-Taos.

Who are the Hippie Pandas? Four girls from Rochester, ages 11-14 who have created a solar pasteurizer for use in Nicaragua, where raw milk consumption causes illness and miscarriage in pregnant women. Their project was such a success that it's already been implemented:

Using common materials, they came up with a solution for the pasteurization problem. Laying aluminum foil over a piece of cardboard or woven mat, a reflector is made. A receptacle is painted black to absorb heat and filled with unpasteurized milk.

Initially the girls used a thermometer to monitor when the temperature reached an acceptable temperature but, realizing thermometers might be tough to come by in Nicaragua, they came up with an alternative solution: bee’s wax. If using a thermometer, the milk is pasteurized after 30 minutes at 145 degrees or when the bee’s wax is fully melted.

Bill and Jenny Myers are living their dream after opening Myers Goat Creamery on Orcas Island, Washington, where they make cheese to sell locally. Here's a great article on how it all works:

With facilities on their property, the Myers create delicacies like feta, chevre, cheddar and gouda. The secret to these fine cheeses?

It’s all in the milk, said Bill: “If the milk isn’t good you don’t have anything.”

And their secret to making rich milk is keeping their 16 kids, six milkers and two male goats well-cared for and clean. The Myers are up at 6:30 a.m. to feed the babies and milk at 7 a.m., and then there is feeding in the afternoon and milking again at night.

Read the full story here.

Photo by Cali Bagby of Islands Sounder

Mary Jane Toth of Coleman, MI, chronicles her thirty years of cheesemaking in her new book "A Cheesemaker's Journey." Toth fell into cheesemaking accidentally when she took in a neighbor's goat in 1982. She's had a long journey and many jobs, but now she teaches cheesemaking classes and works as a cheese specialist for Hoegger Supply.

This year's inaugural Cheese Dip Classic went off without a hitch, and some winners of the World Cheese Dip Championship emerged, triumphant and cheesy. Here's the winning lineup, stay tuned for next year's event!

Professional Division champion and winner of the trip to Little Rock for the World Cheese Dip Champion is Qdoba Mexican Grill of Fayetteville. Their Warm Three Cheese Queso brought home the trophy.

In the People’s Choice Category, the attendees let their voices be heard and selected Legacy Blues of Fayetteville and their delicious cheese dip. And it was clean sweep for Pi Beta Phi and Phi Delta Theta as they won both the Greek Division and Greek People’s Choice Award.

The Cheese Dip Chow Down eating competition champion is Andrew Coppola. He inhaled 4 pounds of cheese dip in only 3 minutes and ate his way to the title and it wasn’t even close.

Click here to see the winners

TED strikes again with this great presentation on the war on Malaria in Africa. Bart Knols lays out his discoveries on killing deadly mosquitoes before they can infect humans. The weapons? A special pill, dogs, and last but most important, Limburger cheese:

Read more at TED

In this recipe, roasted butternut squash gets combined with melted Comté, crunchy hazelnuts and crispy breadcrumbs for a gorgeous gratin. It pairs particularly well with roasted meats but is also a delicious a vegetarian main course with a salad.

Preheat oven to 400˚F.

This unlikely pair share a bond so strong, Brisbane's RSPCA is adopting them out as a pair. CNN has video coverage of the twosome in their shared pen, where they eat and sleep together.