Put Texas Cheese on Your Plate

American Cheese Society annual conference and "Festival of Cheese" is coming to Austin, TX on August 5-8, 2009.

Festival of Cheese
Saturday, August 8, 2009 - 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Hilton Austin

Join cheesemakers at the Hilton Austin for this rare opportunity to experience and taste more than 1,200 artisan and specialty cheeses from producers throughout North America.  The Festival presents the cheeses entered in the American Cheese Society's Annual Judging & Competition, which coincides with the Society's Annual Conference in Austin, Texas August 5-8, 2009.  In addition to the award-winning cheeses, there will be wines, beers and specialty foods that complement the stars of this event.

Cost (for General Public/Non-Members): $75 Purchase a ticket to the Festival of Cheese

The Texas Cheese Plate was held on March 19th, 2007

More than 14 Texas artisans shared their goat and cow's milk cheeses and their knowledge of cheesemaking at the Texas Cheese Plate, the first-ever gathering of cheesemakers from across the state.  This follows in the footsteps of our 2005 In Our Own Backyard: American Cheese event.



2007 "Texas Cheese Plate" event downloads/links:
Texas Cheese Plate press release (PDF)
Texas Cheese Plate event booklet 2007-03-19 (PDF 13mb)
Cheeses Tasted at the Texas Cheese Plate (PDF)

2007-04-10 Houston Chronicle - Texas Cheese Comes of Age (PDF)
2007-03-28 Fort Worth Star Telegram - The time is ripe for Lone Star cheeses (PDF)
2007-05-24 D Magazine - Home Cooking Eat Local (Texas Cheese Plate) (PDF)

KERA 90.1 Think Interview with Texas Cheesemakers Podcast (MP3 22 mb)
Cheese Whizzes - dining blog entry by Alison Cook, Houston Chronicle

Texas Cheesemakers (2009)

Cheesemaker	Company, City
Christian and Lisa Seger	Blue Heron Farm, Field Store Community
Marc Kuehl	Brazos Valley Cheese Company, Waco
James Keliehor	Cheesemakers.com, Cleveland
Susan Holle	CheesyGirl Cheese Co., Sealy
Chrissy Omo	CKC Farms, Blanco
Des (Desire) Dunn	Cou Rouge, Lubbock
Deborah Rogers	Deborah's Farmstead, Fort Worth
Christopher P. Bates	Dos Brisas, The Inn at Dos Brisas
Michael and Debbie Sams	Full Quiver Farm. Kemp
Nancy Patton	Haute Goat Creamery, Lubbock
Anne Jones	Latte Da Dairy, Flower Mound
John Spanogle; Alberto Garza	La Cuesta Farm, Clifton (farm closed 4/2009)
Elizabeth Gray	La Vaquita, Houston
Charlene Callicoat	Leche de Tejas Goat Dairy, Edom
Debbie Ferrell	Maid in the Shade, Rosanky
Edgar Diaz, Todd Moore	Moo Cheeses / Lucky Layla Farms, Garland
Paula Lambert	Mozzarella Company, Dallas
Amelia Sweethardt	Pure Luck Grade A Goat Dairy, Dripping Springs
Ben Godfrey	Sand Creek Farm, Cameron, 76520
Darlene and Robert Stryk	Strykly Texas Cheese, Schulenburg
Faith Frerichs	Texas Jersey Cheese, La Grange
Willhoite Families	Twelve Gates, Kingsbury
Stuart and Connie Veldhuizen	Veldhuizen Family Farm, Dublin
Mark Burow	Wateroak Farms, Bryan

Resources

In the DFW area, support and buy local Texas cheeses at these markets: Central Market, Whole Foods, Molto Formaggio. Scardello Artisan Cheese, Flavors from Afar and Mozzarella Company

The Atlas of American Cheese, by Jeffrey Roberts, Chelsea Green Publishing - Book features profiles of Texas cheesemakers (book sample - PDF)

Houston Dairymaids - Lindsey Schechter brings the best of artisanal Texas cheeses to the Houston market
http://www.houstondairymaids.com/
http://www.dairymaiddiary.blogspot.com/

American Cheese Society (ACS) - nonprofit includes farmstead, artisanal and specialty cheesemakers from the United States, Canada, and Europe.
http://www.cheesesociety.org/
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=53300153868

Raw Milk Cheesemakers’ Association - home for American raw milk cheesemaker's
Slow Food USA and ACS co-founded the American Raw Milk Cheese Presidium

American Raw Milk Presidium Mission and Protocol document: http://www.rawmilkcheese.org/index_files/presidium.htm