The story has just begun for our recipients. These are their footnotes.

The goal of the Daphne Zepos Teaching Endowment is to grow a squad of cheese professionals who teach about the history, culture, and techniques in making, aging, and selling cheese. These cheese professionals receive their grant monies to conduct their initial research and produce a final project. However, the work does not stop there for the majority of our recipients. That work is highlighted here.

Mary Casella, 2021 Research Award recipient, traveled to Wales to present at the West of England and South Wales Women’s History Network 32nd
Annual Conference
Historical Perspectives on Women and Food in October. This was her PowerPoint presentation — Mary Casella, 2021 Research Award recipient, traveled to Wales to present at the West of England and South Wales Women’s History Network 32nd Annual Conference Historical Perspectives on Women and Food in October. This was her PowerPoint presentation.

Alexandra Jones takes her 2023 Research Award to new levels with a podcast called Milkfed: A Podcast about Cheese, Culture, and Climate. She uses interviews from her research year to weave a timeline of where we are climate-wise, in the cheese world. Season 2 has been funded, so this research will continue!

This webinar features our 2020 Teaching Award recipient, Matt Benham, in conversation with one of the United States most awarded cheesemakers, Andy Hatch from Uplands Cheese.

Matt's initial presentation was on how feed affects flavor in cheesemakin — This webinar features our 2020 Teaching Award recipient, Matt Benham, in conversation with one of the United States most awarded cheesemakers, Andy Hatch from Uplands Cheese. Matt's initial presentation was on how feed affects flavor in cheesemaking. His experience has moved on from a more academic lens to working with Jasper Hill Farm and gaining a real-world education on his initial topic. Andy Hatch is a celebrated cheesemaker whose farm only produces two kinds of cheese a year. Their dedication to farmstead, pasture-raised milk creates cheese that is a snapshot of Wisconsin each year.

Trevor won the 2022 Daphne Zepos Teaching Award for cheese professionals hoping to further their paths and bring home to North America valuable knowledge to benefit cheesemakers. Cheese Trekking is an extended version of his Teaching Award research.

Mary Casella, the 2021 Research Award recipient, continues the conversation she started with her presentation "Women's Work: The History and Legacy of Women in Dairy" on her Substack.

2023 DZTA Recipient Alex Armstrong presented his research on the world of sensory language in evaluating cheese. Following this recorded event, he hosted a live Q&A with attendees which you can watch here.

Whether or not you are studying for an upcoming cheese-centric exam or want to sharpen your overall curd knowledge, we hosted a fun curd-filled evening of trivia questions.

This was a recorded live event but you can play with your colleagues and f — Whether or not you are studying for an upcoming cheese-centric exam or want to sharpen your overall curd knowledge, we hosted a fun curd-filled evening of trivia questions. This was a recorded live event but you can play with your colleagues and friends at home by watching here!

2022 DZTA Recipient Trevor Warmedahl conducts a traveling school for enthusiasts and professionals to learn natural cheesemaking. Visit sourmilkschool.com to see where his next course is.

2022 DZTA Recipient Trevor Warmedahl presented his research on the world of coagulants in cheesemaking. Following this recorded event, he hosted a live Q&A with attendees which you can watch here.

2022 DZTA Recipient Trevor Warmedahl traveled to study traditional rennet making practices to unearth the mysteries behind the least understood ingredient in cheesemaking. He presented his findings at the American Cheese Society Conference in 2023. This is his PowerPoint presentation.

2022 DZRA Recipient Julia Fine is a Washington D.C. native and wrote a piece on the powerful women leading the cheese scene there as a follow up to 2021 recipient Mary Casella's "dairymaid" work.

2021 DZRA Recipient Mary Casella researched the role of women in dairy throughout history, spotlighting work of specific women that contributed to her growth and inspiration in the cheese industry. She shared these at the American Cheese Society Conference in 2022. This is her PowerPoint presentation.

2015 DZTA Recipient Tom Perry researched native cultures in cheesemaking and shared his findings in this great article in Culture Magazine.

2015 DZTA Recipient Tom Perry presented his research on the world of starter cultures in cheesemaking. Following a recorded event, he hosted a live Q&A with attendees which you can watch here.

2015 DZTA Recipient Tom Perry researched native cultures in cheesemaking in France, Switzerland, and England. He shared these findings at the American Cheese Society Conference in 2016. These are his presentation materials.

2012 DZTA Recipient Jess Perrie visits the annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival featuring Basque shepherds bringing their sheep down for the winter in Sun Valley, ID.

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.

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.

In an effort to condense the DZTE episode to vital information, I chose to cut this fun part out and release it as a lil extra episode! Listen in as Juhl and Sam talk about cheese crushes, pairings, and food memories.

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.

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.

The Daphne Zepos Teaching Endowment is now accepting applications for grants! You may ask, "What does this mean?" We will explain on this episode, as we have a lively chat with 2023 DZRA recipient Alexandra Jones, 2015 DZTA recipient Tom Perry, and DZTE board president Brandi Wills.

In this first episode, I sit down with Tom Perry of Shelburne Farms to discuss education efforts and cheese sales at the farm one year into a pandemic. We discuss new innovations, long-standing relationships, and the unnerving quietness of pandemic life at the farm.

Daphne Zepos created a vision for her legacy and since her death in 2012, her dedication to education has lived on in the Daphne Zepos Teaching Award. This award gives the opportunity for a North American cheese professional to travel and answer the deep cheese questions they hold. As with many things, the last two years have reimagined this award and now two awards live under the umbrella of the Daphne Zepos Teaching Endowment.

Some people know cheese and some people really know cheese. On today's episode we catch up with Alex Armstrong, Sensory Evaluator and Educator at Jasper Hill Farm. He is on the program today to help us understand what it means to be a sensory evaluator and how it can be useful for cheesemaking and sales.

On our latest episode, Joe chats with Trevor Warmedahl, the 2022 Daphne Zepos Teaching Endowment Award winner. Trevor is known as the "Milk_Trekker" by his popular instagram and YouTube handle where he is followed by thousands. Trevor is a real life nomadic herdsman, cheese maker, writer, and educator who has traveled to remote areas of the world studying different coagulation and rennet practices while embracing regenerative grazing and sustainable livestock practices. We catch up to hear what he's been up to and where's he's been lately - don't miss this inspirational session! Photo courtesy of Alexander Pomper.

Our guest today is Tom Perry, cheese sales manager of Shelburne Farms, a cheddar producer located in Vermont. He has been a cheesemonger in the New England scene for many years and was a previous winner of the DZTA scholarship.

We hear from Rachel Juhl, Mary Quicke, and Peter Dixon on news from the DZTE and learn what inspires them to be part of this organization.

Here Diane will discuss Alexandra's new book "Stuff every cheese lover should know." From the basics of what cheese is to terms every cheese lover should know, how to host a cheese tasting, how to make the ultimate grilled cheese, and much more!

Brooklyn cheesemonger turned affineur and educator, Mary Casella joins us to talk about her upcoming presentation for the Daphne Zepos Research Award. Plus, we review what she has found so far in her project as well as what's next for her gender study of the dairy industry.

A profile of Jumi, discussing the challenges of being a smaller European producer that does their own importing, and does not rely on major distributors to do logistics and sales.

Both Tom Perry and Sam Frank join Diane to give an update on Daphne Zepos's award which provides money for European Travel to research a cheese issue. As previous winners, and current Board members, Tom and Sam give us much info!

Host Cara Warren interviews Matt Benham about what his expectations are for his upcoming research and what it means to him to be honored with this prestigious award.

Vince Razionale, recipient of the 2017 Daphne Zepos Teaching Award, joins host Diane Stemple to discuss his award-winning vision: bridging the bandaged cheddar gap between England and the US, and in his words, “promoting the ongoing and rigorous study of one particular style of cheese.”

On this week's episode host Diane Stemple takes a break from book reviews! Diane chats with 2018 DZTA Scholarship winner Eric Meredith about his project vision and how it's coming along so far.

This will be seven years since the DZTA was founded in 2012. The organization has grown its squad of cheese teachers, just released a newly defined vision for the organization and has a revamped membership on their Board of Directors. Rachel Juhl, Chief Administrator of the Endowment, chats with Elena about how the organization has grown and what's in store for Award winners of the future.

Some say the apple doesnt fall far from the tree, and for the Juhl family this is particularly true... especially if those apples are paired with Comte! Tune in to hear how Anna Juhl grew her cheese business in Utah before moving to New York to start an amazing new cheese-centric travel company - Cheese Journeys - and how sisters Rachel and Leah ended up working together at the renowned wholesale cheesemonger company, Essex St. Cheese.

Daphne Zepos was a teacher, mentor and inspiration to many in the food industry. Her legacy is embodied by Daphne Zepos Teaching Award, which was established in 2013 in order to promote the sharing of knowledge between Europe and young cheese professionals in the U.S.. On todays episode of Cutting the Curd, host Greg Blais talks with last years award recipient Emily Shartin and this years recently announced recipient, Tom Perry. This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. What if you cant have a cave - how do you still incorporate some of these techniques, this way of thinking, into what you do? [13:00] --Emily Shartin on Cutting the Curd

Daphne Zepos was a teacher, mentor and inspiration to many in the food industry. Her legacy is embodied by the Daphne Zepos Teaching Award, established in 2013 to promote the sharing of knowledge between Europe and young cheese professionals in the United States. On today’s episode of Cutting the Curd, host Greg Blais talks with last year’s award recipient, Tom Perry, and this year’s recently announced recipient, Sam Frank.

The Daphne Zepos Teaching Award is an annual scholarship awarded to an USA-based cheese professional who uses the funds to travel, learn and further their education on cheese. This award will grow a squad of cheese professionals who teach about the history, culture and techniques in making, aging and selling cheese. Each year someone new will go forth to learn about cheese. The scholarship will fund travel and living expenses. The winner will return to share their learnings with the cheese community â€” at the annual American Cheese Society Conference and beyond. The scholarship is funded by the Daphne Zepos Endowment, which is held in the American Cheese Education Foundation. Thats what you are donating to here. Our goal is to raise $250,000 both through this site and by direct investment. This week on Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby chats with Capital Campaign Adminstrator Rachel Juhl of Essex St. Cheese Co., who talks about her experiences carrying out Daphnes plans and helping aspiring cheesemakers in the country.

On a special episode of Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slessinger chat with Jess Perrie of Beehive Cheese Company, who happens to be the first recipient of the Daphne Zepos Teaching Award, a scholarship started in honor of cheese professional Daphne Zepos, who passed away last year. Jess explains what it means to win the scholarship and how she discovered her passion for cheese. Hear about her cheese journey and various projects and learn more about everything from cheese education to Basquee style cheeses. Cutting the Curd is underwritten by The Dairy Farm Families of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. What I love about this community is that were a big group of nerds! [05:00] --Jess Perrie on Cutting the Curd

On a new episode of Cutting the Curd, hear from last year and this years recipients of the Daphne Zepos Teaching Award. The Daphne Zepos Teaching Award is an annual scholarship awarded to a USA-based cheese professional who uses the funds to travel, learn and further their education on cheese. First, hear from Jess Perrie of Beehive Cheese Company who won the award last year. She recounts her trip to Basque country in Spain and reflects on how it inspired her to try new things in her cheesemaking. Second, hear from Emily Shartin, this years award winner. She talks about what it means to win the award and describes her vision for her career in cheese. This program was brought to you by The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Were definitely thinking of new ideas at BeeHive and there will be a Basque influence for sure. [12:00] --Jess Perrie on Cutting the Curd Theres more and more cheesemakers popping up around the American west. [22:00] --Emily Shartin on Cutting the Curd

This week on Cutting the Curd, Anne is joined by a special panel of friends and colleagues to discuss the ongoing developments and controversy surrounding raw milk in cheese production. Tia Keenan of The Modern, Daphne Zepos of Essex Cheese Company and Matteo Kehler of Jasper Hill all share their thoughts on FDA crackdowns on small producers, European traditions, and cultural barriers that need to be broken down in order for everybody to appreciate raw milk cheese in the United States.

Ever want to learn about cheese? Heres your chance! Tune into an educational episode of Cutting the Curd with Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger as they chat with Max McCalman, Sasha Anderson and Daphne Zepos. Learn more about the various ways you can educate yourself and learn how to become a better taster such as cheese classes, seminars and plain old tastings. This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. The best way to learn about cheese is to put it in your mouth! --Max McCalman on Cutting the Curd Most of the talented young cheesemongers I know are also in a band, or involved in the art world somehow. Then there comes a time when they are no longer a drummer in a band, and have to think of more realistic alternatives to feed themselves. The Certified Cheese Professionalâ„¢ Exam personifies that moment. --Daphne Zepos on Cutting the Curd

On todays episode of Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger are remembering the life and work of cheesemonger, educator, writer, and chef Daphne Zepos. Anne and Sophie speak with two call-in guests for the occasion. Ari Weinzweig of Zingermans recalls Daphnes passion and eloquence when it came to cheese. Ari also talks about some trips he took with Daphne in pursuit of good cheese, and her dedication to spreading the word about cheese and food education. Katherine Alford, currently of The Food Network, was Daphnes teacher at Peter Kumps New York Cooking School, better known as The Institute of Culinary Education. Listen in to hear Katherine reminisce about a trip to Daphnes childhood home in Greece, where they watched shepherds milk goats and create cheese in the most traditional of ways. To contribute to Daphnes cheese education vision, please visit Cheesefoundation.org and make a donation in Daphne Zepos memory. This program has been brought to you by Whole Foods. There was this majestic, theatrical, intelligent, philosophical person who could wax eloquently about cheese, and nobody else really did it like that. She brought something special to a food world that was already changing for the better...she did a lot of work to teach about it so that it wasnt just superficial prose. -- Ari Weinzweig on Cutting the Curd Daphne understood place, the lives of the people that were making the cheese, and wanted to really celebrate that and share it with people in a way that was really unique. -- Katherine Alford on Cutting the Curd