Rachel Fritz Schaal and Peter Dixon come to chat about creating starter cultures from scratch, and we also talk about the science and craft of making cheese. That also happens to be the name of the conference they created. These two just riff off each other and drop so many pearls of knowledge. This is a good representation if you've ever wondered what it is like to hang out with them.

Find them:

parishillcreamery.com

IG:

@parishhillcreamery

@cheesemakersjourney

@sciencecraftcheese

Learn more about the conference:

https://www.sciencecraftcheese.com/

March 15th & 16th 2025

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The opportunity for internship scholarships is much more prevalent than in years past. Carrie, aka Justice of the Cheese, has done two scholarships through the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund. We chat about the differences in the scholarships we both have received and the realities behind going to work in a cheese plant for a month.

Find Carrie:

IG @justiceofthecheese

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South Africa has had a rich history of agriculture and fermented dairy products. Still, it's only been within the last 100 years that cheese has played a part, mostly due to colonization. During apartheid, cheesemakers had to sell their cheese to the government, which led to only a few styles being made. Since the end of apartheid, an innovative cheese industry has started to bloom. Klein River Cheese is one of the cheesemakers making a name for themselves in South Africa and the world. Ray Siebrits joins me to chat all about cheesemaking in South Africa.

Find Kleinn River Cheese: Klein River Cheese

IG: @kleinrivercheese

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Social Media has helped us connect in entirely new ways, and Erika Kubick is out here doing Cheesus' work by preaching the word of curd to the masses. Author, IG baddie, and cheese educator, there isn't much Erika can't do, but we chat about the pitfalls of living your life online and the lack of money that entails if you want to stay true to your creative vision.

Find Erika here: https://www.cheesesexdeath.com/

Find the black garlic honey mentioned in the episode here: https://www.eatblackgarlic.com/shop/black-garlic-infused-honey

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While we've lost some big-name cheese shops over the last couple of years, we've added some new flavors to the roster. One of the cheese show's new stars is Agnes Cheesery and Restaurant in Pasadena, California.

Vanessa and Thomas Tilaka Kalb, two professionally trained chefs who love cheese, opened this venture in 2021 but started the process in 2018. We chat about everything it took to open it in an uncertain time.

Find the shop and restaurant here: https://www.agnesla.com/

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Opening a cheese shop is no easy feat, but once you get past the initial opening, you have the challenge of keeping the doors open. In this episode, we check in with Laura Downey from Fairfield & Greenwich Cheese Company about some of the strategies they've employed to keep the lights on and make the shop a valued part of the community.

Here are your links to connect with Laura and the team!

IG: @fairfieldgreenwichcheeseco

Website: https://fairfieldcheese.com/

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Rachael Lucas has been hustling hard in the Seattle cheese world to create her perfect cheese job. She's built relationships in the wine world, leading to her current hyper-fixation and a perfect blend of passions. From cheese classes to small cases in wineries' tasting rooms, she's trying, and succeeding at solidifying her place.

Find Rachael at https://cheeseladyloveswinellc.com/

IG: @cheeseladyloveswineseattle

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The passionate, hard-working people that brought you a 5k during the middle of a cheese conference are back with more tricks under their sweatbands! They've added some friends and created grants geared towards cheese professionals to get experiences at some of the best in the biz. The deadline to apply for these grants is right around the corner on February 28th, 2023, so now is the time for the last push!

Apply here: thecheeseletes.org

Questions/Sponsorship Opportunities: network@thecheeseletes.org

Find The Cheeseletes on IG @thecheeseletes

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How does a small cheese shop compete in this current space of instant gratification? With heart, enthusiasm, and passion, of course!

You can find all that and brightly colored aesthetic at Lady and Larder in Santa Monica, California. Created by twin sisters Sarah and Boo Simms, this small but mighty shop feeds celebrities and local cheese lovers.

Sarah's energy will excite you for your next trip to the cheese shop.

IG @ladyandlarder

Website https://www.ladyandlarder.com/

Sarah also mentioned working with the Cheese Culture Coalition, and you should check out their work.

https://cheeseculturecoalition.org/

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If you are in or near the Philly cheese scene, then Alexandra Jones is a name you know well, but even if you live on the other side of the country, her food writing has likely informed your ideas about cheese. From Culture magazine to Modern Farmer, Alex has bylines that range in topics about cheese and agriculture. She's taking a more personal approach by starting her own newsletter over at Milkfed.

Here's where else you can find Alex and all of her work:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/arockjonestown/

Website: https://www.alexandrajones.net/

Collective Creamery: https://www.collectivecreamery.com/

Stuff Every Cheese Lover Should Know: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/646054/stuff-every-cheese-lover-should-know-by-alexandra-jones/

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Caite Palmer and Arlene Hunter have created a podcast to talk about being farm parents, and they join me to give a snippet of the topics they delve into on their show. We discuss the trauma of pregnancy and childbirth, the grief of giving up pieces of your life to raise children, and the differences between the US and Canadian systems.

Don't worry; we also talk about the joys of raising farm kids too.

To hear more of Caite and Arlene, find Barnyard LAnguage wherever you get your podcasts and follow them on IG @barnyardlanguage

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The role of women in cheesemaking is a storied one with a rich history that spans centuries, but too often, it gets told in sidebar paragraphs in cheese books. Mary Casella is looking to change that. As the first recipient of the Daphne Zepos Research Award, she dug deep into the history of women cheesemaking, and she presented her findings through the stories of three women at the American Cheese Society annual conference. We talk about that research and gush a bit about the wonderful women that make up the cheese industry.

If you missed her presentation in Portland, keep an eye out on the DZTE social channels to sign up for the next time she is presenting.

https://www.dzte.org/

IG: @dzte2022

Follow Mary on IG: @mlkbtch

Photo of Mary by Al Pomper

Find me on IG: @the_mobile_monger

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Dairy Connection supplies ingredients to artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheesemakers nationwide. Dave Potter, creator and president of DC, is taking a "not retired but not required" approach to the company and leaving it in the capable hands of his daughter, Katie Phillips. We discuss how that transition is going and all of the amazing things that Dairy Connection offers to cheesemakers and mongers alike.

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An affineur's job is to tend to cheese until it is ready for sale. It's not a part of the job in cheesemaking that gets much attention, but all aged cheese requires some level of attention. In this episode, I chat with Josh Windsor, Caves Manager at Murray's Cheese Cave in NYC.

Josh started sharing his philosophical and artistic musings from the caves on Instagram at the beginning of the pandemic. It feels like a portal to a secret realm that most are not privy to.

Follow Josh on IG @theaffineur

Buy some cheese that Josh likey handled: https://www.murrayscheese.com/cave-aged

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Evey has worked in cheese for a few years but made a splash this year as they competed in both San Francisco and New York's Cheesemonger Invitational. What makes that extraordinary was that they went from the bottom in SF to the Top 6 in NYC! 

Evey and I have a lot to discuss as our lineages coincide in many ways, from growing up poor in Oregon and getting our cheese chops behind a grocery store cheese counter. 

Evey's IG: @cheese_isle

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As the cheese community prepares for the American Cheese Society's annual conference in Portland, Oregon, A check-in with the host state's cheese guild was in order! Katie Bray has been at the helm as the executive director since 2015 and we chat about the successes she's had while in that role and the difficulties over the last couple of years finding ways of supporting Oregon cheesemakers. 

https://oregoncheeseguild.org/

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Olympia Provisions has gone from a one-person operation to a nationally distributed and well-respected charcuterie brand. With Elias Cairo steering the ship, their focus on quality and time-honored tradition has won them accolades from industry professionals to casual meat lovers. I dig in with Eli about what makes OP tick and what's new in the company.

www.olympiaprovisions.com

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Gianaclis and Vern Caldwell created a blueprint for sustainable goat dairying in Southern Oregon. While not commercially making cheese any longer, their legacy lives on with the multitude of books written by Gianaclis about holistic goat care.

Photo of Gianaclis taken from Mateo Kehler's IG page.

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Vermont Creamery has been at the forefront of the conversation around quality, cultured butter in the United States. What was once something only available in certain specialty shops and shipped over from France, cultured butter can be found on most grocers' shelves.

This episode digs deep into the butter conversation with Adeline Druart, President of Vermont Creamery. We talk about what it takes to produce 2 million lbs of butter a year, how a goat cheese company came to make high-quality butter, and how having cheesemakers running the show makes all the difference in the taste of the multitude of cultured cream products made by Vermont Creamery.

If you didn't already love butter, this episode might do it for you!

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May is American Cheese Month. Why is this important? Well, I asked a few of my favorite people to tell us why American made cheese is important to them.

Make sure to head to the American Cheese Education Foundation to find out how you can support American Cheese Month and the continued efforts to bring more cheese education to our industry and beyond.

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The joys of an event like the Cheesemonger Invitational is that someone can come from seeming obscurity to take the top prize. Though Sam was not a nationally well-known competitor, his mark has been firmly placed on the PNW cheese scene for years. We chat about that scene, taking the trophy, and finding your passion in unexpected places. 

Find Sam on IG: @sam.cheeseontoast

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In an effort to condense the DZTE episode to vital information, I chose to cut this fun part out and release it as a lil extra episode! Listen in as Juhl and Sam talk about cheese crushes, pairings, and food memories.

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Daphne Zepos created a vision for her legacy and since her death in 2012, her dedication to education has lived on in the Daphne Zepos Teaching Award. This award gives the opportunity for a North American cheese professional to travel and answer the deep cheese questions they hold. As with many things, the last two years have reimagined this award and now two awards live under the umbrella of the Daphne Zepos Teaching Endowment.

If you are a cheese professional and have burning questions about a cheese-related topic, This is the episode to find out how the organization has changed, expert opinions on how to get through the application process, and how the organization is working to keep Daphne's vision alive.

To apply for DZTE:

Deadlines: DZRA May 1, 2022-DZTA May 31, 2022

www.dzte.org

Find DZTE on IG @DZTE2022

Photo credit for Sam's photo: @alexanderpomper

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@the_mobile_monger

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At any given time during the summer, there is a major cheese party going on somewhere. While September is nearing the end of summer, it is prime leaf-peeping season and cheese party season in the great state of Vermont. In this episode, I chat with Andi Wandt, Creamery Manager of Shelburne Farms, about the upcoming Vermont Cheese Week and Summit. If you've been on the fence about going, Andi is here to romance you into being there to fulfill your cheesy rom-com dreams through Vermont's dairy delights.

This is a hefty episode filled with so many details, but you can find all the events on the Vermont Cheese Council's website.

vtcheese.com

Hope to see you there!

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Alisha Norris Jones' experience in the restaurant world gave her the ability to intentionally create beauty with food. For the last several years cheese has been the vehicle and she has been adding her own fingerprint to the Chicago cheese scene. We talk about inspiration, spirituality, kitchen witchery, and creations that include those that feel left behind.

Find Alisha on Instagram:

@_immortalmilk

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How do you bring together a small group of people across a large landmass like Canada? Well, Erin Harris and Kelsie Parsons are trying to do just that in their new venture the Canadian Cheese Collective. In this episode, we talk about what gave rise to this idea and how they are working with new pandemic era tools to create community. Here's your chance to get a sneak peek into the Canadian world of cheese!

@canadiancheesecollective on Instagram

canadiancheesecollective@gmail.com

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In my first International podcast, I talked with world-renowned cheesemonger and affineur, Rodolphe Le Meunier. He is also joined by his Assitant Export Manager, Owen Rumiano.

We discuss butter (of course!), what the French cheese market looks like right now for them, and what exactly an affineur does!

If you are in or around San Francisco on March 6th, 2022, I will be showing these beautiful cheeses and butter at the Cheesemonger Invitational!

Get your tickets here: https://www.cheesemongerinvitational.com/

Learn more about Rodolphe: http://www.rodolphelemeunier.fr/rodolphe-le-meunier/?lang=en

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I sit down with Blain Hages, head cheesemaker at Cherry Valley Dairy in Duvall Washington to talk about BUTTER!

Cherry Valley has racked up numerous awards for its golden butter and is a favorite of consumers and restaurants throughout the Puget Sound. Blain walks us through a butter-making day and what makes Cherry Valley so special.

https://cherryvalleydairy.com/

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Emilia D'Albero's punk rock sensibilities and cheese education videos have created a distinct niche in the TikTok world. We discuss her trajectory in cheese, the realm of cheese in NYC, and the good (and bad!) of being perceived on the internet.

Would this episode be really punk rock without a few expletives thrown around? Just a forewarning that a FEW (I really mean few!) f-bombs do get thrown around.

Find Emilia:

TikTok @punkrockparmigiano

Insta: @emdalbero

The Greene Grape: https://greenegrape.com/

Photo provided by Emilia's feature in Culture Magazine

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Insta: @the_mobile_monger

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Spend even the smallest amount of time in the cheese world and a few names always bubble to the surface. Andy Hatch is one of those names.

Cheesemaker and owner of Uplands Cheese in Dodgeville Wisconsin, Andy is widely celebrated as one of the best cheesemakers in the United States. His seasonal, pasture-based model of making cheese harkens to centuries of tradition while tasting modern and like nothing else before it.

https://uplandscheese.com/

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Rachel Perez has worn all the hats in the cheese industry but as the chair of the American Cheese Society's Judging and Competition Committee, she's using her vast skills to move us in new directions. We discuss all things competition and what you need to know for the coming year!

Cheesemakers! Entries are open now!

Find deadlines and information here: https://www.cheesesociety.org/acs-competition-2022/

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Kyra James is ready to disrupt the cheese industry in new and exciting ways! We chat about all the ways that she's going to do that.

Find Kyra's work here:

https://www.ownyourfunk.com/

https://cheeseculturecoalition.org/

If you are questioning your relationship with alcohol, you don't have to do it alone.

https://www.bensfriendshope.com/

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Megan Lewis didn't intend to have a full-time cheese catering business but that's what she has successfully created in Fargo, North Dakota. We talk about the details of said business and the art of sticking to what you know you are good at.

https://www.milkmadecatering.com/

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Listen in as I chat with Sarah Hoffman, owner of Green Dirt Farm, a sustainable, sheep milk dairy and cheesemaker in Missouri. We chat about the windy road to her life with sheep, serendipity, and get into the reasons why we don't see more sheep milk cheese in the US.

https://www.greendirtfarm.com/

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Many legacy cheesemakers in the American Artisan Cheesemaking scene are trying to figure out what's next for them. Some have sold to larger foreign entities, and some brands have been lost. At Capriole in Greenville, Indiana, Sam Schad is working to fill his grandmother's shoes. It's a lot to fill but Sam is doing it with gratitude and a bit of gumption.

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Chris Eley helped begin the top-notch food scene in Indianapolis Indiana when he and his wife, Mollie, opened Goose the Market. What began as a retail butcher shop and neighborhood market has now turned into a nationally distributed charcuterie company that is widely regarded in shops large and small.

We chat about the process of making salami, his creative process in coming up with flavor profiles and of course about how COVID has affected them over the last two years.

https://www.smokinggoose.com/

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Building any sort of food business is a daunting venture but building a charcuterie business could be top tier level of difficulty. Join me as I chat with Mike Phillips from Red Table Meat in Minneapolis about that trajectory and all the things involved.

https://www.redtablemeatco.com/

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Jessica Keahey has created a special culinary adventure through cheese in an unlikely place, Bentonville, Arkansas. In this episode, we discuss the many paths that she crossed to create Sweet Freedom Cheese, Arkansas's first cut-to-order cheese shop.

https://www.sweetfreedomcheese.com/

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Alyce Birchenough has been dairying and making cheese since 1978. Her farmstead operation is in Alabama on the Gulf of Mexico, not the first place people think of as a place for such ventures, but Alyce and her husband, Doug, have created something very special in an unexpected place. They opened their home to me and let me experience just how special it is. Take a listen to see how they've done it!

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Look's Marketplace is setting the scene for good food in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I chat in person with Beau Vondra about the expansion, COVID, and getting to film with Guy Fieri.

https://www.looksmarket.com/

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It's been a long year for cheese shop owners around the country. Trying to keep a business alive during a pandemic while also balancing the safety of employees and consumers is a lot to shoulder. In this episode, I chat with Rich Rogers, owner of Scardello Artisan Cheese in Dallas, Texas, about how he was able to stay afloat over the last year.

https://www.scardellocheese.com/

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Julia Powers' presence is one you know well if you are involved in the Seattle cheese scene at all. She's been a cheesemonger, distributor, and volunteer throughout the PNW and beyond. Her new appointment on the American Cheese Society's Board of Directors is yet another avenue for Julia to share her talents with the cheese community.

We talk about volunteering, the pitfalls in distribution during COVID, and the icons that paved the way for us to become the cheese professionals we are today.

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Courtney's path to cheese went through two bachelor's degrees and a Ph.D. to get there. Here's how she's bringing that education to the counters she works behind and that experience to fill every waking moment with a cheese-related project.

WASCA: http://www.washingtoncheese.org/

Find Street Cheese on Instagram @streetcheesesea

The PH Cheese Blog: https://www.thephcheese.com/

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Katie Currier proves once again how special Wisconsin is when it comes to the world of dairy. This is your primer to the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and how they support dairying families throughout the state.

https://www.wisconsindairy.org/

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Hill Valley Dairy is making big moves in Wisconsin and may soon extend its reach outside of the cheese state's borders. Listen in as Ron Henningfeld recounts his pure Wisconsin dairy tale.

IG@hillvalleydairy

Hill Valley Dairy

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Steve Jones has curated a cheese world of his own in Portland, Oregon so the decision to close Cheese Bar, his shop of 11 years, was a blow to the Portland cheese scene. I chat with Steve to find out what lead to that decision and what's on the horizon for this man that can't stand still for any length of time.

Spring Brook Farm: https://www.sbfcheese.org/

Farms for City Kids: https://farmsforcitykids.org/

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Rachel Juhl and Jess Perrie didn't mean to start a 5k fundraising event, but here they are in their sixth year of doing just that. In this episode, I chat with Juhl to talk about how The Cheeseletes came to be, the skills acquired in cheese that primed her for starting a non-profit, what we can expect from this year's race, and some open conversation about mental health struggles.

Content warning: discussions of mental health, addiction, recovery, and suicide

The Cheeseletes: https://runsignup.com/Race/UT/AnyCityAnyStateAnyCountry/TheCheeseletes5k

Ben's Friends: https://www.bensfriendshope.com/

Restaurants After Hours NYC: https://restaurantafterhours.org/

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Cheesemongers have been on the front lines of the pandemic and they've had to learn a whole new set of skills to sell. In today's episode, I chat with my personal cheesemonger about the difficulties of selling without sampling and trying to find a connection with consumers in a constantly evolving space.

Get cheese shipped: delaurenti.com

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This week, we are staying in Nothern Washington as I talk with Daniel Wavrin from Ferndale Farmstead, a regenerative dairy, and Italian cheesemaking operation.

Find more info about them: ferndalefarmstead.com

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