The Mobile Monger

Opening a cheese shop is no easy feat, but once you get past the initial opening, you have the challenge of keeping the doors open. In this episode, we check in with Laura Downey from Fairfield & Greenwich Cheese Company about some of the strategies they've employed to keep the lights on and make the shop a valued part of the community.Here are your links to connect with Laura and the team!IG: @fairfieldgreenwichcheesecoWebsite: https://fairfieldcheese.com/

The passionate, hard-working people that brought you a 5k during the middle of a cheese conference are back with more tricks under their sweatbands! They've added some friends and created grants geared towards cheese professionals to get experiences at some of the best in the biz. The deadline to apply for these grants is right around the corner on February 28th, 2023, so now is the time for the last push!Apply here: thecheeseletes.org Questions/Sponsorship Opportunities: network@thecheeseletes.orgFind The Cheeseletes on IG @thecheeseletes

How does a small cheese shop compete in this current space of instant gratification? With heart, enthusiasm, and passion, of course!You can find all that and brightly colored aesthetic at Lady and Larder in Santa Monica, California. Created by twin sisters Sarah and Boo Simms, this small but mighty shop feeds celebrities and local cheese lovers. Sarah's energy will excite you for your next trip to the cheese shop.IG @ladyandlarderWebsite https://www.ladyandlarder.com/Sarah also mentioned working with the Cheese Culture Coalition, and you should check out their work.https://cheeseculturecoalition.org/

If you are in or near the Philly cheese scene, then Alexandra Jones is a name you know well, but even if you live on the other side of the country, her food writing has likely informed your ideas about cheese. From Culture magazine to Modern Farmer, Alex has bylines that range in topics about cheese and agriculture. She's taking a more personal approach by starting her own newsletter over at Milkfed.Here's where else you can find Alex and all of her work:IG: https://www.instagram.com/arockjonestown/Website: https://www.alexandrajones.net/Collective Creamery: https://www.collectivecreamery.com/Stuff Every Cheese Lover Should Know: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/646054/stuff-every-cheese-lover-should-know-by-alexandra-jones/

Caite Palmer and Arlene Hunter have created a podcast to talk about being farm parents, and they join me to give a snippet of the topics they delve into on their show. We discuss the trauma of pregnancy and childbirth, the grief of giving up pieces of your life to raise children, and the differences between the US and Canadian systems. Don't worry; we also talk about the joys of raising farm kids too. To hear more of Caite and Arlene, find Barnyard LAnguage wherever you get your podcasts and follow them on IG @barnyardlanguage

The role of women in cheesemaking is a storied one with a rich history that spans centuries, but too often, it gets told in sidebar paragraphs in cheese books. Mary Casella is looking to change that. As the first recipient of the Daphne Zepos Research Award, she dug deep into the history of women cheesemaking, and she presented her findings through the stories of three women at the American Cheese Society annual conference. We talk about that research and gush a bit about the wonderful women that make up the cheese industry. If you missed her presentation in Portland, keep an eye out on the DZTE social channels to sign up for the next time she is presenting. https://www.dzte.org/IG: @dzte2022Follow Mary on IG: @mlkbtchPhoto of Mary by Al PomperFind me on IG: @the_mobile_monger

An affineur's job is to tend to cheese until it is ready for sale. It's not a part of the job in cheesemaking that gets much attention, but all aged cheese requires some level of attention. In this episode, I chat with Josh Windsor, Caves Manager at Murray's Cheese Cave in NYC. Josh started sharing his philosophical and artistic musings from the caves on Instagram at the beginning of the pandemic. It feels like a portal to a secret realm that most are not privy to. Follow Josh on IG @theaffineurBuy some cheese that Josh likey handled: https://www.murrayscheese.com/cave-aged

Evey has worked in cheese for a few years but made a splash this year as they competed in both San Francisco and New York's Cheesemonger Invitational. What makes that extraordinary was that they went from the bottom in SF to the Top 6 in NYC! Evey and I have a lot to discuss as our lineages coincide in many ways, from growing up poor in Oregon and getting our cheese chops behind a grocery store cheese counter. Evey's IG: @cheese_isle