Intro to Cheese Making at Rural Living Days March 29

Posted on February 21, 2014August 30, 2014 by President

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Waldo County is presenting “Rural Living Days” on

Saturday, March 29th between 8:30am and 3pm

Eric Rector, President of the Maine Cheese Guild and cheese maker at Monroe Cheese Studio, will give an introduction to cheese making workshop titled “Queso Presto!” in the early session beginning at 9am:

Cheese making can be quite mysterious because it involves using a few unusual ingredients to turn liquids into solids. Cheese making also can take a lot of time: usually a day of work just to get the initial stage of fresh (but bland) cheese, and then weeks/months/years of aging before that turns into something completely different. Rector will talk about all cheeses and what makes them different, and he will show you how to make a quick and tasty cheese in an hour, and describe milk’s “leap toward immortality”.

To learn more about this session, all of the sessions at Rural Living Days, and to register on-line, follow this link.

ACS Conference Scholarships 2014

Posted on February 12, 2014August 29, 2014 by President

Given the travel distance and current budget level, it’s unlikely that the Maine Cheese Guild will be offering ACS Scholarships in 2014, but the American Cheese Society also offers full and partial scholarships to their conference every year:

“If you’re a cheesemaker, retailer, student, or local chef, don’t miss your chance to apply for a 2014 ACS Conference Scholarship ! Recipients receive a free conference registration and may also receive a travel stipend and hotel accommodations in Sacramento, CA this summer. The application period for 2014 Conference Scholarships ends soon: submit your application by March 31 in order to be considered!

ACS 2014: Celebrating the American Cheese Plate will take place July 29-August 1, 2014 at the Sacramento Convention Center. More than 900 members of the American cheese community will gather for this 31st annual event. With a conference scholarship, you can join them for timely educational sessions and networking events…”

2014 Workshop Scholarships

Posted on January 7, 2014August 30, 2014 by President

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