VSJF Sustainable Agriculture Grants and Projects
Vermont Cheese Council
Cooperation Creates Rewarding Market Opportunities
Increased competition among domestic and European cheese makers was crowding the specialty cheese market and making it difficult for Vermont’s small, independent cheese makers to enter the marketplace. A group of Vermont’s business-savvy cheese makers had an idea. If they could somehow work together and pool their resources, perhaps they could increase their market opportunities and create a haven for gourmet cheeses in Vermont much like the dairy state of Wisconsin had done for its cheese industry. Vermont, known for its charming rural character, its cows and its beautiful fall foliage, was also home to makers of many high quality products. This small handful of cheese makers had a vision, as one put it, for Vermont to become "the Napa Valley of cheese."
The seed of an idea was planted. VSJF worked with this group of cheese makers to determine if such collaboration made sense. VSJF saw an opportunity for the small cheese makers to present themselves and their products in the larger marketplace by leveraging Vermont's name and image and the exceptional quality they brought to their craft. By working together they could create and promote a fascinating array of specialty cheeses that would attract high-end chefs and customers throughout the United States. Through their collective efforts, their small cheese businesses could thrive and grow. Further, by using milk from Vermont cows, sheep and goats, they could help preserve the state's small family farms and make them more profitable.
When it became clear that such a union was in everyone’s best interest, various organizational structures were explored. VSJF provided two grants totaling $37,000 to fund this initial exploration and provide the necessary expertise to guide the group through the organizational process. In 1996, the Vermont Cheese Council, a professional association dedicated to expanding Vermont’s specialty cheese industry, was formed. It began with 15 cheese makers among its members.
Today, with more than two dozen cheese makers in its membership, the Vermont Cheese Council demonstrates that collaboration, rather than competition, can be the key to growing a thriving industry. The Council has effectively pooled its members’ technical expertise and resources, giving them the much-needed clout in the specialty food industry. Not only are Vermont cheeses successfully competing with other quality cheeses, they are setting standards for the industry. The Cheese Council was instrumental in establishing quality and food safety standards for the “Vermont Label of Quality” through the development of a “Best Practices Code.” Vermont specialty cheeses are recognized and demanded by master chefs around the country. The state’s cheese makers consistently make headlines in high-end consumer and gourmet magazines and they continue to bring home countless awards from industry competitions. Now, when people think about Vermont, it isn’t only about beautiful fall foliage, cows and maple syrup. By providing its members a framework for marketing, developing a high quality image for their products and making it easier for Vermont’s small cheese makers to create viable businesses, the Vermont Cheese Council has literally put the state’s cheese makers on the map.
Photo credit: All images in the banner courtesy of the Intervale.
Print this Page