Top Stories » Headlines » Perishables

The Ninth Annual Sonoma Valley Cheese Conference — an annual gathering of American artisan cheesemakers, retailers, distributors, food writers and cheese enthusiasts — is set for Feb. 25-29, 2012, in Sonoma, Calif.

Hosted by Sheana Davis of The Epicurean Connection, the highly respected conference is a premier destination for cheese industry opinion leaders from across the nation. In 2012, it will honor the memory of Ig Vella, Sonoma native and godfather of artisan cheese.

Conference festivities will kick off a day early in San Francisco on Saturday, Feb. 25, with Cheese Plus hosting a public Winter Artisan Cheese Fair from 1 to 4 p.m. The event will showcase cheesemakers leading the artisan and farmstead cheese movement as well as wines and ales from Sonoma County. That evening, 18 Reasons in San Francisco will host a cheesemaker reception. The conference itself will start on Sunday, Feb. 26, with an afternoon Sonoma Winter Artisan Cheese Fair featuring artisan cow, sheep and goat cheese producers, plus wines, brews, guest chefs and a Winter Mac & Cheese Cook-off at The Mac Arthur Place in Sonoma.

The conference sessions will revolve around the theme of "Leading Ladies of the American Artisanal Cheese Movement” and include one on the “Leading Ladies of Chevre,” with Judy Schad, Capriole Goat Cheese; Allison Hooper, Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery; and Jennifer Bice, Redwood Hill Farm. Another panel will feature “Dairy Farmers’ Daughters,” with Jana McClelland, McClelland’s Dairy; Lynn Stray, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese; Vivien Straus, Straus Farm, and Karen Bianchi Moreda, Valley Ford.

Two more sessions on the schedule include a “Cheese Community Leaders” panel with Ari Weinzweig, Zingerman’s; Adam Moskowitz, Cheesemaker Invitational; and Sasha Davies, author; as well as a “Wisconsin Artisan Cheese & Brew” session featuring Sid Cook, Carr Valley Cheese; Chris Roelli, Roelli Cheese; Jeanne Carpenter, Wisconsin Cheese Originals; and Marilyn Wilkinson, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

Additional guest speakers during the conference will include Carrie Brown, Jimtown; Jacquelyn Buchannan, Laura Chenel Chevre; Judy Creighton, educator; Seana Doughty, Bleating Heart Cheese; Brad Dube, Food Matters Again; Gordon Edgar, Rainbow Grocery Cooperative; Janet Fletcher, Food Writer; Laurie Gallian, Sonoma Mayor; Steve Giambalvo, Cheese Works West; Glenda Humiston, USDA Rural Development Director; Rick Lafranchi, Nicasio Valley Cheese; Tom Scott, Oliver’s Market; Richard Sutton, St. James Cheese Shop; Anthea Stolz, Bi Rite Market; and Anna Wolfe, The Gourmet Retailer.

Generous time and space are available for talking with other participants during breaks and lunches. The conference offers an invaluable opportunity to learn as well as share knowledge, challenges and solutions.

The $250 registration fee includes all sessions and lunches, with one exception. On Wednesday, Feb. 29, Ari Weinzweig of Zingerman’s will present the ZingTrain Session — a dynamic, small-group session guaranteed to get participants thinking about running their organizations in new ways that help increase job satisfaction, reduce the burden on managers, cut back bureaucracy and build better bottom-line results to outperform competitors. It will be located at MacArthur Place in Sonoma. The cost per person is $1,200. Space is limited to 24 persons.

To register, call 707-935-7960 or visit www.sheanadavis.com.

Source: Sonoma Valley Cheese Conference