THE MOOOS has discovered a neat tidbit about cows. Once calves are about six months old, they make a big change in their diets. They stop suckling milk from their mother and begin to eat grass. Unfortunately, grass is not the only thing they pick up while grazing. They also eat dangerous tramp iron (nails, staples, baling wire, etc.) that can cause Hardware Disease. If not protected with a COW MAGNET, cows can lose their appetite and decrease their milk output (dairy cows) or their ability to gain weight (feeder stock) from this disease. Tramp iron causes serious inflammation in the cow’s stomach and possibly death resulting from severe damage to surrounding vital organs. Veterinarians usually give calves a cow pill magnet at the age of six months. Once the magnet reaches the stomach, it is there for the life of the cow to attract tramp iron. One magnet lasts a cow’s lifetime! This information is thanks to Master Magnetics, Inc. and Out Of This World in Mendocino.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOOO!!…HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOOO!! Monterey Jack Cheese is 175 years old this April 18, 1997! Celebrate by eating some! Originally Monterey Jack was called Queso del Pais, by Spanish speaking pioneers. It was later called Monterey Jack Cheese by David Jacks who was the first person to market it commercially.

Volume 4 Issue 4 April, 1997
Radha Stern Editor

HA-HA MOOOS What kind of cheese can you live in? Cottage Cheese! Thanks to Joanne Mesta!

CCBA has another new member! Raley’s of Sacramento. Welcome!

CALIFORNIA’S cheese production passed the ONE BILLION POUND mark for the first time in 1996! The record was 7.7 percent increase over 1995. Mozzarella took the lion’s share of the output. Mozzarella was up 5.2 percent from 1995 with a total of 497.5 million pounds. Cheddar also showed a nice increase at 24.2 percent, and Monterey Jack 6.6 percent. Thank mooo to The Cheese Reporter for this information.

HOLY COW!!! or Goat in this case! A goat cheese has won the United States Champion Cheese Contest hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. There was 513 entries from 22 states. Rickey Rufer of Bresse Blue, the US Champion Cheese Maker took the 1997Award for Montrachet Goat’s Milk Cheese in Oil with Herbs. Steve Stettler of Decatur Dairy, Inc. was First Runner-up with Havarti, and Thomas Jenny of Old Wisconsin Cheese Co. was second runner-up with Swiss Wheel. Congratulations to all!!! Thank mooo to The Cheese Reporter for this Information.

BETTER WITH BUTTER! When Chef Steven Levine of Zoe’s in New York City was asked "why mashed potatoes were on the menu of so many top American restaurants?’ he replied that "it’s the return to homey, comforting foods. Potatoes mashed with real butter are a perfect example!"

• That 70 percent of foodservice customers state that they feel strongly that butter enhances the flavor of foods. And 70 percent report they believe using butter instead of margarine shows a dedication to quality!

• Calorie for calorie and fat for fat, butter and margarine are exactly the same - approximately 35 calories, and less than 5 grams of fat for a single teaspoon or pat.

• Ever heard of a "margarine cookie?" Or fresh Maine lobster served with "drawn oleo?". Many foods simply scream for butter!

Thank moo to Dairy Management Inc. and Mid-America Farms for Better with Butter.

WE ARE ON THE WEB! California Cheese & Butter Association is now on the World Wide Web. Our address is:
www.cacheeseandbutter.org
Check us out! A mailing went to all our members with the offer to link their business to our website. It is a great deal for members and affiliated cheese and butter groups, if you need more information, call the CCBA office.

THIS IS FOR ALL THE KIDS OUT THERE!!!!!

SAD MOOOS Sharon Dudley has resigned from our Board of Directors after thirteen years!! She has been an inspiration to us all and we will miss her. Sharon feels that it is time to involve some new people on the board and she will put her positive energy in another direction. Thank you for your dedicated service, Sharon!!!! Good luck with your new endeavors!!

DID YOU KNOW? California now has an official California Agriculture Week! It is the week of March 16-22 and March 20 is California Agriculture Day. This resolution was passed by the Assembly unanimously. It was introduced by Assemblyman George House.

YOU CAN GET INVOLVED! At our convention April 10-12 we will be voting in a new slate of Officers and Board of Directors. We will also be forming committees for different projects during the year. It is great fun and we are only as good as the people involved in the organization. Let us hear from YOU!

MOOO BIZ UPDATES Sonoma Cheese Factory has formed an alliance with Waterbury Holdings of Vermont. As part of the agreement, Rondele’ Foods will manage marketing and distribution for Sonoma Cheese.

Through a strategic alliance, California Gold Dairy Products and Dairyman’s Creamery Cooperative Association will jointly operate a cheese packaging facility through a new entity called Central Valley Dairy Products. All Cheese manufactured both cooperatives will be marketed through this venture.

These updates are thanks to the Deli News.

Please feel free to call our office for any reason.

California Cheese & Butter Association
911 Ventura Way
Mill Valley, California 94941
Telephone (415) 381-6791
Facsimile (415) 380-8532

Any misspellings, misinformation, or great copy, are the sole responsibility of the editor. Suggestions, additions, or comments are GLADLY received. I would appreciate anything mooosworthy!!
Radha

Past newsletters:
February 1997