Milk Quality Workshop with Gary Anderson

Posted on October 10, 2018January 20, 2020 by News

Milk Quality Workshop with Gary Anderson – Thursday, October 30th at State of Maine Cheese Company – 9am to 5pm

Register for workshop here.

We will spend the day reviewing the biosynthesis of milk and udder anatomy. We will go over managed milking guidelines, milk storage, transport and evaluating milk quality. Specifically, we will cover the handling of milk from the animal to the container to maintain high quality. We will go over different milking systems and the tenets of cleaning and sanitizing milk handling equipment highlighting equipment areas for special consideration. We will finish the day reviewing lab reports, what they mean and goals for bacteria, somatic cells and adulterants. This will be a very full day of interactive discussions. Please bring a pot-luck dish to share for lunch Workshop

Sate of Maine Cheese Company, 461 Commercial Street
Rockport, ME 04846

Fee:

$35 for Maine Cheese Guild Members
$60 for non members (includes cheeseEnthusiast membership)
$105 for non-members (includes Principal/cheese producer membership)

Register for workshop here.

Unity Food Hub Offers Aging Space

Posted on May 30, 2018May 30, 2018 by Monroe Cheese Studio

This is from Justin Nadeau–

“We have made a few changes this year to our operations and I wanted to reach out. We have three (+/- 400 sq. ft.) cold storage units that are actively being marketed for rented space. I recently started working with a small creamery aging some natural rind gouda. I don’t know a lot about cheese aging but I have been able to bring one of our coolers to an aging environment and she is pleased with her cheese quality. She has asked for 48 deg and 85% humidity.

The units are professionally serviced, temperature monitored with alerts and alarms. The coolers are cleaned ceiling to floor bi-annually and the rolling shelving units are epoxy coated wire shelves from Regency. In the short term, renting for cheese is a trial because they are one small batch cheese maker and I would need to be able to fill the cooler or have someone interested in the whole cooler.

I would like to offer more of the space to other small batch cheese makers looking to rents a pallet or a few shelves. The space is flexible right now. I don’t know how different the environments are or the bacteria are between cheeses, maybe different makers wouldn’t want to mix their cheese in the same room.

I have learned that blue cheese and gouda don’t mix well in the aging environment. I wanted to reach out to see if there was interest from someone you know or work with in the cheese community. Maybe a startup cheese maker, or serious hobbyist, a cheese class that informs people where to start if they don’t have the space? I also don’t know if someone is already renting space like this.”

For more information about this opportunity contact:

Justin Nadeau, General Manager
Unity Food Hub
69 School St.
Unity, ME. 04988
justin@unityfoodhub.com

RFP – Events Coordinator Position

Posted on February 21, 2018January 20, 2020 by News

The Maine Cheese Guild is seeking proposals from interested parties to fill a year-round, independent contractor position. The purpose of this position is to coordinate and organize Maine Cheese Guild events and promote these events to the general public. Events include the Maine Cheese Guild booth at MOFGA’s Common Ground Fair (September 21 – 23), the Guild’s statewide Open Creamery Day (October 7), and the annual Maine Cheese Festival (September 9 at Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport).

More information on this position can be found in the Request For Proposal, which may be downloaded here.