By Neville McNaughton, “Dr. Cheese”

I am privileged to have had many amazing travel experiences in my life, however…

Neville with Students at Aparima College Riverton, Southland New Zealand, March 2012

one of my life’s greatest rewards came last month when I was asked to do a motivational speech at my primary school in New Zealand.  I sincerely hope that the story of my journey was able to plant the seeds of success in this current class of fascinating and hopeful students there.

To be referred to as a “self-made success” gave me great pride and has motivated me to continue my own learning process so that I can share my discoveries with others.  My journey has been about Cheese, for whatever reason, and I believe the following outline of my talk at Aparima College illustrates the very personal nature of finding your own path to success:

• I was a boy without a plan
• When your parent’s best option goes astray, what do you do?
• Happiness comes from being content with your lot…but also  in going out and doing what makes you happy.

Aparima College

My home for 9 years was 107 Havelock Street.

The telephone number was 154 (it was not a party line because my Dad was a shearer)
The farm opposite the Riverton Race Course was home till I was 17
The telephone number was 104 K (a party line with all the issues)

• I failed to get my School Certificate (missed the math requirement)
• I never even sat some of the exams for University Entrance 

(James Hargest was a great year and a horrible year
We won the 4th grade Rugby Championship, the first time for that school)

• I did poorly at school

(The plan to go to the Makarewa Freezing Company and be a computer programmer was no longer an option – in hindsight it may have been my downfall)

• Two years and the Invercargill Milk Supply
• Two years at the Tisbury Dairy Cooperative

(This was a period in Invercargill when you could walk down the road and get another job if you didn’t like the one you had).

• 10 years at the New Zealand Cooperative Rennet Company in Eltham Taranaki

• During this period I completed a Diploma in Dairy Technology, graduated Massey in 1977 (best decision I ever made)

(For the first 5 years in Eltham I forgot about money, never looked for a better job, I was having fun).

• Cancelled the Farm ownership account and paid the unpaid taxes
• I was on my path!

(Who would have known that I had a gift for Cheesemaking?
In the 10 years at the NZ Coop Rennet Company, we increased production 600%, eliminated waste, and improved quality.  When I finished that job I had: 55 people working for me, was operating a Process Cheese plant, a parmesan  drying operation, and a packing operation).

• I got 4 promotions in less than 10 years.
• Had been introduced to a simple computer, it was small from Japan and I could use it for doing blend work on process cheese
• I had gone from First Assistant Cheesemaker to Plant Manager

When I left that operation I had been quietly working with Ross McCallum for four years on a project.  That project was “Kapiti Cheeses”

• The McNaughton and McCallum families invested everything we had, I was 29 and Ross was 34. That was $70,000.00.  We borrowed $90,000.00 at 21% interest and paid it back in 5 years.

• (When we sold that company in 2003 it had almost $25,000,000 in sales, 200 employees, many part time, it was the most awarded Cheese Company in NZ, it only paid a dividend twice in 18 years but was the best investment that I could have made.  When the company sold I was the largest individual shareholder in the company).

• By that time I had moved to the USA and taken a job with Fonterra’s predecessor, the NZDB.  As technical Manager for Cheese I was to communicate with NZ Cheesemakers on quality for that market.

• The two long term significant values that I was able to leave behind was the addition of more fat to the cheese and sell it for cheese price.

• The recommendation to buy a small company called Key Ingredients which has now turned into Dairy Concepts in the USA, a Fonterra and Dairy Farmers of America company that does approx. a Billion dollars in sales.

• I left NZDB for IBT and took on the position of Technical Manager
• Two years as Technical Manager

(increased sales by 400% in 4 years)

• Left this company to start my own company

 Did two things at once:  

• Started a small News Paper – Motorcycling.
• Started a Cheese Consulting Company.
• After 26 months, Cheese was paying the bills.

• Today we have worked with close to 100 clients
• Our clients are highly awarded at competitions
• We have never had one shut down for sanitation violations where we did the design.

This is a story that only in hindsight gives credit to the people that helped me:

• To my mother just for being who she is.
• My father for saying “lack of happiness is lack of contentment”

(Being able to observe his work ethic – shearing for 17 years, milking cows, lambing etc.)

The Teachers at this school who seemed so influential:

• George Hayward – (said I would be good at anything practical)
• Norman Murray
• Mr. and Mrs. Greet (the wisdom of having lived in a populated place)
• Too many others to mention
• To Fred Laurence for telling me if I was going to be rich “I would be rich by the time I was 30” and teaching me the big lesson in life is “humility”, it took a long time to figure out what he meant (two failed marriages helped).
• To Dr. Bob Studer for telling me “you don’t need to go to university, it’s all in books”
• To Dr. Jim Harper for telling me “you are best generalist I know.”
• To Dr. John Lelievre for telling me “your Diploma is better than a north American degree.”

What I’ve learnt:

• Life isn’t fair so get used to it (best example, only 2 billion people can live in the world the way we live in the USA, there is already 7 billion, by 2050 we will have 9 billion)
• I don’t believe any of my classmates graduated from college?  This was  surprise!  Those I am in contact with appear to be doing well.
• Mono-culture is wrong, the consequences will be catastrophic.
• Large Industry is great if it’s locally owned.
• Global Trade works for companies and not people.
• We have more people in poverty today than ever.
• We have more child prostitution.
• We wouldn’t do a lot of the things we do if we understood the ramifications (i.e. think of endangered species andpollution – some local farming practices are unacceptable in other parts of the world).

The best metaphor I have for life is motorcycling:

Everyone should have to ride a motorcycle for two years, the sooner people learn they are mortal the better.  Inversely don’t put your kids in a large car so they won’t get hurt, they will have to deal with the consequences

We should not use age a factor when deciding things like:

• Driving
• Access to college/education
• When we develop genius or elite athletes we give them all they need when they need it, often very young
• Drinking and others -  all this does is delay growing up

Places I’ve been:
Australia
Jamaica
Brazil
Mexico
Canada
Germany
Holland
France
Great Britain
Korea
Hong Kong
China
Philippines
Japan
Belgium

• I will this year complete a 6 year term on American Cheese Society Board of Directors.

• I have a contract with the Dairy Business Innovation Center in Wisconsin

• I currently teach at the Vermont Institute of Artisan Cheese

• Presently teaching at various Universities around the USA

At age 58, I am not thinking of retiring.  There is much to share that will help others have a better life.  We have many reasons to get up in the morning.

Truly a rewarding life…..

by Neville McNaughton, Dr. Cheese

The idea that Natural Cheese makers should spend valuable time coming up with ways to reduce the salt in cheese is a folly.  There is little room for change in the salt content of cheese, as Natural Cheese requires salt in very precise ratios to its moisture and solids.  In the world of cheese,  there are cheeses and there are pseudo cheeses.  These are cheese-like products that exploit their consumers for the primary reason of profit..

The true nature of cheese is sustenance and pleasure, but we have a range of products that contain highly elevated levels of salt.  Many of the non-natural cheeses and other cheese bearing products are high in salt because they are literally filled with it.  (Filled being a term for an ingredient inserted but not needed or essential). Processed foods frequently contain salt or sugar (sometimes lactose) in amounts higher than in the natural product.  Why is that?  Because salt and sugar increase the weight of these products without increasing the volume.  Both these ingredients cost a fraction of the raw material cost and are inserted to the point of being problematic.  Salt in most processed foods is not a major contributor to shelf stability nor is the sugar.  The sugar again is filler and can be used to offset acid balanced against sweetness  and is inserted to the point of causing defects.  Both salt and sugar are major money making additions. As you can see from the table below*, Natural Cheese carries on average only 30% of sodium that processed products derived from that same cheese.

*This is not as bad as it seems, dried Parmesan Vs. natural has the same sodium to solids ratio Information Source: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/8/2

Natural Cheesemakers step up!  Begin a campaign to promote the health of real cheese and differentiate your product from the processed foods that malign your reputation.  Cheese is not the problem, and perhaps salt isn’t either as witnessed by reports read in the The Cheese Reporter.  Many natural cheeses are already low in salt because Cheese makers are a little paranoid about having too much salt.  In fact, I saw a report last week that a substantial cheese inventory is about to be rejected because it was made with too little salt.  Another case this past year involved a relatively new Cheese maker was selling raw milk cheese across state lines.  When it was picked up by the neighboring state inspectors, 10,000 cfu/g of Staph aureus were present in the sample.  This prompted a look at the remaining inventory and counts from 300 to 900 cfu/g were found.  But here’s the twist– there was a parallel inventory, cheese that were made under our guidance which showed no staph.  That’s right, none.  I can still hear that Cheese maker exclaim “how can that be?”  The answer lies in multiple aspects of the alternate production, and salt was a factor: slightly higher salt, slightly lower moisture put the S/M (salt in moisture) right at the 5.00% mark.  Comparing this to the standard Cheddar produced by this Cheese maker, which came in at 4.2% S/M,  his cheese was also afflicted with bitter flavor.  Salt in this case reduced the staph count AND eliminated the bitterness.

It doesn’t matter whether it is Camembert or Cheddar, the results are the same.  Salt is essential, not optional.  It is not an option to reduce the amount simply because you think it has a little much.  In the case of surface ripened cheeses they will be unstable and become bitter, have limited shelf life and be rejected by consumers, retailers and distributors alike.  Salt performs such a basic role in food that it cannot be eliminated.  However, that statement refers to real food, products that reflect a natural balance of what is necessary to make them real.  When we lump artificial or contrived foods into the mix of cheese we can clearly see the problem..  Some processed “foods” may rely on artificial amounts of salt to add shelf stability, but most likely not. Salt (and sugar) are revenue generators..   When cheese is eaten in a processed form it should no longer be thought of as food but rather processed food.  Because processed foods have become the norm, we no longer as consumers view them objectively.

Cheese is what we make from milk with cultures, coagulants and a gentle hand; once that cheese is processed it becomes something else.  How are the statisticians sorting the data?  Objectivity is a bit like communication–it’s great when it actually occurs.  How much cheese consumed is truly natural and how much is processed, and where did it fall in the data? Looking at my brief table above: Cheddar is not the problem, an oz. provides 7% of your daily sodium, and the processed derivative provides 17%.  The next two examples of processed variants are similar. Swiss cheese, with its low 2% of your daily allowance and not shown high level of calcium, is a saintly product we should all eat more of.  Look at the processed derivatives and it makes you want to cry.  Salt soars to 18% of the daily allowance. The Parmesan and Shredded Parmesan:  it was unclear if this was a dried product, but if so,  it wold make sense, as many Parmesans contain filler and are not 100% Parmesan.  I did not have a chance to research the source other than to say, eating natural Parmesan in small amounts will not destroy your salt intake numbers. Velveeta is probably in those cheese stats, and is a completely formulated product, not natural and very high in salt. Blue cheeses are necessarily high in salt..   Mozzarella, on the other hand, is showing virtuously low salts and should keep them on the low salt diet options.  Real/Natural cheese is not the issue. Processed foods and cheeses are.

Cheese makers need to inform their customers and the bureaucrats who will impose rules on us that they must be more objective.  Here’s standing up for Cheese and Salt!

A little background about this piece:  It was written in response to last month’s corporate attack on St. Louis  Farmers’ Markets.  I attended a “town hall” meeting in Richmond Heights and came to the following conclusions on what could possibly motivate a city or community to actually make legislation to eliminate the presence of farmers’ markets?!!!?

Why are Farmers Markets so Critical to a Sustainable Food Supply?

Because they are the essence of that secure food supply.

They’re not just playing around!  

We live in a world order that worships monoculture, centralization, unbridled capitalism and growth (population) to solve all problems. This framework is held in place by a tax system that promotes the payment of today’s investment with tomorrow’s new income.  In short, we have created a precarious world of dependency.

No industry is a better example of this than agriculture.  With a more limited land ownership there has been a centralized concentration of processing, distribution and retailing.  As a result there is less security in our food supply.

Let’s start out with some irony:   it is far easier to sabotage (bio-terrorism) a few concentrated industries than it is to get to many smaller locations.  It is the irony of all concentration of effort, be it government or farming.  The Achilles Heel of all great achievements only becomes apparent once the collapse has begun (i.e. once the tendon is severed the conqueror is transformed to the conquered with one crippling blow).  Because we don’t know the future we cannot be perfectly prepared, so the best form of preparedness will be diversity in all things.  The point being, monoculture will leave us much less prepared to face future changes than a diverse and vibrant alternative.

Nothing is a greater imperative than food security.  The definition of a secure food supply is not the same for everyone.  My contention is that you do not have a secure food supply when you allow large percentages of the food supply to be concentrated in a single geographic location.  Let’s consider, for example, the case of produce from southern California, Mexico and the warmer regions with a water supply to grow high moisture products.  From these regions, products will be shipped to all corners of the North America, all this made possible by four things: artificial fertilizer, access to water that is not naturally present, a low cost labor source, and cheap oil.  For this to be sustainable it becomes critical that we continue to: produce cheap oil for the fertilizer and the fuel for the tractors and trucks, to strip the water from other regions, and to ensure there is a class of worker who desperately needs work more than those who consume refuse to do.

I have heard that the USA is only three days from melt down if trucks stop running.  While I have listed aspects of our society’s crippling dependence on fuel, I have not listed a unimaginable natural catastrophe so great that we could be plunged into a dire position.  This example, though, illuminates the fact that the force leading up to this size of disaster would no longer be an Achilles Heel from within, but from an external unknown force. Earthquake, Flood, Tornado… we don’t know what is around the corner.  An earthquake has the power to disrupt on as scale we cannot imagine.  The lights could go out, the trucks will stop running, communication could be nearly elimininated and fear will invade.

It is this fear of starvation that will drive the masses to an illogical course of action that will pit the needy against those with more abuandance. Those who can provide will be outnumbered.  There will be no civility.  By that point, it will be too late for a rational discussion of how to provide meals for the days, weeks and months ahead.  It will overwhelmingly be about “feed me now because I’m hungry.”

The notion of security coming from a pay check has, to some extent, been shattered by the collapse of the money system in the U.S. and Europe.  Those who were prudent with their funds still see a massive erosion of the their future.  The money they had is worth less than they ever imagined it could be.  Based on my experience it is possible the stock market could deliver flat returns for 15 or more years.

In light of this discussion, it is hard to believe that a City Council, a bureaucratic organization elected to watch out for the welfare of those who voted for them, would do anything to make our food supply less secure.  In a country that has organizations like FEMA and Homeland Security, it is impossible to believe they are not thinking about long term systemic breakdown as a scenario that we should be prepared for.  As a nation that has never known pervasive famine, that has never run short of food during a war, it is unlikely that there would be much support for such strategy.  Wisdom and foresight are not the makings of news except in hindsight, so it is gratifying to see the media present when bureaucratic organizations are being steered by their watchful health departments, tax departments, and feeling pressure from establishment retailers, all whom clearly have only self interests in mind when it comes to restricting the actions of a few farmers at the market.

The bright flame of local production that has flickered across this great nation in recent years (including St. Louis in the more recent years) has occurred because there was a group of farmers producing on our back door step the best food on the planet.  Proof of their worth has been seen in the expressions of appreciation by consumers who come out of the woodwork to buy and pay the price necessary to ensure that those farmers keep doing what they are doing, saving our future.  Farmers of produce, meat, cheese, bread and grain are essential to a secure food supply, not to mention a healthy population.  They will almost certainly be heralded for their wisdom long after they are gone, but for now they are a minority.

Make Plans for a Sustainable Future

We live in a world ruled by majority. That majority to some, myself included, has made a series of decisions on my behalf that do not serve me well or as I would wish.  All I ask is that we learn to respect that which we do not understand and that we stop focusing on elimination as the only solution.  In a world that loses flora and fauna at an alarming rate, we always have to wonder if the next great discovery wasn’t taken off the table before it was discovered.  Expansion and growth value nothing but profit, although they have a pseudo value of future and humanity.  Growth won’t save us but a secure food supply will.  When all hell breaks loose a secure food supply will give us time to reassess the future and plot a way forward.

The model we have created has, in turn, created a dependent class.  Those who cannot produce their own food through no fault of their own must be taken care of by a well-planned system that has the wisdom to visualize the future.  One of the caring things we can do is not stand in the way, but shepherd the process of sustainability and security.

Set some goals! I believe we should be at 40% self-sufficiency on a regional basis across the nation.  If all communities could produce 40% of today’s consumption, we would survive the worst catastrophe because of our easier access to that food. Contrast that picture to one where we have 80% of our population marching to the rural areas to find food produced where the population is only 20%.  That is an overwhelming force of hungry urbanites and you can imagine the results!

Let’s not obfuscate the reason we are making it harder for farmers markets to flourish.  What we have today is the flickering flame of food security.  No corporation, trucking company, oil company, corporate farmer, or government can give us what a vibrant urban farming community can.

 Food security is the future.

CheezSorce

Neville McNaugton, "Dr. Cheese"

When it comes to operating any type of plant, be it a lamb, cow, or cheese operation, the operator will inevitably face the question of why something isn’t working. “Why is my cheese rotting?” “Why is my cow acting so shy?” Or “Why is the humidity so high in this room?”  I can honestly say I have been there too. My experience in the cheese industry is by no means flawless, and mistakes have given me much knowledge and foresight to prepare for problems in advance. By using an established plan for good practices and understanding how to solve problems, I believe anyone can be successful at their operation. 

I started working at Kapiti Cheese Co. in 1983. At the time, New Zealand had been making cheddar for over 100 years and this was the country’s forté. This was the same for the New Zealand Cooperative Rennet Co. While the rest of New Zealand only made cheddar, my new employer was making eight different kinds of natural cheese every day!  I was at an age of craving knowledge and had the “can-do” attitude to experiment with even other cheeses.  There was much support and room for expansion and change, including an extensive company research library, an active Dairy Technology Society, and lots of problems that had little to no answers.

As some of you may know, I am not afraid of problems. Problems, in my opinion, can all be solved. In New Zealand, one response to getting our processes under control was to develop “quality manuals.” In America, one might refer to them as “Standard Operating Procedures”: a step by step process to, for example, build your own desk or tend to a sick animal. It was the book that had answers to almost everything. These were big on farms and cheese plants in New Zealand and paved my thought process for tackling problems. They showed me that problems do have answers. The real challenge was knowing where to look.
Based on that premise, let me now share some basic rules for starting a Cheese Operation.

Rule 1: Good Practices Instill Good Work

Designs for the perfect Cheese Making Environment

You may have to write your own code of conduct, Bible, or “quality manual,” but to truly save your time and become better at understanding your field, I recommend learning from others.  The starting place is to get the generic GMP document from the Dairy Practices Council and modify it for your own use. It is your responsibility as a plant owner and/or operator to be able to write these documents, understand them and know your own situation better than anyone.  Don’t assume you can simply write your own guide.  Write them and have them reviewed by a credible source.  If you need help, CheezSorce would be happy to assist you.

•Allow me to share an example of a bad situation that would not have existed if good practices had been in place: I was contracted to work for a Hispanic Cheese operation that was regularly being infected with Listeria monocytogenes. My job was to figure out how and why this was occurring, but most importantly, figure out how to solve the problem. I discovered that there was no adequate cleaning system in place for the drains. With correct cleaning and sanitation practices, there would simply be no Listeria in the system drains. Additionally, it was important and unfortunate for me to address the fact that their cooling systems were not designed to be cleaned. If the system was infected, there was no solution but to replace it entirely. In this situation, understanding and having protocol for equipment use was imperative to the health of the plant. It became a harsh lesson that we must all beware of what we install, keeping in mind that one bad component could well be the Achilles Heal of a whole system.

Rule 2: Mistakes Will Make You Smarter
As I said, some mistakes are ones you’ve made and some you’ve watched others make.  Whichever the case, reviewing processes, problems and solutions will greatly improve your chances of success. One way of doing this is to review reports of incidents that have occurred in other cheese plants around the world. For me, reviewing reports helps set my answers to problems into an existing framework.

Rule 3: Take Responsibility to Learn

As a new cheese plant operator, you will be challenged to learn many new things. Probably the most challenging role is to fill and uphold the State Inspectors’ expectations of your plant. You will most likely find yourself asking, “How do I find a path through the maze of legal and ‘technical’ requirements?” While there are no clear guidelines, the inspectors will surely tell you what is not going well.  If the problem is truly bad, the FDA may step in to investigate. Of course, this is something we all want to avoid, and the only way to avoid these probabilities is to learn and plan ahead. In short, expect the unexpected.
Another example:  Building a cheese plant requires a thought process that leads to the best decision about what type of materials you may want to use for your walls, be it interior or exterior. I can tell you that wooden construction, sheet rock, and the lack of vapor barriers are all causing many Cheese makers issues and additional expense as their buildings age. Additionally, hollow core walls are great places for roaches and other vermin to live in. Even little things like electrical outlets need careful planning, as they can provide easy access for little critters to enter your facility. To prevent this situation requires the Cheese maker/owner/operator to consult with someone who has experience building a plant. While one may have their thoughts and preferences for what one likes, it is necessary to plan carefully when building a cheese plant. Do not be afraid to learn and ask for help.

To sum things up, when a problem arises it is not acceptable to say, “nobody required or told me to do something differently.” There are always ways to prevent and improve. When planning and developing a cheese plant, you have to take initiative, responsibility, and do your research.  From the making of plant to the making of the cheese, always record data to measure progress and change.

 These three preceding rules are the first set of guidelines I suggest when deciding to enter the cheese business. I hope you will keep them in mind and are fearless in asking questions.  Be prepared and don’t let the State or the Feds be the ones to inform you that your product or plant is insufficient, or worse yet, contaminated. 

Later.
Dr. Cheese

It’s been a week of travel, two weeks actually, late night meetings, much planning, documenting the thought process and re-checking list.  Long lists, walking through the layouts and making sure current best practices are reflected in the design by asking myself, can our building do everything to support current GMP’s (Good Manufacturing Practice)?  The more I find myself involved in planning the more I find I need to know. My new tutor is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  After the round of Listeria and E. coli outbreaks in 2010, the FDA published their reports, reading these reports are an education worth putting time and effort towards.  The FDA does not run classes on how to do things right, but they do come, visit and examine what might not be right such as your products being suspect or proven deficient.  Reading reports puts me in the right frame of mind as an advisor so that when I am asked a question the answer is framed in the right context.

Context is everything, satisfying the local State Inspector is unlikely to avoid the IRE of FDA.  If the only standard you have to meet is State driven you might think you are OK, but if a problem occurs with your product it is possible the FDA is going to be involved.  So how is the new entrant able to find a path through the maze of legal and “technical” requirements?

If you are operating at the State level these requirements are typically available from a local State body responsible for your facility.  What is not written in these requirements is much of what you need to know.  They are typically outdated, were in place long before many of the issues we are dealing with today were known, they possibly assume an undefined level of knowledge on the part of the reader.

What is the role of regulation, what is the responsibility of the State, what is the responsibility of the operator, how do we avoid problems?
Later.

Dr. Cheese

Neville McNaughton (aka Dr. Cheez) – “When I was twelve taking milk to the local cheese factory in a 1950’s Morris Commercial truck, I had no idea I was looking at my future: a life of curds, whey and culture.  Within 15 years of the closing of that cheese plant, a partner and I became pioneers and started our own successful cheese factory in New Zealand.  During that time, I made several visits to the USA.  When I came to stay in 1986, I fell luckily into an era in US Cheese making which would become my destiny.  Passionate about good (i.e. real) food, a love of people, and a curiosity for understanding,  I strive to understand why groups and societies act as they do.”

Dr. Cheez would like to think of himself as a Cheez philosopher, pragmatic, in context and patient enough to help those who are yet to get it.  Like all good doctor’s Dr. Cheez practices his art, pays homage to the greats that have gone before him, and seeks to share with those who are still to come.  In an un-sustainable world creating a model that everyone can follow would be the greatest legacy.  “But as all motorcyclists know it is the journey that counts, the most worthwhile legacy will be the shared knowledge that makes it easier for those who follow us, a better curve, something to savour….”

The result of this philosophy was the creation of CheezSorce.

And on a very personal note:  “As Americans, you and I the voters give away our privileges/rights to faceless corporations and disloyal politicians.  As a very serious and literal person, I have found the best friends to be those who transcend their daily roles and quietly work towards a lasting and sustainable future.  While not all can abandon the corporate ship they can at least support the goal of sustainability.”

Sincerely,

Dr. Cheez

You’re going to wish you had been there, but luckily there’s always next year!

CheezSorce is proud to have hosted this St. Louis Event, “Celebrating American Artisan Cheeses,” in Conjunction with the ACS’ First Annual American Cheese Month.    When and where? On Wednesday, October 26, from 6-9 p.m. at the beautiful Vino Gallery  in St. Louis’ Central West End.

"Celebrating American Artisan Cheeses" at Vino Gallery

The event was held in conjunction with the American Cheese Society’s first annual American Cheese Month and was part of a large network of national cheese events celebrating and promoting North America’s delicious and diverse artisan, specialty, and farmstead cheeses. This first-time event drew more than 50 participants in an interactive evening of food sampling, discussions and questions with area cheesemakers and CheezSorce founder, Neville McNaughton. Tickets for the event were $45 in advance and $55 at the door. A portion of the proceeds were donated to the American Cheese Society’s Cheese Maker Scholarship Fund.

Cheese and Charcuterie at "Celebrating American Artisan Cheeses"

“Celebrating American Artisan Cheeses” was organized as a tasting of some of the country’s top award-winning cheeses, including Rogue River Blue from Oregon’s Rogue Creamery (2011 Best in Show by the American Cheese Society) and Evalon from Wisconsin’s LaClare Farms (2011 US Champion Cheese by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association). With a focus on cheese education, the event featured a total of six classes of cheese for sampling, which were paired with locally cured meats and charcuterie from nationally acclaimed St. Louis charcutier, Salume Beddu.

The meats and cheeses were also paired with carefully selected wines and champagne, and were discussed by Neville McNaughton, world reknowned master cheesemaker, and founder and President of CheezSorce. The preparation of the meats was also discussed by the owners of Salume Beddu, further 

expanding the event into a truly culinary and educational experience.

Luckily, there’s always next year…stay tuned!

In the modern world of the West, which is typified by the USA, we think of cheese as being a product of cow’s milk. (At least that applies to those of us who know where milk comes from). Most early cheesemaking, however, would have been done with milk from sheep or goats.

Of the goat milk cheeses that have survived through the ages to our current times, most are examples of very low technology. Chevre, for example, can be made by draining cultured/soured milk and does not require the use of a coagulant (although today it typically would).

Sheep milk cheese originally may not have been much different from the famous goat cheeses, but as time went on it developed into some very unique cheeses. (one of the most famous and notable results is Roquefort with a level of sophistication above that of the Chevres — Now that is my opinion as a technologist).  If you observe cheese in our markets today, goat cheeses are some of the most simple to manufacture.   Goat milk produces cheese of excellent quality when more sophisticated processes such as Cheddar and Gouda are applied to its manufacture.

Both the above cheese styles are common in France and have been

Cheesemaking from around the world

developed to an amazingly high level of sophistication.  While it may not have been the first place in the world to make cheese, France has been at the forefront in developing many of the gastronomic delights that we enjoy today. France has been, without dispute, the European region that was the most creative in converting milk to cheese.   France is also an excellent country whereby I can demonstrate the effect of geography: In the low lands where milk was plentiful throughout a long period of the year, fresh cheeses were common. (This includes Camembert).   In the mountains where milk was available for less than six months, the cheese had to be converted into something that would “keep.”   Comte, a French Swiss style cheese, would keep for many months and provided an appetizing form of nutrition in long winter months when snow covered the ground outside.

It is conceivable that French men and women were eating fresh cheese and salad on the coast at the same time as those living in the Alps were eating dry bread and fondue.   Geography was important in the evolution of cheesemaking.   In any region where we have varying climatic conditions, we can look to find cheese of different styles.   My point is that it is only in relatively recent times that we have had the ability to create, a). a year-round milk supply regardless of geographic location, and b). create the specific ripening environment necessary for aged rinded classics.   No longer do we seek out that special cave with certain conditions. We create it.

Additionally, we have many more mammals which are valued for their milk. The finest Mozzarella in Italy (and the world for that matter) is made from Buffalo milk. Mozzarella di bufala is a fresh, succulent and juicy form of Mozzarella — not the part skim variety that we get on most pizzas.

Mare’s milk is now used to make Koumiss, a drink similar to Kefir. Even reindeer milk is used by herdsmen in the far north as a source of sustenance. The potential of milk in cheesemaking is only limited by the creativity of the Cheesemaker. History has shown us that with over 400 different cheeses in France alone, Cheesemakers are truly creative.

In the New World, Cheesemakers continue to demonstrate the same spirit. Variations on past themes are created every time a new Cheesemaker sets up in business.

Neville McNaughton – Consultant

CheezSorce@gmail.com

A French Dairy Goat from Tours

We, the staff of CheezSorce,  had the wonderful privilege of capturing first-hand Brenda’s excitement and awe as she took her first tour of France — a cheese tour! Her educational focus taught us all a lot about the rich history of cheese making in none other than what many consider to be ground zero for the Cheese making culture.  We will share more later with promises of lots more beautiful photos.  We also invite you to check out another blog written by the guide Jeannie Carpenter who put this tour together http://cheeseunderground.blogspot.com/.

This is where Moulin Rouge was filmed.

The iconic Eiffel Tower