LD 1786 Released and Referred to Ag Committee

Legislative Document 1786, “An Act To Allow the Sale of Unregulated Farm-produced Dairy Products at the Site of Production” was released from the Maine State Legislature’s clerk’s office and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry today. Use the above link to view the entire bill.

The bill is sponsored by Representative Bill Noon of Sanford, and co-sponsored by a number of legislators and senators. It appears to provide a clear regulatory boundary between licensed commercial dairy producers in Maine and farmers who produce dairy products for their own and their neighbors consumption.

Guild members should post comments about this bill on this website article, which will help me determine what the overall Guild response to this bill will be if the Guild chooses to testify at any hearing held regarding this bill.

Help Fuzzy Udder Creamery’s make their big move!

Help Fuzzy Udder Creamery get ready to make cheese at their new home in Whitefield!

Check out Fuzzy Udder’s IndieGogo Campaign

Fuzzy Udder Cheese!

In 2011, I started my own business, Fuzzy Udder Creamery with my two favorites: fresh hand-stretched mozzarella made from buttery jersey cow milk and sheep’s milk yogurt. If you haven’t had sheep’s milk yogurt, you have no idea what you are missing! I built a cheeseroom in Unity Maine in 2012 and had two successful seasons making all kinds of cheeses from both sheep and cow’s milk, including: fresh mozzarella, sheep’s milk yogurt, fresh sheep cheese, brie, ashed-layered soft-ripened cheese, washed rinds, gouda, swiss, tomme and baby provolone. I have also spent the last few years building up a small herd of well-cared for and very happy sheep and goats.

This summer, I had a severe allergic reaction to the house I lived in a the farm in Unity where I had built my creamery, so I had to find a new home for myself, my creamery and my animals before the winter. Luckily through the generous support of so many people in our farming community here in Maine, including Slow Money Maine and Maine Farmland Trust, I was able to purchase an old farmhouse with a barn and a creamery here in Whitefield Maine, the former home of Townhouse Creamery.

Now that I have moved, I need help getting my new creamery up and running. I am looking to raise enough funds to install my cheesemaking equipment in my new cheeseroom, build a walk-in cooler to age my cheese and get a milking parlor set up to milk my sheep and goats this spring.

With your help, I can start my 3rd season as Fuzzy Udder Creamery out right!

I am looking to raise $10,000 from this campaign so I can start making cheese again. With these funds, I will be hiring a plumber, an electrician, and several builders to get my cheeseroom and milking parlor ready for licensing.

Once I start making cheese again, I will host an open house and creamery/farm tour for those who contributed $25 or more. I will be serving a feast of local food, featuring all of Fuzzy Udder’s wide variety of cheeses. In addition, anyone who donates $50 or more will receive a cheesy gift in the mail!

Please help me publicize this campaign by telling all of your friends.

Thanks for reading about me and for supporting small farmers in Maine! To find out more about Fuzzy Udder Creamery, please visit my website: http://www.fuzzyudder.com

2014 Workshop Scholarships

The Guild has decided to offer two scholarships to each of our upcoming intermediate/advanced workshops —

that would reimburse the scholarship winners for HALF the cost of the workshop fee.

Anyone interested in receiving a scholarship will need to be a member in good standing of the Maine Cheese Guild and should send their contact information, plus a paragraph describing your operation and why you deserve a scholarship to info@mainecheeseguild.com/MCG-build by February 1st. Submissions will be reviewed and voted upon by the MCG board, and scholarship winners will be announced by February 15th when winners, as well as runner-ups (in case the winner backs out) will be notified. Winners will then need to send in their half-tuition to the Guild Treasurer