ACS Inducts Pioneers of Goat Cheese into Academy of Cheese

13 years ago Jasmine Romero 1 Minute(s) to read

DENVER, CO – The American Cheese Society (ACS) inducted eight men and women into the ACS Academy of
Cheese, honoring a quarter century’s worth of work in growing the category of goat cheese in the United States.

The awards were presented on August 5 at the annual Business Meeting during the 28th Annual ACS Conference &
Competition in Montréal. Inductees include:

  • Jennifer Bice, owner of Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery, Inc., in Sebastopol, California
  • Laura Chenel, founder of Laura Chenel’s Chevre in Sonoma, California
  • Allison Hooper, co-owner of Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery in Websterville, Vermont
  • Mary Keehn, founder of Cypress Grove Cheese in Arcata, California
  • Letty & Bob Kilmoyer, founders of Westfield Farm in Hubbardston, Massachusetts
  • Judy Schad, owner of Capriole Farmstead Goat Cheeses in Greenville, Indiana
  • Anne Topham, owner of Fantome Farm in Ridgeway, Wisconsin

The ACS Academy of Cheese was created 20 years ago to honor early supporters of the American cheese movement and was re-launched at the 2011 conference. This year’s slate of inductees marks the first of what will be an annual
class of new inductees. The award aims to honor individuals who share a related industry vocation and passion for
growing the artisan, farmstead and specialty cheese industry in North America.

“This award provides an opportunity to honor and celebrate a group of exceptional people who have dedicated their
lives to defining and redefining goat cheese in the United States,” said Christine Hyatt, president of the American
Cheese Society. “Our industry is in a better place because of these goat cheese pioneers, and we thank them.”

The Academy of Cheese is designed to complement, not replace, the ACS Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors
a single individual whose professional accomplishments have made a significant and lasting impact in the North
American cheese industry.

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