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2024 Course Dates: April 23-26 (welcome reception April 22) | Registration closes: April 8 | Course Fee: $1185

Course Description
This comprehensive short course is designed to educate retailers, cheese mongers, culinary professionals, end users and distributors on the art and science of cheesemaking. This is also a practical course for non-technical staff who work in the dairy industry or for a company that manufactures or packages cheese. This course combines informative lectures, demonstrations, tasting and hands-on labs with farm and dairy production plant tours. This four-day learning opportunity helps you understand and appreciate the world of cheese, from pasture to plate. Join us for this unique Wisconsin experience!

Learning Objectives

  • Learn about the quality and safety factors of milk and how the science of milk sets the foundation for good quality cheese.
  • Understand the science behind how milk is processed into a wide variety of cheeses and experience the cheesemaking process hands-on during lab in CDR’s pilot plant.
  • Identify the basic sensory attributes and how they relate to cheese.
  • Explore 12 different cheese varieties through tasting activities.
  • Learn about the functionality, applications and common defects for a variety of cheeses.
  • Understand the economics related to cheese.
  • Discover safe handling practices of cheese.
  • Gain insight into farm practices and the operation of cheesemaking in different dairy plants through tours arranged by the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.

Lindsey O'Brien - CDR technical course contact
Contact with questions on course content or if this course is right for you.

Heather Cooper - CDR events coordinator
Contact with questions on registration, certificates, or other questions.

Course Instructors: Lindsey O'Brien | Dean Sommer | Dr. Mark Johnson | Luis A. Jiménez-Maroto | Juan Romero | Rebecca Hohlstein | Alex O’Brien | Industry Partners

Next World of Cheese: From Pasture to Plate Course: August 27-30 registration opens July 2.

Certificate of Completion
Certificates will be printed and issued in-person on the final day of each course for all in-person courses.

Agenda

Parking on Campus | Lodging in Madison

Full list of CDR short courses