DENVER, Colo. – May 6, 2022 – American Cheese Month is a grassroots celebration of North
America’s artisan and specialty cheeses. Throughout the month of May, cheesemakers, dairy
farmers, retailers, cheesemongers, and chefs will highlight the diverse and delicious array of
American cheeses and the community who bring them to the table.

This is the third year the annual observance takes place in May. Originally in October, the date
shift took place to better support the needs of cheesemakers and retailers.

Throughout the month, the American Cheese Education Foundation (ACEF), the American
Cheese Society (ACS), and the cheese industry endeavor to:

• Recognize and raise awareness of the quality and diversity of American cheeses
• Support and promote great cheese, local foods, family farms, traditional methods, and
sustainable production models
• Generate funding for education, scholarships, and research initiatives through the American Cheese Society

Some of the funds raised this month help support scholarships for ACS members to attend the
organization’s annual conference. The benefits are far-reaching as attested to by previous
scholarship recipients.

"What a great opportunity to be able to participate in the ACS conference and take advantage of
                                    the professional networking opportunities."

"The financial support to attend the conference was amazing. I learned so much from the
educational programming and got so much inspiration from sharing experiences with so many
                                                other cheese professionals."

Many professionals affected by the pandemic also found great value in the scholarship
opportunities, "All the scholarship recipients really appreciated the funding support, especially
those impacted economically by the pandemic over the past two years," noted Tara Holmes,
Executive Director of the ACS.

Cheese lovers and industry members are asked to help spread the love of American cheese
throughout the month in a variety of ways:

ACS member cheesemakers, retailers, and specialty food distributors are encouraged to donate
a portion of their sales to ACEF. Visit the ACEF website to download American Cheese Month
graphic assets to use in your own ACM promotions

Individuals can also easily donate funds to help build the cheese community’s future by clicking
the ‘donate’ button. Any amount is welcome.