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| Spring 2024 Newsletter |
| Table of Contents Letter from the Executive Director WASCA Updates Announcements: Educational Activities Announcements: Grants and Funding Opportunities Announcements: Upcoming Events General Announcements Members in the News |
| Letter from the Executive Director |
| Dear WASCA Members and Cheese Lovers, Spring has sprung, and there is a smell of change and new growth in the air. I am writing to you on a high note following our participation in this year’s Taste Washington “Grand Tasting,” March 16-17 at the Lumen Field Event Center in Seattle. Among more than 200 wineries and dozens of restaurants, 11 of our cheesemakers had booths at this year’s event. It has been a challenge to get enough cheesemakers to attend public-facing events for the past few years, and this enthusiastic showing seems to point to a sea-change in our post-COVID life. It was rejuvenating to have so many cheesemakers represented, and the attendees’ excitement at our cheesemakers’ presence was inspiring. And that, of course, came on the heels of a very successful Meet the Cheesemakers event held in Mt. Vernon in February, at which four creameries talked about and tasted their cheeses with a packed room of cheese enthusiasts! |
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| Skagit County Meet the Cheesemakers panelists, from left to right: Roger and Elsie from Samish Bay Cheese (Bow), Jessica from Harmony Fields (Bow), Amy and Crystal from Lum Farm (Eastsound), and Norma from Golden Glen Creamery (Bow). (Photo by Courtney Johnson) |
| Another spot of change brewing takes us into the territory of grants. Our 2021 USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program grant ends this September. I am in the process of working on an application for a new grant program that will hopefully take its place. Life seems to be more stable than it was when we applied for our current grant in May 2021, and I am optimistic that a new funding package—if we are granted it—will allow us as an organization to learn from our experiences in the present grant and move forward with strength into a future that leads to more educational opportunities for our cheesemakers, better marketing opportunities for them and their cheeses, and stronger relationships with other organizations and businesses in the cheese industry and in the world of Washington ag. Please cross your fingers that we receive a new grant so that we can continue doing big things for Washington cheese. As a small, member-funded organization, the grant opportunities we are eligible to apply for as a 501(c)(6) non-profit are few and far between. If you have any interest in grant-writing or feel passionately about helping us earn a new grant, please reach out and join our Grant Applications Committee. (All of our committees are in desperate need of volunteers—meaning all but one of our committees has no members at this time—so please also reach out if you are interested in working on the Marketing Committee, Membership Committee, Buying Committee, History Committee, or Education Committee!) Also reach out if you have ideas for what should be included in our next grant package; I am always looking for innovative ways to support our cheesemakers and better serve our community. We have lots of work to continue doing to support our cheesemakers and keep them selling delicious, safe, and locally made cheese! Cheers to cheese,—Courtney C. Johnson, PhD, ACS CCP, ACS CCSE Executive Director, Washington State Cheesemakers AssociationWashingtonCheese@gmail.comwww.WashingtonCheese.org |
| WASCA Updates |
| Annual Member Meeting Held January 19We held our first in-person annual member meeting since 2020, and it sure felt good to be all together in one room again! The meeting was held at 21 Acres Center in Woodinville on Friday, January 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Attendance was small—with 11 folks in the room—due to snow and ice events that day that kept some of the would-be attendees at home, but lots of strong discussion was held about this year’s trajectory for WASCA. After an address by WASCA Board of Directors President John Haugen (WSU Creamery, Pullman) and a report on WASCA’s finances prepared by Board of Directors Treasurer Lorrie Conway (Conway Family Farms, Camas) and presented by WASCA Executive Director Courtney Johnson, an election was held for the three open spots on the board. All three candidates nominated for this year’s election received enough votes to join the board. Congratulations to John Haugen and Lucas King (Evergreen Creamery, Trout Lake) on their reelection, and congratulations to Amy Dunning (Kestrel Cascadia Creamery, Ridgefield) on being elected to the board for the first time. Sincere thanks to Jessica Gigot (Harmony Fields, Bow) on her board service; we appreciate her for agreeing to remain chair of the Education Committee after terming off the board. After the election, the meeting included updates about the FMPP grant program entering its final year, general announcements of grants and opportunities available for cheesemakers, and updates on the work being done for each of WASCA’s committees. Notable was the re-creation of the Buying Committee and the creation of the History Committee under the leadership of Geoff Hartmann (Mountain Lodge Farm, Eatonville). For the History Committee, Geoff is looking for pictures of old barns and other historical items that folks might have at their creameries. He is also re-thinking how the Buying Committee can best serve members with new opportunities such as bulk buying. Then a lively discussion, led by WASCA Board Member Dave Bain (Cheese & Meat Festival), ensued about the possibilities for consumer-facing events in 2024, about the challenges cheesemakers face to attend, and what can be done to make events more amenable to meeting those needs. WASCA is only funded by membership dues, and if we do not receive another grant package, we will have to find another revenue source to continue paying all of our financial obligations. Public-facing events are the most common means by which other cheese guilds meet that need. Before wrapping up the meeting, Lucas King asked everyone to go around the room and share what was new or upcoming at their creamery or business. The meeting concluded at the end of the roundtable sharing, and most of the attendees then met at nearby Damsel Cellars for a wine and cheese Happy Hour. |
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| Cheese & wine happy hour after the Annual Member Meeting, January 19. Clockwise around the table from left: John Haugen (WSU Creamery, Pullman), Geoff Hartmann (Mountain Lodge Farm, Eatonville), Patti Ciatto (Fantello Farmstead Creamery, Enumclaw), Lucas King (Evergreen Creamery, Trout Lake), and Gorby Just (Mountain Lodge Farm). (Photo by Courtney Johnson) |
| Recap: Taste Washington Participation This year’s Taste Washington Grand Tasting saw 11 cheesemakers handing out samples from their booths on March 16-17. In addition to having cheesemaker representation, WASCA was able to use grant funds to support some cheese-focused demonstrations on the main stage during the event. Two chefs used local cheeses to cook recipes before a live audience, and WASCA Executive Director Courtney Johnson gave two demonstrations of how to build a local cheese board using seasonal ingredients from Washington and the Pacific Northwest. Attendees got to sample the chefs’ dishes and the cheese board after each demo, and then visited the cheesemakers at their booths. Taste Washington is attended by both trade and public visitors, and attendance was around 7,000 or the two days. The creameries who participated were Beecher’s Handmade Cheese (Seattle), Cascadia Creamery (Trout Lake), Daniel’s Artisan (Ferndale), Fantello Farmstead Creamery (Enumclaw), Ferndale Farmstead (Ferndale), Golden Glen Creamery (Bow), Kestrel Cascadia Creamery (Ridgefield), La Familia del Norte (Ferndale), Lost Peacock Creamery (Olympia), Samish Bay Cheese (Bow), and Twin Sisters Creamery (Ferndale). Two additional creameries that did not have booths were represented during the on-stage demos: Acme Farms Cheese (Deming) and Chimacum Valley Dairy (Chimacum). Coming this Spring: The Search for Washington Cheese!We are in the final stages of working with Bandwango to build out a passport program designed around our Washington Cheese map. The passport program, which is accessible as a website that you can bookmark to your computer (no app needed), incentivizes cheese lovers to support Washington cheesemakers at their creamery stores and farmers market booths, or at local stores and restaurants that offer their cheeses. Passport holders can check in when shopping to earn points toward a raffle prize, which will be awarded after he first year’s passport program ends in March 2025. The media launch for the program will take place in May. If you would like to have a listing on the passport, or if you’d like to donate a prize for the raffle, please reach out to Courtney at WashingtonCheese@gmail.com. |
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| A preview of the Washington State Cheese Trail on a mobile browser. |
| Cheesemaker Chats Series to Resume WASCA Education Committee Chair Jessica Gigot is in the process of scheduling this year’s virtual Cheesemaker Chats series. While the June and December chats are already scheduled, we are still scheduling the fall chat for September. If there’s someone in the industry you’d like Jessica to reach out to for one of this or next year’s chats, please send her a message to farm@harmonyfields.com. (So far she’s already reached out to Pecora Dairy in Australia and Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont.) The schedule so far is: Tuesday, June 11, 2024 (5:00-6:00 p.m. PST) – Alyssa Wade, WSU Extension Farm Stress Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Lincoln/Adams Area Tuesday, December 10, 2024 (5:00-6:00 p.m. PST) – Emilia D’Albero, Formaticum Sales & Marketing Help Choose the Date: FSMA Traceability Workshop with Marc Bates As we wrap up our grant program this year, we are pleased to work with Marc Bates to offer a workshop on the FSMA Traceability requirements that go into effect in 2026. Marc will host a virtual training that will summarize the requirements of the rule and explore technology-based solutions to help cheesemakers get up to speed before the requirements take effect. The three-hour training will include an exploration by Marc of the traceability requirements that he’s combed through and how they are expected to be met, a panel discussion featuring some technology-based solutions already available to cheesemakers, and a group discussion with Q&A. We are looking to hold this training on either Thursday, May 2, or Thursday, May 16. If you are interested in attending this training, please reply ASAP and let us know if you have a preference for either date. The training will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the chosen date. For a bit of context on the upcoming requirements, here is a snippet from Cheese Reporter: “In November 2022, FDA released its final food traceability rule, which establishes additional recordkeeping requirements for persons who manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods the agency has designated for inclusion on the Food Traceability List (FTL). The final rule adopts provisions requiring these entities to maintain records containing information on critical tracking events in the supply chain for these designated foods, such as initially packing, shipping, receiving, and transforming these foods. The Food Traceability List includes numerous cheeses, other than hard cheeses, including fresh soft or soft unripened cheeses, soft ripened or semi-soft cheeses, and cheese made from raw milk, other than hard cheese. FDA has taken several actions to help its nonfederal regulatory partners and industry prepare for compliance with the food traceability rule by the Jan. 20, 2026 deadline, the GAO [Government Accountability Office] report noted.” (“FDA should finalize plans to implement food traceability rule, GAO says.” Cheese Reporter. January 6, 2023 edition.) Save the Date: Counter Culture Seattle (cheesemonger education) Calling all cheesemongers! Culture Magazine is bringing its in-person educational event, Counter Culture Live, to Seattle on Tuesday, May 14. The low-cost training is open to all individuals currently working as cheesemongers, and includes a day of educational seminars and tastings. More details are forthcoming, but be sure to mark this event on the calendar now. |
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Washington Cheese Month is Coming! June is Washington Cheese Month. How will you celebrate? While we think the best way is by eating local cheese, we look forward to hearing how you plan to promote Washington Cheese this month. If you are creating an event around Washington Cheese, let us know and we’ll add it to our events calendar. If you share posts about Washington cheese on social media in June, tag us and we’ll re-share them. What other creative ways can we think of to spread the good word of Washington Curd? Reach out to us at WashingtonCheese@gmail.com for suggestions and to let us know what your plans are! Save the Date: Meet the Cheesemakers in Chelan County The final stop in our Meet the Cheesemakers tour will take place in Wenatchee on Saturday, June 29. The venue is Host Wenatchee, and tickets to the event will go on sale in May. Current WASCA members will get a discount off the listed price, so be sure to renew your membership ahead of time if you haven’t yet! At least three cheesemakers will join us for Meet the Cheesemakers: Pine Stump Farms (Omak), Laurel’s Crown (Chelan), and Clover Mountain Dairy (Chewelah). The event will be comprised of a 90-minute seminar featuring an exploration of cheesemaking and the Washington cheese scene, introductions to each of the cheesemakers, their businesses, and how they got there, and a guided tasting of their cheeses. The event will conclude with a 30-minute meet-and-greet session during which folks can buy cheese or just chat with the cheesemakers. Previous events like this were held in Skagit County (at Christianson’s Nursery in Mt. Vernon, February 3), Whatcom County (at Bellewood Farms in Lynden, December 2022), and Thurston County (at the Olympia Center in Olympia, September 2022). |
| Announcements: Educational Activities |
| Online Vat Pasteurizer Workshop UnveiledThe Cornell College of Agriculture & Life Sciences is offering a self-paced online vat pasteurizer workshop that is designed for small-scale dairy processors. The training costs $250 and is available through the Cornell Dairy Foods website. |
| Cornell Dairy Foods Website |
| Food Safety Basics Training Available The Dairy Farmers of Washington, together with the Center for U.S. Dairy, have put together a free training, “Food Safety Basics for Artisan Cheesemakers,” that is available for all Washington cheesemakers to complete for free, on a self-guided basis. The training is included within a deck of resources available through the WASCA website’s Resources page under the “Food Safety Resources” section. (https://washingtoncheese.org/resources/) The food safety training is made up of five lessons that are meant to help cheesemakers with HACCP and regulatory practices. Current WASCA members should email WashingtonCheese@gmail.com to get the code for free registration. |
| Food Safety Basics for Artisan Cheesemakers |
| Announcements: Grants & Funding Opportunities |
| USDA Value-Added Producer Grants Due April 11 Grant applications are due next week for this year’s Value-Added Producer Grants from the USDA. For more information or to apply, visit the USDA website. |
| Value-Added Producer Grants |
| Western SARE Grant Program Accepting Applications The Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program is now accepting applications for 2024. Applications are due October 23, and eligible applicants include farmstead producers and farmers engaging in animal agriculture who are pursuing an applicable project on their land. For more information or to apply, visit the SARE website. |
| Western SARE Grant Program |
| PCC-DBII Grant Applications Closed Until 2025 The Pacific Coast Coalition-Dairy Business Innovation Initiative will not offer another round of funding until January 2025. To learn more about the grant criteria and to plan an application to submit early next year, visit the PCC-DBII website. |
| PCC-DBII Website |
| Announcements: Upcoming Events |
| Normandy Park Farmers Market Seeks Vendors The newly created Normandy Park Farmers Market is looking for cheesemakers and artisanal food producers to participate in their weekly farmers market. The market will begin on April 14, and will take place every Sunday through November from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in downtown Normandy Park. For more information, reach out to vendors@normandyparkfarmersmarket.org. To register for the market, visit the Farmers Market’s website. |
| Normandy Park Farmers Market |
| Oregon Cheese Festival, April 27-28 Washington cheesemakers are invited to join their neighbors to the south for the annual Oregon Cheese Festival in Central Point, Oregon. The two-day event is a massive public-facing event that spotlights cheesemakers, but also has space for other types of food and beverage vendors. To sign up, go to the Oregon Cheese Festival registration page. Tickets are now on sale, as well. |
| Cheesemaker Registration |
| Purchase Festival Tickets |
| Genuine Skagit Valley Cookbook Release Party, May 7 WASCA Partner and Business Member Genuine Skagit Valley is hosting a party to celebrate the release of its cookbook, “Genuine Skagit Cooking,” at Christianson’s Nursery & Greenhouse in The Vinery on May 7. The cookbook’s recipes feature local ingredients, including cheeses made by local cheesemakers. Recipes are by local chefs and residents, farmers, and food producers, as well. The release party will include small bites and a first opportunity to get your hands on a copy of the cookbook. To learn more or to RSVP for the party, visit the ticketing site on Allevents. |
| RSVP Now |
| Portland Cheese & Beer Festival, June 16 The annual Portland Cheese & Beer Festival will take place again this year on Father’s Day weekend. At this event, each cheese is expertly paired with a beer to spotlight both partners as well as highlight how well they come together. If you are a cheesemaker who would like to participate in this year’s festival, please email us at WashingtonCheese@gmail.com, and we will connect you with the organizers. American Cheese Society Conference, July 10-13Registration is now open for the American Cheese Society’s annual conference, which will take place July 10 through 13 in Buffalo, New York. The conference, which is often affectionately referred to as “Cheese Camp,” is open to anyone in the cheese industry who would like to attend. Current ACS members receive discounted registration, and day passes are available. For more information or to register, visit the ACS website. |
| Conference Registration |
| General Announcements |
| Cheesemaker Sought for National Commercial 21Grams is seeking a cheesemaker to take part in an advertisement for a medication that allows people to each cheese again, for those who usually can’t due to a larger genetic disorder. The healthcare advertising agency would like to highlight one cheesemaker in the ad, which will be filmed documentary-style. The cheesemaker would need to meet with the agency and production crew to advise on script writing, as well as be featured on camera in the final ad. This is apaid opportunity. For more information, please reach out to Isabelle Pippenger at ipippenger@realchemistry.com. Washington Food & Farm Finder Gets an Update Eat Local First’s “Washington Food & Farm Finder” has just gotten a facelift. The online tool is intended to connect connects consumers and wholesalers with local farmers, producers, businesses, and organizations to support our local food system. Producers with existing listings on the Food & Farm Finder are asked to update their listings, and producers who do not yet have a listing are invited to join. For more information, to use the tool, to join as a vendor, or to login to update your listing, please visit the Eat Local First website. |
| Eat Local First |
| Members in the News |
| Congratulations to Bob and Juli of Sagging Fence Farm (Port Orchard) on their retirement. Bob and Juli have decided not to breed their goats again this year, letting the last of their Sagging Fence Tomme sell down while they settle into official retirement. Thank you, Bob and Juli, for your contributions to the vibrancy of our Washington cheese scene! |
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| Bob Fisher and the goats at Sagging Fence Farm. (Photo by Janee’ Muha, The Mobile Monger) |
| Congratulations to Beecher’s Handmade Cheese (Seattle) and Ferndale Farmstead (Ferndale) for receiving awards at the 2024 World Championship Cheese Contest in Wisconsin this March. Beecher’s received a Best of Class award in the Natural-Rinded Cheddar category and was a championship finalist for Flagship Reserve; the creamery’s Flagsheep won Best of Class in the Mixed Milk Aged 6+ Months category, and Flagship Sticks won second place in the Natural Snack Cheese category. Ferndale Farmstead won Best of Class in the Smoked Provolone category for the creamery’s smoked provolone. La Familia del Norte, a new creamery that is part of Ferndale Farmstead’s family of creameries along with Daniel’s Artisan, won Best of Class in the Hard Latin American Style category for their Panela. Congratulations to Cascadia Creamery (Trout Lake) and Samish Bay Cheese (Bow) on being named finalists in the 2024 Good Food Awards. Cascadia Creamery is a finalist for their Cloud Cap and Sleeping Beauty, and Samish Bay Cheese is a finalist for their Organic Labneh. WASCA Business Member Girl Meets Dirt (Eastsound) is also a finalist in the Elixirs category for their Apricot Shrub and in the Preserves category for their Greengage Plum& Grapefruit Spoon Preserves and Italian Plum Cutting Preserves. The winners will be announced in late April. March 8, 2024: “Switzerland’s Michael Spycher Wins Fourth World Championship Cheese Contest” published in Cheese Reporter lists all of the award-winning cheeses in this year’s World Championship Cheese Contest in Wisconsin. Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Ferndale Farmstead, and Familia del Norte are all listed for having brought awards home to Washington. March 8, 2024: “World’s Top 20 Cheeses Unveiled” published in PerishableNews.com covers the results of the 2024 World Championship Cheese Contest in March. Beecher’s Handmade Cheese is listed among them, taking the gold in the natural-rinded Cheddar category for its Flagship Reserve. https://www.perishablenews.com/deli/worlds-top-20-cheeses-unveiled/ December 18, 2024: “Our Top 7 Picks for the Best Food at SeaTac Airport” published by Kelly Dougher in Secret Seattle shares tips for travelers to get the best meals on their way through Seattle’s airport. Beecher’s Handmade Cheese was listed as an option for those who missed out on sandwiches, soups, or mac and cheese during a visit to the Pike Place Market shop but would still like to grab a bite on their way out of town. https://secretseattle.co/best-food-at-seattle-airport/ January 18, 2024: “The Best Cheeses of 2023” published in Culture Cheese Magazine celebrates cheeses from across the US and the world, touting them as the best of each category. Sawtooth by Cascadia Creamery made the cut in the semi-soft cheese category. https://culturecheesemag.com/blog/best-of-cheeses-2023/#semi-soft-cheeses |
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February 29, 2024: “Dairy Goal: Nonprofit Columbia Community Creamery goes back to basics with local milk sold in returnable glass bottles” published by James Hanlon in The Post Register features a picture of Stacy Thomas (Clover Mountain Dairy, Chewelah) bottling chocolate milk at the cooperative creamery. Stacy and his wife, Virginia, are owners of one of the three family farms operating the Columbia Community Creamery. https://www.postregister.com/farmandranch/dairy-goal-nonprofit-columbia-community-creamery-goes-back-to-basics-with-local-milk-sold-in/article_96747710-d728-11ee-a90a-bb52c07894bb.html February 5, 2024: “‘Happy cows give great milk’ – Fantello certified for animal wellness” published by Ray Miller-Still in The Courier-Herald announces Fantello Farmstead Creamery’s (Enumclaw) receipt of A Greener World’s Certified Animal Welfare certification. The article discusses what the certificate stands for in terms of animal husbandry and why such certifications are important. Harmony Fields (Bow) and Lost Peacock Creamery (Olympia) are listed as two other farms that have received this certification in Washington. https://www.courierherald.com/business/happy-cows-give-great-milk-fantello-certified-for-animal-wellness/ December 5, 2023: “New grade A goat dairy provides fresh goat cheese to local restaurants” published by Cheasanee Hetherington in The Reflector spotlights our newest licensed cheesemaker member, Kestrel Cascadia Creamery (Ridgefield). The article describes how they became licensed to sell cheese, how local restaurants are using Kestrel Cascadia’s cheese on their menu, and what the creamery’s plans are going forward. https://www.thereflector.com/stories/new-grade-a-goat-dairy-provides-fresh-goat-cheese-to-local-restaurants,330415? January 11, 2024: “A Lick of Success: College Creameries Merge Science and Work” published by Ashely Mowreader in Inside Higher Ed explores the opportunities that university creameries provide for student work, education, and product creation. WSU Creamery’s (Pullman) well-known Cougar Gold Cheese, as well as ice cream, are named as revenue generators for the university that also provide key training and experience for students. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/academic-life/2024/01/11/land-grant-institutions-use-dairy-teach-students February 23, 2024:“KeHE Launches Fresh Marketplace” published in Specialty Food Association News announces KeHE Distributors’ new Fresh Marketplace brand, which is intended to drive consumers to cheese, meat, and other perishable products. KeHE purchased WASCA Business Member DPI Specialty Foods last year and the two companies are in the process of merging. A similar article was published on February 22 by in Yahoo! Finance. https://www.specialtyfood.com/news-media/news-features/specialty-food-news/kehe-launches-fresh-marketplace/ March 9, 2024: “Here’s a look at the first-place cheeses from Wisconsin as judged at the World Championship Cheese Contest” published by Barry Adams in Wisconsin State Journal shows pictures from the March contest, including one of WASCA Business Member Marc Bates of Bates Consulting LLC judging a semi-soft sheep’s milk cheese. https://madison.com/news/local/events/wisconsin-cheese-contest-gouda-cheddar-madison-world/article_59123fee-dd6b-11ee-a90a-3be78207423a.html February 1, 2024: “World Championship Cheese Contest Announces Internationally Acclaimed Judging Team” published in PerishableNews.com lists the 53 judges who decided the contest’s winners in March. Marc Bates of Bates Consulting LLC is listed alongside judges from 19 countries. February 14, 2024: “Cheese & Meat Festival is Back” published in The Daily Courier a nnounces the dates for the Kelowna, BC, edition of the Cheese and Meat Festival, as well as when tickets will go on sale and what to expect at the festival, which will happen for the second time in Kelowna. Cheese and Meat Festival is a WASCA Business Member, and the festival’s founder, Dave Bain, is a member of WASCA’s Board of Directors. https://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/news/article_ab94ef3e-cb7b-11ee-b64d-c77f48a08156.html A second article published February 13 in Kelowna Now, also announces the festival to readers: “‘Exciting culinary experiences’: Kelowna Cheese and Meat Festival returns this spring.” https://www.kelownanow.com/watercooler/news/news/Kelowna/Exciting_culinary_experiences_Kelowna_Cheese_and_Meat_Festival_returns_this_spring/ March 5, 2024: “A Delicious Start to Women Making History Month” published by Alicia Erickson in Seattle Business Magazine explores various women-owned restaurants, wineries, breweries, and food businesses in Seattle and beyond. Girl Meets Dirt is spotlighted in a vignette on the San Juan Islands for the company’s farm shop on Orcas Island. https://seattlebusinessmag.com/a-delicious-start-to-women-making-history-month/ March 14, 2024: “Hygiena Receives Health Canada Approval for Rapid E. coli Detection” published by Amanda Joerndt in Quality Assurance Magazine discusses WASCA Business Member Hygiena’s E. coli detection system, the BAX System Real-Time PCR assay for E. coli O157:H7 Exact, which received approval for use in Canada. The system detects Escherichia coli in raw meats. https://www.qualityassurancemag.com/news/hygiena-recieves-health-canada-approval-for-rapid-e-coli-detection/ December 28, 2023: “Reiser, Unifiller offer depositors for a variety of bakery operations” published by John Unrein in Supermarket Perimeter, details different machines that bakeries can use to streamline their production operations. WASCA Business Member Reiser receives a write-up for its Vemag HP1-B and Vemag 500 depositors as being the best option for small retail bakeshops. https://www.supermarketperimeter.com/articles/10646-reiser-unifiller-offer-depositors-for-a-variety-of-bakery-operations December 26, 2023: “Equipment suppliers share expertise to enhance processing efficiency” published by Keith Loria in Pet Food Processing discusses a selection of equipment manufacturers whose products aim to support producers in making more efficient and safe pet foods. Reiser is among those listed as having a variety of equipment that can be used for pet food production. https://www.petfoodprocessing.net/articles/17733-equipment-suppliers-share-expertise-to-enhance-processing-efficiency February 21, 2024: “The List: Courtney Johnson and Tailor Kowis” published by Hailee Wickersham in 425 Magazine is a Q&A-style interview with the cheesemonger-owners of WASCA Business Member Street Cheese (Burien). The interview delves into their favorite places and things to do around the Puget Sound region. https://www.425magazine.com/profiles/courtney-johnson-tailor-kowis-street-cheese-profile/article_e6abd7ca-c470-11ee-9da6-af6d6f87917c.html February 7, 2024: “Art Beat: Art Walk, chocolate and music at Vinbero, Evergreen Ensemble, Lunar New Year jewelry collection, and ‘Ada the Engine” published in Montlake Terrace Community News gave a shout out to WASCA Business Member Vinbero (Edmonds) for their pre-Valentine’s Day chocolate extravaganza with live music and chocolate truffles. https://mltnews.com/art-beat-art-walk-chocolate-and-music-at-vinbero-evergreen-ensemble-lunar-new-year-jewelry-collection-and-ada-and-the-engine/ September 25, 2023: Vinbero received three awards in The Seattle Times’ 2023 “Best in the PNW” contest. Vinbero received a Gold Award for Best Salad, a Silver Award for Best Sandwiches, and a Bronze Award for Best Lunch Spot. Congratulations, Vinbero! https://www.bestinthepnw.com/categories/2023 January 10, 2024: “Portlanders stock up for potential snowstorm with groceries, hardwareand ‘extra vegetables’” published by Joyce Ogirri on KOIN6 News includes an interview with a Zupan’s Markets store director and customer about how shopping habits change ahead of an impending snowstorm. Zupan’s Markets (Portland, OR) is a WASCA Business Member. https://www.koin.com/news/portland/portlanders-stock-up-for-snowstorm-with-groceries-hardware-and-extra-vegetables/ December 4, 2023: “Zupan’s Adds Hanukkah Menu, Curated by Jacob & Sons Chef Noah Jacob” published by Suzette Smith in Portland Mercury. The article, which announces Zupan’s Markets’ new Hannukah food offerings, provides a profile of the company’s new Director of Food Service, Noah Jacob, a former delicatessen owner and advocate of deli food culture. https://www.portlandmercury.com/food-and-drink/2023/12/04/46905049/zupans-adds-hanukkah-menu-curated-by-jacob-and-sons-chef-noah-jacob November 28, 2024: “A Conversation with Courtney C. Johnson, PhD, ACS CCP, Cheesemonger, Executive Director of Washington Cheesemakers’ Association & Member of the U.S. Team Participating in Le Mondial du Fromage!” published in the Fall/Winter issue of the Comté Association Newsletter asked WASCA Executive Director Courtney Johnson about her experience competing in the 2023 Mondial du Fromage cheesemonger competition with her teammate Sam Rollins, who won second place and also has an essay published in the newsletter. https://media.comte-usa.com/newsletters/2023_4FallWinterComteNews.pdf |
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