CHEESE PROFESSIONALS WILL BLAZE TRAIL TO PORTLAND, ORE., JULY 20-23

AURORA, Colo., March 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After a three-year hiatus, the American Cheese Society's Annual Conference makes its much-anticipated, in-person return this summer.

The 39th Annual Conference, "Blazing the Trail for Cheese", will be held from July 20-23 in Portland, Oregon, with the Pacific Northwest's own Tillamook Creamery as the event's marquee sponsor.

"Tillamook is Oregon-made and Oregon proud, and our cooperative is thrilled to play host to professionals from the cheese industry in the Americas and, indeed, from all over the world," Tillamook's Denise LaBrie said. Renowned for its cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and butter, each year the cooperative releases a cheddar aged 3 years and a cheddar aged ten years under its Maker's Reserve vintage cheddar brand.

Conference-goers will also be able to attend an awards ceremony, where the winners of the American Cheese Society's Annual Judging and Competition (held this May in Minneapolis) will be announced.

In addition, both the ACS Certified Cheese Professional exam, and the ACS Certified Cheese Sensory Evaluator T.A.S.T.E. test, will once again be held in-person.

Other conference favorites, including Meet the Cheesemaker, Midnight Mongers, and the Cheese Crawl, will make a welcome return. More than 30 educational sessions will be held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with topics including:

• Philosophy Behind the Farm: A Panel of Diverse Small Ruminant Operations, featuring Kathryn Spann, Prodigal Farm and Mariana Marques de Almeida, Mrs. J & Co. along with a panel of experts
• What Grows Together Goes Together: Oregon's Dynamic Geological History and Terroir - a tasting session with Katie Bray, Oregon Cheese Guild; Scott Burns, Portland State University; and Jim Bernau, Willamette Valley Vineyards
• Cheese gone bad?: Microbial Challenges and Potential Solutions - a food safety and food science session from a panel of Oregon State University scientists.

Registration for Blazing the Trail for Cheese is available at https://www.cheesesociety.org/2022-conference/.  

About American Cheese Society
ACS is the leading organization supporting the understanding, appreciation, and promotion of artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheeses produced in the Americas. At 2,300 members strong, ACS provides advocacy, education, business development, and networking opportunities for cheesemakers, retailers, enthusiasts, and extended industry. ACS strives to continually raise the quality and availability of cheese in the Americas. Since its founding in 1983, ACS proudly hosts the foremost annual educational conference and world-renowned cheese judging and competition in North America. ACS is a 501(c)6 nonprofit association headquartered in Denver, Colo. To learn more about ACS, please visit www.cheesesociety.org or contact 720-328-2788.

Contact: Tara Holmes
[email protected]
303-974-7947

SOURCE American Cheese Society