The Guild’s next all member meeting will be held at 11 am on July 11th at the Maine Tasting Center at 506 Old Bath Road in Wiscasset. Guild members can learn more about this event by logging into their Guild Membership account. To join the Guild as a cheesemaker, cheese enthusiast, financial supporter or allied industry professional, visit our membership site here.
The Executive Director (E.D.) is the key organizational leader of the Maine Cheese Guild (MCG) a Maine nonprofit corporation doing business as a tax-exempt member organization under Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Executive Director is responsible for overseeing the administration, development, and strategic vision of the organization. Key duties include managing communication, education, fundraising, social media marketing, online member portal, and community outreach using the help of established committees and volunteer board members. The position reports directly to the Executive Committee.
Download the job description here.
Registration for Blazing the Trail for Cheese is available. Conference registration information and links are here.
CHEESE PROFESSIONALS WILL BLAZE TRAIL TO PORTLAND, ORE., JULY 20-23
AURORA, Colo. – March 3, 2022 – After a three-year hiatus, the American Cheese Society’s Annual Conference makes its much-anticipated, in-person return this summer.
The 39th Annual Conference, “Blazing the Trail for Cheese”, will be held from July 20-23 in Portland, Oregon, with the Pacific Northwest’s own Tillamook Creamery as the event’s marquee sponsor.
“Tillamook is Oregon-made and Oregon proud, and our cooperative is thrilled to play host to professionals from the cheese industry in the Americas and, indeed, from all over the world,” Tillamook’s Denise LaBrie said. Renowned for its cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and butter, each year the cooperative releases a cheddar aged 3 years and a cheddar aged ten years under its Maker’s Reserve vintage cheddar brand.
Conference-goers will also be able to attend an awards ceremony, where the winners of the American Cheese Society’s Annual Judging and Competition (held this May in Minneapolis) will be announced.
In addition, both the ACS Certified Cheese Professional exam, and the ACS Certified Cheese Sensory Evaluator T.A.S.T.E. test, will once again be held in-person.
Other conference favorites, including Meet the Cheesemaker, Midnight Mongers, and the Cheese Crawl, will make a welcome return. More than 30 educational sessions will be held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with topics including:
● Philosophy Behind the Farm: A Panel of Diverse Small Ruminant Operations, featuring Kathryn Spann, Prodigal Farm and Mariana Marques de Almeida, Mrs. J & Co. along with a panel of experts
● What Grows Together Goes Together: Oregon’s Dynamic Geological History and Terroir – a
tasting session with Katie Bray, Oregon Cheese Guild; Scott Burns, Portland State University; and Jim Bernau, Willamette Valley Vineyards
● Cheese gone bad?: Microbial Challenges and Potential Solutions – a food safety and food
science session from a panel of Oregon State University scientists.
About American Cheese Society
ACS is the leading organization supporting the understanding, appreciation, and promotion of artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheeses produced in the Americas. At 2,300 members strong, ACS provides advocacy, education, business development, and networking opportunities for cheesemakers, retailers, enthusiasts, and extended industry. ACS strives to continually raise the quality and availability of cheese in the Americas. Since its founding in 1983, ACS proudly hosts the foremost annual educational conference and world-renowned cheese judging and competition in North America. ACS is a 501(c)6 nonprofit association headquartered in Denver, Colo. To learn more about ACS, please visit www.cheesesociety.org or contact 720-328-2788.
Maine Cheese Guild contingent at the Montreal Conference on Day 1 of ACS 2011