Volume 38 July 20, 2018 Number 27 Young cheesemakers explore Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! new ideas, carry on tradition A By Rena Archwamety with U.S. cheesemakers before artisan cheeses, while others are From early on, Darrell opening her own business, continuing the legacy of family Demeter knew he wanted to INSIDE MADISON, Wis. — Marie- Couët Farm & Fromagerie, in businesses, exploring new prod- be a cheesemaker. Laure Couët hadn’t always Dudley, Massachusetts, in 2015. ucts or continued expansion. “I worked with my dad in the planned to be a cheesemaker. Making cheese was so Several plants across Wis- cheese plant at Trega Foods in ✦ Guest columns: She had no background in time-consuming that Couët consin are moving into third-, Weyauwega (later purchased by ‘A record-breaking cheesemaking or farming when abandoned the idea of raising fourth- and fifth-generation Agropur) in high school during summer for Wisconsin she graduated in 2009 from goats. She has adapted some cheesemakers. summer breaks,” he recalls. “It cheese,’ and ‘Q&A with Brown University with a master’s goat’s milk cheese recipes to “I think it’s happening with was an easy choice for me to Roland Barthélemy.’ degree in environmental studies. create her own versions of greater frequency than one could pick cheesemaking as a career For details, see pages 4 and 6. “I wanted to do policy work, cheeses made with cow’s and hope,” says John Umhoefer, exec- since it’s been my family’s craft but no one was hiring,” Couët sheep’s milk, which was more utive director, Wisconsin Cheese for generations.” ✦ M. Davis Group offers says. “My fi rst thought was, readily available. Makers Association (WCMA). “At Earlier this year, Darrell customers opportunities ‘I want to have goats, and I “All my cheeses are named each of the private, proprietary Demeter took home a best- to ‘show and sell.’ needed to survive, so I should after my great-grandmothers. All family plants, it seems almost all of-class award at the World For details, see page 9. make cheese with their milk.’” of the cheeses mimic styles that have a next generation who has Championship Cheese Contest ✦ Retail WATCH Exclusive: Couët spent two years I learned, but they evolved as I decided to stay in the industry. for his traditional English- Hook’s Cheese updates traveling through France, was honing the recipe and mak- It’s really nice to see that the style cloth-wrapped Top Hat look with new labels, Spain and Italy, seeking in- ing them my own,” Couët says. next generation is seeing the op- Cheddar that he made at Door adds new distributors. ternships with goat dairies, Couët’s cheeses now are portunity. Cheese is actually a hot Artisan Cheese. cheesemaking operations and distributed as far as California, food right now, and I think they’re “As a unit, we really were For details, see page 23. affineurs. She also worked and she has won several awards interested in the craft of it.” able to dive into creating world- for her cow’s and sheep’s milk Darrell Demeter, 28, is a fi fth- class cheese,” Demeter says of European-style cheeses. She generation licensed Wisconsin working with his father. “It was received fi rst-place awards at the cheesemaker as well as certifi ed phenomenal working with the Industry praises FDA response American Cheese Society compe- pasteurizer and dairy process product — testing and watch- tition in 2016 for her Franciszka operator at Door Artisan Cheese, ing it evolve.” to imitation labeling concerns Jersey cow’s milk crottin, and in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin. He works Currently Darrell and Jim 2017 for Fleur de Maquis, which is alongside his father, Wisconsin Demeter are working on Swiss, WASHINGTON — FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told an audi- Franciszka covered in rosemary, Master Cheesemaker Jim Deme- which Darrell says is brand new ence at a Politico Pro Summit this week in Washington, D.C., that his fennel seeds, savory herbs and ter, in the business that opened in for him. agency will soon begin enforcing regulations that defi ne milk as an juniper berries. spring 2017. Both of them previ- “My dad made it back when animal product, not a plant-based food, an indication that requests for • Next generation ously made cheese at Agropur’s he was my age, working in his action by the agency from dairy stakeholders including the American Couët, now 34, is one of sev- Little Chute, Wisconsin, facility, father’s plant in northern Il- Dairy Coalition (ADC) and the National Milk Producers Federation’s eral millennial cheesemakers where Darrell’s brother Nate, linois,” he says. “Now, we are (NMPF) are being heard. gaining notice across the country. 32, also currently is a certifi ed able to bring this old family After acknowledging that “an almond doesn’t lactate,” Gottlieb Some have started new busi- cheesemaker, pasteurizer and recipe back to the vat.” said the agency soon will seek public input as a prelude to enforcing nesses focused on small-batch dairy process operator. Turn to YOUNG, page 12 a existing regulations on dairy labeling standards. “There will be people who make a counter argument that almond milk should be able to call itself milk, but we do have a standard of identity, and I do intend to enforce that,” Gottlieb says. He adds that the agency’s fi rst step will be opening a period for House sends 2018 Farm Bill Trump asks WTO gathering public comments. He estimates that the process for develop- to intervene in ing guidance will take close to a year to complete. to conference committee tariff trade-off The news was applauded by ADC, a farmer-led national lobbying WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives this week moved organization that just this week rolled out a new initiative to advocate to send the 2018 Farm Bill to conference committee. Following WASHINGTON — The for the proper use of federally standardized terms for the word “milk” the vote, Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., named the House Republican Trump administration this on product labels. A branch of ADC, the Protecting Milk Integrity conferees, members who will seek to resolve the differences be- week challenged retaliatory Initiative will work to provide clarity and consistency for consumers tween the two chambers’ bills, and Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., named tariffs imposed by fi ve of its across the nation. the Democratic conferees. trading partners by fi ling a ADC notes that in more than 200 countries across the world, plant- “Today, we move one step closer to delivering a strong, new dispute with the World Trade based juices are not allowed to call their product “milk” on labels unless farm bill to the president’s desk on time as he has called on Organization (WTO). The they are, in fact, derived from a mammal. Congress to do,” says House Agriculture Committee Chairman move is the latest escalation The Protecting Milk Integrity Initiative has developed a petition K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas. “America’s farmers and ranchers in trade tensions between to collect signatures, will be submitting public comments and will be and rural America are struggling right now, and they deserve the United States and coun- taking donations to raise money toward promoting this cause. To learn the certainty of a strong farm bill to see them through to better tries with important mar- more about the initiative, visit www.americandairycoalitioninc.com/ times. The House has pulled together a solid team of conferees kets for dairy, which began the-integrity-initiative.html. from across the country who are committed to working with our when America imposed steel a Turn to LABELING, page 14 Turn to FARM BILL, page 11 a Turn to TARIFF, page 15 a © 2018 CHEESE MARKET NEWS® — This is Cheese Market News’ E-subscription and may not be forwarded to anyone other than the intended paid subscriber without the express permission of Cheese Market News (For more information, contact [email protected]) 2 CHEESE MARKET NEWS® — July 20, 2018 MARKET INDICATORS Chicago Mercantile Exchange for the week ending July 19, 2018 Cash prices for the week ended July 20, 2018 CHEESE FUTURES (Listings for each day by month, settling price and open interest) Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday July 16 July 17 July 18 July 19 July 20 Fri., July 13 Mon., July 16 Tues., July 17 Wed., July 18 Thurs., July 19 JUL18 1.506 3,482 1.504 3,483 1.503 3,489 1.504 3,489 1.500 3,458 Cheese Barrels AUG18 1.574 3,747 1.598 3,752 1.584 3,750 1.586 3,781 1.561 3,955 Price $1.4225 $1.3750 $1.3100 $1.3150 $1.2700 SEP18 1.617 3,727 1.637 3,733 1.626 3,741 1.641 3,792 1.621 3,824 Change NC -4 3/4 -6 1/2 +1/2 -4 1/2 OCT18 1.643 3,590 1.655 3,591 1.650 3,635 1.675 3,656 1.661 3,672 NOV18 1.651 3,497 1.659 3,499 1.655 3,498 1.681 3,506 1.665 3,518 Cheese 40-lb. Blocks DEC18 1.643 2,932 1.650 2,931 1.650 2,937 1.666 2,940 1.656 2,938 Price $1.5650 $1.5275 $1.5400 $1.5325 $1.5200 JAN19 1.641 869 1.645 869 1.645 871 1.655 866 1.649 844 FEB 19 1.642 718 1.642 726 1.645 729 1.652 724 1.640 719 Change +1/2 -3 3/4 +1 1/4 -3/4 -1 1/4 MAR 19 1.648 741 1.648 741 1.640 750 1.645 743 1.641 741 APR 19 1.658 452 1.662 455 1.660 459 1.660 450 1.656 457 Weekly average (July 16-20): Barrels: $1.3385(-.0185); 40-lb.