Happy National Cheese Day!

It's National Cheese Day.

I'm sorry, but this should be a day off from work. I need to be home with my cheese.

Go to https://www.worldnationaldays.com/national-cheese-day-2018/ to see more.

June is Dairy Month

Happy National Dairy Month!

Please take time to thank all those wonderful New York dairy farmers. Without them, we'd have no milk, ice cream, butter, yogurt and cheese that we enjoy daily.

I don't know about you, but I couldn't live without ice cream!!

Finger Lakes Cheese Festival is Saturday, July 23

If you don't have anything to do Saturday, why not head to the Southern Tier for some CHEESE!

The Finger Lakes Cheese Festival is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 23 at Sunset View Creamery in Odessa, Schuyler County. It's a day filled with fun, music and of course, all the cheese a person could ask for.

Go to http://www.flcheesetrail.com/cheese-festival.html for a full schedule of events at the festival.

It's National Cheese Day!!

Today is the day to celebrate one of my favorite things -- CHEESE.

It's National Cheese Day!! According to the National Day Calendar website, National Cheese Day is observed annually June 4 and celebrates all that can be done with cheese.

According to wikipedia, "cheese is a food derived from milk that is produced in a wide range of flavors, textures and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, the milk is usually acidified, and adding the enzyme rennet causes coagulation. The solids are separated and pressed into final form. Some cheeses have molds on the rind or throughout. Most cheeses melt at cooking temperature."

Jewett's Cheese House outside Earlville

Just think for a moment what your life would be without cheese. That means a life with no grilled cheese sandwiches. No macaroni and cheese. No cheeseburgers. No Alfredo pasta sauce. No point of eating pasta at all (no ricottta for the lasagna!!) Cheese Danish would be a think of the past as would be -- oh, the horror -- cheesecake.

So I know I will be bowing today to all those who make cheese. And there are lots of these folks right here in New York state. There are individual cheese makers who use cows milk and goats milk to make great cheeses, like Wake Robin Farm in Elbridge and 2 Kids Goat Farm in Fabius.

Poster from last year's Cream Cheese Festival

There also are a number of cheese factories in the state that take in loads of cows milk from New York farmers to make different kinds of cheese.  

New York also has a number of cheese trails, like the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail, where people can visit various cheesemakers and taste their products, and there are cheese festivals, like the Cream Cheese Festival each year in Lowville.

Wisconsin Cheese Wins World Championship

Well, it's not a New York cheese, but at least now a U.S. cheese has won the world cheese championship.

Go to http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/a-wisconsin-cheese-wins-the-world-championship-cheese-contest/article_f0067c29-d83c-533f-a9af-f562297eaf0b.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook to check out the story.

Other U.S. cheeses to make the top 16 in the judging were:

• Cellars of Jasper Hill in Vermont with a Winnimere, a smear ripened soft cheese.
• Central Coast Creamery in California with a Ewenique, a soft & semi-soft sheep's milk cheese.
• Uplands Cheese in Dodgeville with an Extra Aged Pleasant Ridge Reserve, a hard cheese.

Finger Lakes Cheese Festival July 23

Photo from the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail

Mark this date on your calendar!

If you love cheese, the Finger Lakes Cheese Festival is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday July 23 at Sunset View Creamery in Odessa, Schuyler County in the Southern Tier.

The day will include a kids' midway and petting zoo, live music, farm tours, seminars and classes, hay rides, bossy Bingo and goat milking. Oh, and of course, lots of food and CHEESE. 

The member farms of the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail are 4 Tin Fish Farm, Crosswinds Farm & Dairy, Engelbert Farms, Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery, Heaven Scent Farm, Keeley's Cheese Co.,
Kenton's Cheese Co., Muranda Cheese Co., Parulski Farms Side Hill Acres Goat Farm, Shtayburne Farm and Sunset View Creamery.​

Happy National Cheese Lovers Day

Today is National Cheese Lovers Day!

For me, I can't see how anyone can not love cheese. I feel badly for all those who can't eat it because of some health issue. I think I would die without cheese.

Cheese Festival July 26 near Watkins Glen

Let's celebrate cheese.

Go to http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/lifestyle/rocflavors/2014/07/16/finger-lakes-cheese-festival-sunset-view-creamery/12768243/ to read about next weekend's Cheese Festival.

Cheddar Cheese Fesitval Saturday, July 12

Check this out -- who doesn't like cheese?

June is Dairy Month -- Cornell, Wegmans Join Forces in Cheese Making

Cheese lovers in New York, you're in luck.

An agreement announced Wednesday between Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Wegmans markets will lead to more and more artisan cheeses created right here in New York state and sold at Wegmans.

This is great news not only for the local cheesemakers, but also for cheese lovers, local dairy farmers and the economy, as more local milk will be used to make these artisanal cheeses. three cheese manufacturers

Some cheeses from Goats and Gourmets in Westerlo.

Early participants in the program include Keeley’s Cheese Co. (King Ferry, Cayuga County), Danascara Artisan Cheese (Fonda, Montgomery County), Sprout Creek Farm (Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County), Goats & Gourmets (Westerlo, Albany County) and Old Chatham Sheepherding Co. (Old Chatham, Columbia County).

Some of their cheeses will be featured at Wegmans' Pittsford store, and then rolled out later to other Wegmans locations across the state.

Also Wednesday, Wegmans CEO Danny Wegman announced his store chain is beginning to have its store-brand cheddar made in New York state instead of in Canada. Great Lakes Cheese in Adams, Jefferson County, Yancey's Fancy in Corfu, Genesee County and Beecher's in New York City.

Here is Cornell's news release on the Wednesday event:
 
From a semi-soft washed rind cheese aged in a King Ferry root cellar to a buttery sheep and cow’s milk Camembert created in the Hudson Valley, a host of new New York cheeses will be featured at Wegmans Food Markets.

Products from five artisan cheesemakers were debuted Wednesday at Wegmans Pittsford store, outside Rochester.

The event also highlighted a unique collaboration between Wegmans and Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences that was touted as the first step in the next revolution of New York’s dairy industry.

As part of the partnership, Wegmans is providing $360,000 in funding for a three-year pilot program at Cornell that includes the hire of an artisan cheese extension associate position in the CALS Department of Food Science who will create a training curriculum that is supported by focused standard operating procedures (SOPs) which will serve both entrepreneurs as well as the state’s larger cheese producers.

Dean Kathryn Boor samples some Danascara 

cheese.

It will focus on the skills required for both basic and advanced cheesemaking through hands-on workshops and coursework. Beginners will start with the basics of dairy microbiology and sanitation, while more advanced cheesemakers can train in molding, brining and curing, and quality assurance.

The program will enhance Cornell’s existing strength in dairy development, education and extension, which also includes certificate programs in cheesemaking, fluid milk processing, yogurt and fermented products.

Cornell dairy extension specialist Rob Ralyea said artisan cheesemaking is a growing niche that could have great market potential if given the proper support.

“Making a great, aged artisan cheese is an art that takes practice, science and know-how,” Ralyea said.

Early participants in the program include Keeley’s Cheese Co. (King Ferry), Danascara Artisan Cheese (Fonda), Sprout Creek Farm (Poughkeepsie), Goats & Gourmets (Westerlo) and Old Chatham Sheepherding Co. (Old Chatham), each of which was represented at Wednesday’s event.

A selection of their cheeses will be featured at the Pittsford store, and rolled out later to other Wegmans locations across the state.
Wegmans CEO Danny Wegman also announced that the retailer has begun sourcing its store-branded cheddar cheese from New York cheese makers, after years of marketing cheeses manufactured in Canadian dairies.

Its mild cheddar is now at Great Lakes Cheese in Adams, while its medium cheddar is made by Yancey’s Fancy in Corfu and its intense cheddar hails from New York City’s Flatiron District, where it is made by Beecher’s.

“It is our goal to help grow the artisan cheese business by bringing unique and different cheeses to our customers,” said Cathy Gaffney, Wegmans director of cheese and deli departments. 

“They have asked for more local selections," Gaffney said. "By combining the milk quality produced in New York state, our truly passionate cheesemakers, and Cornell University, we have all the components to take the industry to the next level while listening to our customers’ requests.”

“Our goal is to support the next revolution in New York’s dairy industry,” said Kathryn Boor, dean of Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

“In addition to boosting both large and small-scale cheesemakers, this partnership will provide increased economic opportunity for dairy farmers and cheese manufacturers and new high-quality products for consumers," Boor said. "It will also lead to significant improvements in efficiencies and production costs, which benefits both businesses and consumers.”

Two photos supplied by Cornell University. The Great Lakes logo is from nysenate.gov