American Cheese Society Annual Competition Awards Announced

Three Maine Cheese Guild members — Appleton Creamery, Longfellow Creamery, and Pineland Farms Creamery — won awards at the 2009 American Cheese Society Conference that just concluded in Austin, TX.

Maine retained the blue ribbon for Feta with Pineland Farm Creamery’s first place award; Appleton Creamery followed up last year’s success by scoring second place again for their Chevre in Grape Leaf in the Aged Goat Cheese category; and a newcomer to the ACS awards honor roll: Longfellow Creamery won third place for their Kenabago Camembert in the Farmhouse category.

Download all the information for all the winners at:

http://www.cheesesociety.org/associations/2382/files/2009%20Awards%20Brochure.pdf

Three Shepherds Advanced Cheesemaking Course at Longfellow’s Creamery Nov 6-8

Three Shepherds Farm is proud to announce another advanced cheesemaking class will take place from November 6-8, 2009 at the beautiful Longfellow’s Creamery in Avon, Maine. Committed to organic, sustainable agriculture, Longfellow’s Creamery produces a variety of amazing products, including the highest quality raw milk and delicious cheeses.

At the Three Shepherds advanced cheesemaking class, the basic principals of cheesemaking will be elevated to the next level. This class is designed for anyone who has a serious interest in cheesemaking and has either taken the Three Shepherds Farmstead Artisanal Cheesemaking Course or those who have the equivalent amount of experience from other classes and/or their own cheesemaking.

Over the three-day class, Dr. Larry and Linda Faillace will incorporate a variety of complex cheese recipes, including those for mold ripened cheeses, blue cheeses, soft and semi-hard washed rind cheeses, Pyrenees Mountain style hard cheeses, and several pasta filata cheeses. The class will emphasize the amazing transformations that take place during aging, the mysterious part of the cheesemaking process which truly allows for milk’s “leap into immortality.”

In addition to experimenting with new styles of cheesemaking and discovering the art of aging, cheesemakers will to learn the key elements necessary make a truly great product, as well as problems that can be encountered during the cheesemaking process and how those common pitfalls can be avoided. We encourage students to bring samples of their own cheeses for evaluation by the instructors and other students. This is a very valuable opportunity to get positive feedback on your cheeses and learn how you can make them even better.

Throughout the weekend, there will be sampling of a wide variety of cheeses, including some of the world’s best examples of those that we make during the class. Also, we will incorporate some delicious culinary uses of a variety of cheeses that have great commercial value for your cheese operation (and are great crowd pleasers for your friends and family too!

We look forward to seeing you in Maine in November. The class is limited in size and is already filling quickly so please call Larry or Linda at Three Shepherds Farm at 802-496-3998 for registration or more details.

Linda Faillace, author of Mad Sheep from Chelsea Green Publishing
Dr. Larry and Linda Faillace
Three Shepherds of the Mad River Valley
108 Roxbury Mountain Road
Warren, VT 05674
Tel: 802-496-3998
www.threeshepherdscheese.com

Maine Fare 2009

A message from Sarah Greer, following up on a discussion at the June Guild meeting:

In case you have not heard, Maine Fare – the celebration of Maine foods and the people who produce them – is happening!

September 11,12,13 in Camden, at the Knox Mill.

There are booth spaces still available at the Marketplace both Saturday and Sunday – reserve today before it’s too late!

We are pleased to announce the Maine Fare web site is up and running! Please refer to this site for general information and ticketing.

Highlights of this year’s Festival…

Keynote Panel: “Can Maine Feed Itself?” moderated by Craig Lapine of Cultivating Community.

Thought Provoking Discussions
Learn from Maine culinary historians, todays visionaries and tomorrow’s leaders. Informed perspectives on critical issues affecting our food, our health and our well-being.

The Maine Fare Marketplace
All day Saturday and Sunday, downtown Camden. Where growers, farmers, craftsmen, cooks and others offer samples, sell product, interact with customers who are truly engaged and passionate about local foods. Maine Fare will provide table space indoors. You are welcome to bring your own pop-up style tent for outside spaces. Rates are set accordingly.

Guided Tasting Seminars
Under the guidance of Maine food experts, taste local smoked seafood paired with handcrafted maine spirits, varieties of maine oysters paired with local beers and artisanal cheeses paired with Maine wines.

Cooking Demonstrations and Classes
Learn recipes and techniques to reproduce at home, from Maine’s most celebrated chefs: Sam Hayward of Fore Street, Michael Salmon of Hartstone Inn, Josh Hixon of Brevetto, and others

For information regarding exhibitor space please contact: Sarah Greer at [email protected] or 207-542-0964

Thanks!
Sarah

Sarah Greer
Maine Fare Exhibitor Committee
207-542-0964
[email protected]
www.mainefare.com