Move over Harvard and Yale, there’s a new Ivy making its debut, and its just for cheese professionals (so no boring lectures by musty old professors or long papers to write—yay!) Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin has launched Cheese State University, a comprehensive digital continuing education program “designed to help passionate cheese professionals gain a deeper understanding of the world of cheese, build a network of connections and excel in their careers,” according to a press release. The brainchild of DFW Education Director Molly Browne, the program was created for cheesemongers but is open to anyone who works in cheese. “Much of the information needed to succeed was historically passed on by word of mouth at a cheese counter,” Browne said in the release. Our goal with Cheese State University was to formalize this oral tradition and expand on this essential knowledge by providing a single source of industry expertise so all mongers have the tools they need to advance their careers.” Enrollment is free for qualified students.

• The Good Food Awards has announced its 2023 finalists. To be selected, a product must pass category-specific sustainability standards, and of course, be delicious. Check out the list of finalists here.
• Following years of warnings about myriad health issues associated with eating cheese, newer research shows that our favorite food is healthier than even we thought. According to a Consumer Reports article published in the Washington Post, “doesn’t raise or reduce your risk for chronic diseases, such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, and some studies show it might even be protective.”
• In honor of Black History Month, Boston-area cheese shop boards & co. is partnering with American chef and food stylist Elle Simone Scott to create a specialty food box comprised exclusively of BIPOC makers! The box includes a signed copy of Scott’s book and a virtual tasting webinar. Reserve your box here.
• While culture may have predicted the comeback of cottage cheese a little early, it seems that the clumpy curd is finally having a renaissance! Cottage cheese is trending all over TikTok, with influencers slathering the low-fat, high-protein snack on toast, pairing it with pineapple, and everything in between! Eater and Thrillist both published articles this week about the “unfairly maligned dairy product“, arguing that it “is simply a victim of bad marketing.” Read more about why we’ve been calling for the return of cottage cheese here!
• A reporter for the Today show tried 14 different plant-based cheezes to see which one was closest to the real thing.
• A combined $1M in Dairy Industry Impact grants have been awarded to six midwestern companies, including Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese in Waterloo, Wisconsin and Redhead Creamery in Brooton, Minnesota.
• The Guild of Fine Food has announced that the 2023 World Cheese Awards in Trondheim, Norway will be Oct. 25-27. 
• What may be the country’s first cheese-factory-turned-boutique-hotel has opened in—where else but—Wisconsin. The former Seven Acre Dairy Company in Paoli now has eight individually decorated guest rooms, a restaurant and bar, meeting space, and a micro dairy turning out ice cream and butter operated by Landmark Creamery, which is just down the road. Learn more here.

Workshops

• Join culture for a virtual presentation on five iconic AOP Agriform cheeses on Monday Jan. 23 at 4 p.m. EST. The presentation will be led by Emilia D’Albero, ACS CCP, cheese department manager and buyer at The Greene Grape in Brooklyn, New York. Register for free here.
• Trevor Warmdahl, aka Milk Trekker, is returning to the U.S. to launch Sour Milk School, a series of 5-day natural cheesemaking workshops “geared towards aspiring home, restaurant, or farm level cheesemakers.” The inaugural workshop will be held at Poco Farm in Ojai, California beginning on Jan. 25; future dates include March 22-26 at Spring Hill Farmstead Goat Cheese in Bayside, California, and June 7-11 at Cast Iron Farm in McMinnville, Oregon. Warmdahl is looking for West Coast dairy farms to host future workshops.
• The ACS will host a live webinar on upcoming food safety initiatives that will impact cheesemakers on Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. EST. 
• The Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund is accepting applications for its summer apprenticeship program. Learn more and apply here. 

Josie Krogh

Josie Krogh is culture's Digital Strategy Lead. She earned her master's degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics from The University of Georgia. Josie developed a love of food while working at farmstands in the D.C. area as a young adult, and discovered her love of cheese while living and working on a dairy farm on Martha's Vineyard. She is passionate about the food supply chain, fresh stone fruit, and dogs. Josie currently lives in Catskill, NY.