Knowledge Transfer at Ag Trade Show 2010

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The Knowledge Transfer Alliance (KTA) at the University of Maine would be highly interested in collaborating with the Maine Cheese Guild (MCG) to provide specialized expertise in business management, marketing, and personal finance and insurance to farmers and market gardeners.

Throughout the entire three days of the Ag Trade Show, KTA in collaboration with the Maine Department of Agriculture will have a stand-alone room where we will be running related workshops and hands-on training on 15 laptops for farmers with specific questions related to topics such as Excel, E-Mail, Internet Marketing, Web Surveys, Quickbooks, Farm Management, etc.

Using the Comments tools, please indicate whether there are specific topics MCG members would like KTA to present at 1) the Ag Trade show and 2) other MCG meetings during the year that would be a good fit.
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Workshop Ideas for 2011

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We are currently working on an Italian Style cheeses workshop by Peter Dixon to be held in the Spring of 2011, most likely at State of Maine Cheese Co. in Rockport. And Appleton Creamery has already scheduled a slate of beginning cheesemaking workshops at her creamery beginning in January. What other workshops would you like to see us organize? Some of the ideas we came up with at our Annual Meeting were:

  • Blue Cheese
  • Smear Rind / Washed Rind Cheeses
  • The Art of Affinage
  • Making Your Own Cultures

Post a comment with your own suggestions.

Christmas Party 2010 — It’s Holiday Tomme again!

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Our annual Christmas Party was held on Monday, December 13th beginning at Noon where we cut into the Holiday Tommes that we all (!) made over Labor Day weekend.

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There were a good variety this year: a Goat/Guernsey hybrid from Little Falls Farm with a clear rind; two examples (one made with MM100 and one with Flor Danica) of Jersey cow milk from Monroe Cheese Studio; two examples of goat-cow-sheep mixed milk from Appleton Creamery (one by Caitlin, one by Jesse); and many examples of goat’s milk tomme with a B. linens rind from Kennebec Cheesery.

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All of them were very good with loads of variation on the classic Tomme de Savoie sticky/creamy texture, especially Jean’s cheeses from the Kennebec Cheesery where the B. linens really took over! This exploration of the amazing variety of cheeses possible even when working with the “same” recipe was eye-opening for the new and experienced cheese makers among us. Together with plenty of great food (what a MacAndCheese from Heidi!) and good cheer made this MCGCP another highlight of 2010.