Oregon Cheese Festival
March 17^th 2012 at Rogue Creamery
311 North Front St, Central Point, OR.

Hosted by Rogue Creamery

Central Point, OR (12/20/11) – Oregon-inspired culinary events, including a farmer’s market-style artisan food and wine festival, will kick off with the Meet the Cheesemakers and Winemakers Dinner @ the Oregon Cheese Festival during the third weekend in March.

At the festival on Saturday March 17th, thousands of visitors will sample cow, sheep and goat cheese from Oregon creameries, including Fraga Farm, Juniper Grove Farm, Pholia Farm, La Mariposa Creamery ,Mama Terra Microcreamery, Ochoa Creamery, Tumalo Farms, Tillamook County Creamery, Willamette Valley Cheese Co., Fern’s Edge Goat Dairy, Rivers Edge Chevre, Ancient Heritage Dairy, Fairview Farm Goat Dairy, Goldin Artisan Goat Cheese, Briar Rose Creamery, Oak Leaf Creamery, Quail Run Creamery , Rogue Creamery, and many others.

Held under 2 large tents at Rogue Creamery’s Central Point facility, the eighth annual festival will invite guests to shake hands with cheesemakers & other artisans. Remote parking is available. Activities will be provided for children including games, activity sheets and giveaways (limited quantities).

“The farmer’s market format will present an interactive experience between makers and visitors, giving everyone an opportunity to talk about the product, the process and learn each individual cheesemaker’s story,” says David Gremmels, owner with Cary Bryant of Rogue Creamery. “It’s a way to truly be connected with the source of the cheese being presented.”

Southern Oregon & other local culinary artisans and beverage providers who are expected to participate include Lillie Belle Farms, Rogue BBQ, Oregon Crepes, 34 Degrees Crackers, Gary West Meats, Rising Sun Farms, Applegate Valley Artisan Breads, Butte Creek Mill, Slagle Creek Vineyards, Paschal Winery & Vineyard, Madrone Mountain Vineyard, Troon Vineyard ,Valley View Winery, Rosellas Vineyard , Quady North , Longsword Vineyard,  Devitt Winery, Ledger David Cellars,  Dry Soda, Hot Lips Soda, Oakshire Brewing and Rogue Ales. Samples and /or sales will be offered at each booth.

To commence the festival, a sumptuous meal introducing guests to participating artisans will be held at the historic Ashland Springs Hotel in Ashland Friday night, March 16^th from 6:15 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. The dinner is for the benefit of the non profit 501 (c) (6) Oregon Cheesemaker Guild (limited seating available). Each course will spotlight a cheese made by one of the festival’s artisans paired with a local wine.

“The event will give the public a chance to have an intimate conversation with the experts at an elegant dinner at the Ashland Springs prepared by their excellent culinary team led by Executive Chefs, David Georgeson & Kate Cyr “says Gremmels

On Friday afternoon, cheesemakers will collaborate to create the greatest cheese plate imaginable,” says Gremmels. The phenomenal result will greet guests at the evening’s commencement dinner.

The Oregon Cheese Festival will be open to the public Saturday, March 17^th from 10a.m. to 5 p.m. at Rogue Creamery, 311 North Front St, Central Point, OR.

A $15 entry fee includes tastings and demonstrations. A $5 wine tasting fee includes a commemorative wine glass with the Oregon Cheese Guild logo. Tickets to the dinner are $90 per person (limited quantities), and are available by calling the toll fee number 866 -396-4704. For more information contact the Oregon Cheese Guild website @ www.oregoncheeseguild.org , Rogue Creamery at 866-396-4704 or www.roguecreamery.com.

Special celebrity guest this year will be Margo True, Food Editor of Sunset Magazine. She will be on hand to sign copies of her recently released book, One Block Feast and discuss the benefits of growing your own food. With a true love of food discovery, Margo enjoys exploring the world of food from the farm to the kitchen. Margo has a vast knowledge of gourmet food from her many years of experience as editor with Savuer and Gourmet .

As our honored guest, Margo will be the emcee of the dinner and will be featured at the festival on Saturday. She will conduct a class on cheesemaking, and in addition, she will also offer cheese and wine pairing techniques.

The festival would not be possible without the generous support of the City of Central Point, the Medford Visitors and Convention Bureau, the Dairy Farmers of Oregon, Oregon Department of Agriculture, the Oregon Economic & Community Development Department, Rogue Ales, Cheese Connoisseur Magazine and the members of the Oregon Cheese Guild.

For more information contact: Francis Plowman, 541-665-1155 ext. 123

E-Mail: fplowman@roguecreamery.com, Fax: 541.665.1133

Web site: www.roguecreamery.com or www.oregoncheeseguild.org

Contact:  Amy Wood
Harvest PR & Marketing, Inc.
503.274.0086 or amy@harvest-pr.com

Best in Show, Best Cheese Monger Elevate Oregon’s Artisan Cheese Industry
Collective accolades generate national recognition for Oregon cheese makers

PORTLAND, Ore. (November 23, 2011) – Oregon is quickly rising to triple-threat status, as its artisan cheese industry joins the already acclaimed craft beer and wine industries in acquiring multiple honors. Last month’s “Best in Show” win for River’s Edge Chevre (Logsden, Ore.) at the 2011 American Dairy Goat Association’s Cheese Competition caps an impressive year for Oregon cheeses, following Rogue Creamery’s (Central Point, Ore.) earlier “Best in Show” in the 2011 American Cheese Society Judging  & Competition. Moreover, Portland’s favorite cheese monger, Steve Jones of Cheese Bar, bested cheese experts worldwide to win the 2^nd Annual Cheese Monger Invitational in New York earlier this year.

“This year’s results solidify Oregon artisan cheese makers as leaders in their craft, and present an opportunity to celebrate their distinct talent and quality dairy farms in the Pacific Northwest,” said Christine Hyatt, president of the American Cheese Society.

The latest award is the first Best in Show win for River’s Edge Chevre; Rogue Creamery’s win is its second Best in Show in the past three years. Overall, Oregon artisan cheese makers took home 18 awards at the 2011 American Cheese Society Judging & Competition held in Montreal, and 13 awards at the 2011 American Dairy Goat Association’s Cheese Competition held in Michigan (more than any state), demonstrating Oregon’s growing presence in the industry.

Oregon cheese making’s biggest advocate, Jones serves as cheese plate architect for some of the city’s most beloved restaurants – when not serving his own loyal customers their favorite Oregon cheeses and accompaniments at Cheese Bar in Southeast Portland.

Oregon’s artisanal cheese movement coincides with national trends in the category, which is experiencing a 15 percent increase in demand annually. To nurture continued awareness of Oregon’s artisan cheese industry, the Oregon Cheese Guild is launching a new statewide Oregon Cheese Trail in a few months and continues to support annual specialty events, such as The Wedge and Oregon Cheese Festival, attracting record-setting crowds.

About the Oregon Cheese Guild

Founded in 2006, the Oregon Cheese Guild is dedicated to the art and craft of making cheese. The Guild is a collaborative effort to help cheese makers network, create educational opportunities and benefit from participating in economies of scale. The Guild is committed to growing its loyal base of artisan cheese lovers by educating consumers on high-quality handmade, farmstead and specialty cheeses. www.oregoncheeseguild.org.

###

Briar Rose Creamery, Fairview Farm, Fern’s Edge Dairy and River’s Edge Chevre won awards at the annual competition, the largest goat dairy product judging in the US.

River’s Edge Chevre took Best of Show honors in Commercial Division for Sunset Bay, a bloomy rinded goat cheese with a layer of smoked paprika.

Other Oregon winners include:

• Briar Rose Creamery – Classic Chevre 3rd,  Chocolate Truffles 3rd
• Fairview Farm – Chevre 1st, Dill Skyr 2nd, Farmhouse Herb & Cheddar 3rd, Skyr Salad Dressing 3rd,
• Fern’s Edge Dairy – Chevre 3rd
• River’s Edge Chevre -  Sunset Bay 1st, Up In Smoke 2nd

Register & Buy Tickets through Brown Paper Tickets

The Oregon Cheese Guild Cheesemaker Education Day will be held Saturday, January 21, 2012 at Wiegand Hall on the OSU Campus in Corvallis, Oregon.

The day focuses on helping the artisan dairy sector stay competitive through business innovations and product quality improvement!

Education Day Topics:

• Keynote – Cheese Evaluation with Peter Dixon
• Agri-Tourism
• HACCP for Milk Production on Farmstead Creameries
• How to Package & Ship Your Cheese
• Insuring Artisan Cheese Companies

Event Registration – to ensure your spot, pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Registration Fees:

• $60 – Guild Members
• $125 – Non Guild Members
• $15 – Students (plus volunteer to help at event)

Thank you to our EVENT SPONSORS:

• Chs Nutrition, Harrisburg OR
• Ecolab
• New Seasons

Registration Flyer & Info

Register & Buy Tickets through Brown Paper Tickets

PORTLAND, OR–(Marketwire – Aug 9, 2011) – Oregon cheesemakers brought home 12 awards from the 27^th annual cheese competition held by the American Cheese Society at its annual conference, August 3-6 in Montréal.

This video was produced for the 2011 American Cheese Society Conference Business Luncheon through the generous support of the Dairy Farmers of Oregon.

With the relaunch of the new site, we are excited to welcome several new Oregon cheesemakers to the mix:  Briar Rose Creamery, Oak Leaf Creamery and Ochoa Queseria.

Don’t miss our Oregon Cheese Map listing the location of each Oregon Cheese Guild producer. Please note, not all creameries are open to the public.   Please see individual creamery websites for hours of operation.

Follow OCG on Facebook to keep up with the latest Oregon Cheese News!

Learn more about Oregon Cheese Makers.

Raleigh, North Carolina will play host to American Cheese Society’s 29th Annual Conference & Competition:  ”Cheese Rally in Raleigh:  Owning Our Future”

This top industry event will take place August 1-4, 2012, marking the first time that the annual event will be held inNorth Carolina.

We hope you’ll join the North American cheese community for education, networking, and new discoveries!

• When: August 1-4, 2011 (our Cheese Sale will be held on August 4)
• Where: Raleigh Convention Center
• Conference Registration Period: May – July, 2012
• Competition Entry Period: TBD
• Lodging: Mariott Downtown, Raleigh Conference Center

“We see cheesemaking as very creative and exciting. It starts with the animals and evolves from there into something people can really enjoy.  We love the reactions people have at farmers’ markets and grocery stores.  Our family pulls together to make cheese that is really something else.  This is pure food.”

—Paul Obringer