Events & Education
Upcoming Events, Courses and Workshops:
CONNECT U by Dairy Connection | Online Courses: Ongoing
Created, produced, and hosted by Dairy Connection, CONNECT U is an online educational resource featuring presentations on a variety of dairy science topics. This easily-accessible, low-cost (often free) education and technical information platform is geared to assist cheesemakers, cheese retailers, and anyone interested in diving into the science of making cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products. All presentations are available a la carte, and new content and topics are added regularly. Learn more and enroll here: https://connectu.dairyconnection.com
Cultured Dairy Products Short Course | Penn State | University Park, PA: September 23-25, 2025
Gain knowledge of the materials and processes used to make cultured dairy products. This three-day course begins with an overview of cultured product processing, dairy ingredients, and starter cultures. These principles are applied in lectures on the manufacture of cream cheese, burttermilk, cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, Greek-style yogurt, cultured milk drinks, and novel products. Learn more here: https://web.cvent.com/event/16a1f319-0aa0-4e74-aeed-ecc49731d16a/websitePage:645d57e4-75eb-4769-b2c0-f201a0bfc6ce
World Dairy Expo | Madison, WI: September 30-October 3, 2025
The annual World Dairy Expo is the premier forum for the global dairy community to learn, share, create commerce and showcase competition. Featuring a trade show with over 500 exhibitors from 26 countries, a world-class dairy cattle show, more than 40 educational oportunities and much more, there is something for everyone. Learn more here: https://worlddairyexpo.com/
Curd to Cuisine: Cooking & Acid-Set Cheeses | Cal Poly | San Luis Obispo, CA: October 7-8, 2025
This two-day immersive experience will focus on the science, hands-on production, and culinary uses of acid-set cheeses. Attendees will explore traditional and cultured acid-set styles such as paneer, chevre, labneh, and fresh cheese though practical cheesemaking sessions, sensory labs, and culinary demonstrations led by dairy and culinary experts. Learn more here: https://dairy.calpoly.edu/short-course-symposia
The Science of Cheese: Advanced Level | Cornell University | Ithaca, NY: October 16-17, 2025
This advanced workshop examines the intricate aspects of cheesemaking, thoroughly reviewing key topics essential for experienced cheesemakers. Attendees will explore the complex chemistry involved in cheese production, delve into various cheese styles and standards of identity, and tackle advanced microbiological concepts. This course also addresses challenging issues such as advanced cheese defects and problems, as well as food safety challenges specific to the cheese industry. Learn more here: https://cals.cornell.edu/education/degrees-programs/science-cheese-advanced-level
Vermont Cheese Council Autumn Conference | Woodstock, VT: October 24, 2025
This one-day in-person conference provides new ideas and educational experiences for artisan cheesemakers to advance their cheesemaking and business practices. Attendance is open to all, including chefs, mongers, industry professionals, and both amateur and professional cheesemakers. Registration is $125; a discount code is available to Vermont Cheese Council members and may be available to members of other state or regional guilds/associations. For an overview of session topics, visit: http://bit.ly/4n8Ozod To register, visit: https://pci.jotform.com/Vermont_Cheese/autumn2025
Artisan Food Safety Resource Hub | Online
Dairy products produced on farm, by artisans, and by small companies continue to drive rapid growth with unique cheese, yogurt and ice cream products sold at retail, restaurants or farmers markets around the country. To help these processors and assure the dairy industry continues to provide safe and nutritional products, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy has developed resources for artisan and farmstead producers to make important food safety information more accessible. Find numerous resources, including several in Spanish, here: https://www.usdairy.com/about-us/innovation-center/food-safety/artisan-and-farmstead-dairy
Science of Farmstead Cheese | Online Course: Ongoing
Understand the fundamentals of cheese and milk chemistry with this self-paced online course. Modules include: Cheese, Culture and the Cheesemaker; Milk Chemistry; 10 Steps of Cheesemaking; Starter Culture Technology; Rennet and Coagulation; Salting and Molding; Cheese Aging Chemistry; Cheese Analysis and Evaluation; Course Summary and Next Steps. Cost of this course is $699 (discount available to Vermont Cheese Council members -- contact VCC for the discount code). Cost ranges from $20 to $135. To learn more about this course, visit: https://vermontcheese.thinkific.com/courses/science-of-farmstead-cheese
UW Center for Dairy Research Shortcourses | Madison, WI: Ongoing
The University of Wisconsin CDR offers a variety of shortcourses throughout the year (often including courses in Spanish). To learn more and view the current schedule, visit: https://www.cdr.wisc.edu/education
Food Safety Basics for Artisan Cheesemakers | Online Course: Ongoing
This online course is intended to equip artisan and farmstead cheesemakers with basic knowledge about food safety concepts and serve as a primer for further training programs, such as how to develop and implement a preventative controls food safety management plan. For a limited time, this $175 course is available at no cost when you use discount code DC-FREE at registration. To learn more, visit: https://units.cals.ncsu.edu/foodsafety/food-safety-basics-for-artisan-cheesemakers/
Environmental Monitoring in the Dairy Industry | Online Course: Ongoing
This online course, developed by North Carolina State University, is intended to provide users with the knowledge and skills required to develop and implement an Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) in the food industry. In this course, users will learn alongside virtual dairy processors in a virtual dairy processing facility to simulate on-the-job training. Fee for this on-demand course is $350. To learn more, visit: https://units.cals.ncsu.edu/foodsafety/environmental-monitoring-in-the-dairy-industry/
Artisan Dairy Food Safety Plan Coaching | Online: Ongoing
PLEASE NOTE: This program is on hiatus for 2025 Do you have questions about your food safety plan? Are you a new or expanding artisan dairy producer? Are you curious about what steps you need to take to be FSMA compliant? Cornell University experts are here to help via regular "office hours" Q&A sessions. These FREE sessions take place twice per month, every month on Zoom. Each session will focus on a different food safety topic, but there will also be time for questions about any specific food safety plan. There is NO COST to attend the Online Dairy Food Safety Chat sessions. Bring your food safety plan and your questions! Learn more here: https://cals.cornell.edu/northeast-dairy-foods-research-center/artisan-support
Dairy Science and Sanitation | Online Course: Ongoing
Available from Cornell University in either Spanish or English, this online self-paced Dairy Science and Sanitation workshop is tailored to dairy processing personnel and is designed to help participants understand the basic principles of dairy science and safety, as well as emphasize dairy processing establishment needs related to dairy sanitation to ensure that proper programs are conducted in their establishments. To learn more, visit: https://dairyextension.foodscience.cornell.edu/programs/certificate-program/basic-dairy-science-and-sanitation/