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Cheese Conference Chronicles III

Friday, August 3. A lot of the talk at the Cheese Conference today — both in formal sessions and in hallway gabfests — has been about whether a shift in values — tilting away from “bigger is better” and toward appreciating small, local, handmade work — is really taking hold around the country. The importance of supporting local farmers and artisans is certainly on the radar screen in many places (like Portland and Vermont) but in many areas the “lowest cost” system seems almost indestructible. I heard Sasha Davies (who has been working all year on the Cheese By Hand project) talk about the common concerns that small dairy farms and cheesemakers are wrestling with all over the country: loss of farming landscape, unavailability of large animal vets, slaughterhouses, and the equipment — and many small farms are selling off their land because the lack of these things makes it impossible for them to carry on. One cheesemaker talked about how people wonder why cheeses from Europe are often cheaper than American farmstead cheeses — what they don’t realize is that (in addition to subsidies from the European governments) most European cheesemakers there are working in facilities that were built and paid for generations ago. Our cheesemakers are not only building their own cheesemaking facilities from the ground up (and taking out loans to do so) but they’re also having to create infrastructure for this young industry at the same time. Another cheesemaker discussed the disconnect that exists between the American desire for cheap milk and the interest in humane treatment of the animals. Here in the US, we’re used to the idea that food is pretty inexpensive, and it’s difficult to come to grips with the idea that paying a higher price for something like milk may not only be the necessary choice, it may also be the best choice. If we want a tremendous variety of delicious, healthy, well made foods (like cheese!) to be available to us, we really do need to figure out how to pay for it both individually and collectively.

Jeffrey Roberts, who wrote The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese, was a part of these discussions. Jeff is not only an authority on American cheesemaking, but he’s also steeped in knowledge about the social history of food. When he comes in October (for The Wedge Festival) he’ll do a class for us at the shop about how artisanal cheesemakers are a kind of bellwether for what is changing in agricultural practices. Cool!

In between philosophical discussions, I went to two other sessions today: one about merchandising and marketing, and the other about the environmental requirements for affinage (i.e. - maturing cheese). This last session was especially good since I could pump my friends Juliana and Alma from the Pasta Shop at Market Hall Foods in Oakland for ideas for ways I can help a cheese that needs some extra TLC before it can go in to the case. Maturing cheese is tricky business — it’s a careful balancing act of temperature, humidity, time, and of course the cheese — and it was great to get some advice from these two women who have so much experience!

Tomorrow is the big Cheese Festival! There were twelve hundred and eight cheeses entered into the competition this year, and Oregon cheesemakers made a very, very fine showing. Cheeses from Rogue Creamery, River’s Edge Chevre, Tumalo Farms, and Willamette Valley Cheese all received awards! Yahoo for all of them! Tomorrow night, their cheese (along with hundreds of others) will fill the hall, and I’ll be roaming from table to table savoring the amazing cheese made here at home and all over the country. Yahoo for cheese!