How To Create/Update Articles On This Web Site

First you will need a username and password for the web site, to which all Guild members are eligible. If you do not have one, and you are a Guild member in good standing, OR you have forgotten your existing username/password email the web manager your preferred username and password and contact information. We will send you a confirmation once that has been set-up.

To log-in, click the “Log In” link on the right side of the home page under the MCG logo. (If you had previously logged in and checked “Remember Me” then to get to the “Dashboard” section, click the “Site Admin” link on the right side under the logo.)

Once you have logged in you will be taken to the interactive area of the site called the “Dashboard” where there are many areas you can work with listed on the left side Menu. For example, you can immediately change your password (or change other user info) clicking on Profile. Or you can post something on the web site for all of us to see using Posts –> Add New. The Posts page editor is pretty self explanatory, and when you’re done you can Save Draft (it will be saved but not viewed) or Publish your article. Later on if you want to update your post you can get to it by clicking Posts and then, as your mouse hovers over your post’s title, click “Edit” which will open your article in the editor, make changes, then click the “Update” button. Always remember to select a category for your post.

When you are ready to post information about your licensed cheese making operation, create a post with the name of your business as the title, enter the information below that (which can include pictures and images), and then make sure to use the “Find Cheese” and/or “Find Milk” and or “Retailer” category, as well as the “Cows Milk” “Goats Milk” “Sheep Milk” and/or “Organic” (but only if you are certified organic) categories as is appropriate. When you Publish this post, it will show up on the front page of the web site, and it will also show up under “Cheese” and/or “Milk” tabs forever. You should keep this post up-to-date as much as possible.

You can remain logged in to the site, or if you want to log out, click “Log Out” link on the right side of any page (like wise you can get back to the Dashboard by clicking the “Site Admin” link on the right side).

August 13th Meeting at Creeping Thyme

Our August 2012 meeting took place at Creeping Thyme in Buxton.  Marie & Tim Clements gave us all a guided tour of their barns, milk room and cheese rooms.  Then they spread out a feast of cheeses and fudges from their amazing array of products.  Those little goats sure work hard!

Eric Rector and Heather Donahue both gave excellent  presentations  about their experiences at the recent American Cheese Society meeting and Traktec’s Donna Murray was on hand to tell us about their Maine -based label manufacturing company.

Food Security Fears Discussed

At our last meeting (May 7th at Fuzzy Udder Creamery in Unity) we had a guest join our group — G. W. Martin, of Montville, who had worked to get his town to adopt the “Food Sovereignty Ordinance” that several other towns in Maine have passed in the last few years. He also marched on the State House on April 17th in support of “Farmer Brown” who is being prosecuted for selling unlicensed dairy products to the public. Martin had been invited to the Guild meeting by Jessie Dowling of Fuzzy Udder to try to provide some perspective to the Guild about the concern of food producers and farmers who feel that state licensing is an impediment to supporting their local communities by producing food for their neighbors.

Even though the discussion was not on the agenda for the meeting, there was a lot of interest expressed by the group to hear from Martin about his perspective, as well as to educate Martin about why the Guild has adopted a Quality Statement insisting that state licensing be the minimum level of oversight for any commercial cheese maker in Maine to insure the quality of their products.
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