CCBA Annual Convention May 3 – 5, 2007
The 42nd annual CCBA convention was held May 3 - 5, 2007 at the Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley, California.
The weekend opened with Thursday’s Tres de Mayo welcome reception where Hispanic beer and a delicious variety of cheeses were served. Attendees were free to have dinner on their own to finish the evening.
After opening comments, Friday’s business meeting began with Craig Nelson/Vigilistics who spoke on bioterrorism. Jim Taylor/Cacique USA discussed the status of the cheese industry. Bill Finicle/Los Altos Foods, gave a presentation on Hispanic cheeses. Challenge Dairy sponsored the butter tasting during the morning break. Judy Norton/Norseland Inc., moderated a retail panel discussion that included Juliana Urbura/The Pasta Shop, Kaelynn King/Nugget Markets, and Gayle DeCaro/Gelson’s Markets. Chef Jacques Cornelis topped off the morning with a chef’s demonstration. The business session was adjourned for an afternoon golf tournament at Whitehawk Ranch Golf Club and free afternoon for those that were not golfing. Friday evening’s “Hawg Wild” dinner was a huge success and everyone enjoyed the Mexican dinner and “biker bar” activities
Saturday’s business session began with committee reports involving membership news – Judy Norton/Norseland Inc., and status of the butter industry – Bud Tuohy/Challenge Dairy Products Inc.
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The
Newsletter of the California Cheese & Butter Association 
JUNE 2007 Lisa Waters, Editor The business meeting included presentations by Dan Lyman/AC Nielsen, Rob Kaufelt/Murray’s Cheese Shop, and Hannah Dupes/EJ Gallo, followed by a wine and cheese tasting, and Laura Werlin/Author. Saturday’s “A Magical Evening” included a silent auction, dinner and magic show. The convention committee was recognized, and Tom Ditto was honored as the 2007 CCBA Hall of Fame inductee. Barry Zuroff, CCBA’s outgoing President was honored, and the gavel was handed to the new CCBA President, David Viviani. New Directors Gayle DeCaro, and Larry Eiffert were introduced, as well as the new Associate Directors, Peter Ernster and John Fiscalini. Many thanks to the 2007 Convention Co-Chairs, Chere’ Hedges/Tony’s Fine Foods and Heather Holtslander/Select Trade Sales & Marketing for a job well done! Lodi Spring Wine Show
The California Cheese & Butter Association member companies participated in the Lodi Spring Wine in Lodi, California March 23-24. The CCBA booth was very popular and over 3,000 attendees lined up to receive their free samples!
The CCBA greatly appreciated the support of the companies who donated product for this event. They include: BelGioioso, Churny, Irish Dairy Board, Karoun Dairies, Lactalis USA, Mozzarella Fresca, Norseland Inc., Omega Farms, Point Reyes Cheese, Saputo Cheese USA Inc., Sonoma Cheese Company and Tillamook Food Sales Inc.
Special thanks goes to Gayle DeCaro, Andy DeCaro and David Viviani who traveled to Lodi to work the 2-day event. We are also very grateful to Tom Ilharreguy of DPI West who cubed the cheese samples and had the product hand delivered to the fairgrounds in Lodi!
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The CCBA Holiday Luncheon Please mark your calendars for December 5th to join us at Disneyland at Club 33 in New Orleans Square. For those of you that have never attended this meeting or been to Club 33, this was Walt Disney’s private club for his original 33 business members that supported the opening of Disneyland. Club 33 is a very unique place offering a behind the scenes venue including gourmet delights to feast upon. This unique setting features original furnishings and antiques from Walt’s personal collection. We are planning a short but solid meeting agenda that updates us all on the important aspects of our CCBA. A gourmet buffet luncheon will be served after the meeting, followed by the run of either the Magic Kingdom or the California Adventure or both! We are anticipating a $99.00 cost for Club 33, the meeting and luncheon, as well as the run of both parks. You just can’t beat that! You don’t want to miss this traditional CCBA holiday event, so please call Lisa Waters at 925-672-8255 or email her at: director@cacheeseandbutter.org A Special Note: We would be remiss to not thank Terry Fyffe one of our most active and legendary CCBA members (and member of Club 33) for extending this most unique and fun venue for our meeting. Seeing the holiday decorations alone is worth the price! Plan now for this most productive meeting and fun afternoon & evening. You deserve it!
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Cheese Report Update
Well, here we go again, but not for all the same reasons.
For those of you attending our great CCBA Convention this past month at the Resort at Squaw Creek, I gave the Cheese Report update and stated, “we were in the early but rapidly growing first stages of another storm”.
I don’t want to coin the same phrase (The Perfect Storm) I used a few years ago when the Block Market hit a record $2.20 per pound. That was on April 14th of 2004 to be exact. During that record market and at our ’04 Convention, I gave a good half dozen reasons & conditions causing this record high, and indeed some factors still apply today. But those traditional seasonal factors we attribute to normal rises and declines over the market year, are not what has caused the $2.00 per pound Block Market we have at the time of this writing. For one thing, when we set the $2.20 per pound Block record in April of ’04, there were not more profitable options for where milk could go.
Today, the high price of non-fat dry milk powder (due to heavy worldwide demand) was not even a consideration in ’04. Today more milk can be earmarked into this area as “NDM is over $2.00 per pound” going head to head with cheese. Who would have ever predicted this powder price would be where it currently stands. With no current end in sight and with world demand humming along, this alternative to cheese production will be with us for the near future.
Just a couple of months back we were looking at Block prices almost .60 cents per pound less then today. (continued)
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With that in mind, retailers have been filling some lower inventory levels. This followed the year’s earlier Lenten period and promotions, so we could see a very small dip here or there in market prices, as proper levels are reached and today’s higher Block Market reality settles in. But the storm has arrived and the lower markets we have reported over the past couple years or more are gone and for some time to come. Markets will be high for the rest of this year and average much higher prices in ’08 then those averages of ’05, ’06 and the first half of this year.
What about retail prices that have yet to catch up with the current market? Current inventories are still working off those lower markets of a couple months ago, so we have yet to feel the impact our consumers will be facing and reporting to us – “with their pocketbooks”. One thing is for sure, that rapidly rising markets are bad for business as it dampens promotional calendars, blows budgets, forecasts, and sales.
We are now facing less traveled waters with current market conditions and alternative profitable channels for milk. Hitting the ’04 record Block of $2.20 is not out of the question. In fact, we could see all new records only a mind reader would dare to forecast.
Bud Tuohy, Challenge Dairy Products Inc.
The butter March output was down -1% and inventories were up +8% from the same period year ago. On May 31st the CME price on butter was up +$.135/Lb from the previous month. Butter pricing is moving higher than last year, but it has been fairly stable over the past year.
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Looking forward, the higher milk prices are expected to peak sometime this fall. The domestic dairy herd is predicted to grow in spite of the higher feed costs and the Cooperatives Working Together herd retirement program. The prospect of higher milk prices later in the year, have probably slowed the rate of herd culling. This is because the lower producing cows can more than pay for themselves with the higher milk prices. It has been estimated that the monthly milk production may run +2% ahead of last year and even continue into 2008. On the demand side, butterfat commercial disappearance (including exports) in the first quarter of this year was up +4%. However it is reported that significant users of butterfat are building inventory to hedge against the rising prices (hiding the real demand for butterfat at these prices). The high price of overseas butterfat is declining, along with the incentive to import product to the U.S. This is a good sign and offers an opportunity for increased U.S. exports. Finally, according to IRI, butter volume YTD is off -2% vs. last year. As a result of these and other factors, there is talk that pricing may turn down during the July/August period. Key numbers to watch if and when the market turns down is how the consumption and disappearance numbers respond to the lower prices. We could be in for a rough ride again.
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We would like to take this time to thank Barry Zuroff, CCBA’s outgoing President, for his many years of service to our association. Barry became a board member and continued through the CCBA ranks as an officer, and as the President for the past two years.
Barry worked tirelessly to promote the CCBA, and chaired the 2000 CCBA Convention at Lake Arrowhead. That convention was one of the best in recent memory.
On behalf of the membership, we sincerely thank you for your excellent service and strong leadership.
Rancho Bernardo Inn May 1 – 3, 2008 Jim Taylor, Convention Chair
For all of you attending our convention in Olympic Valley this past month, your heard the great news that we’re going back to one of our favorite places. Nestled in the beautiful hills of San Diego is the newly renovated Rancho Bernardo Inn, one of the great Four Diamond Resorts in the Country. Just 25 minutes from the San Diego Airport, this spectacular hotel will make the perfect venue for what is shaping up to be an incredible “who’s who” of speakers. We have committed to layering a lineup of Speakers to inform and educate us all on the most cutting edge information that will best assist us all in driving cheese and butter sales.
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“Already Booked” (The Very Best in Science ) Dr. Mary Ann Drake University of North Carolina From the University of North Carolina, we are pleased to announce Dr. Mary Ann Drake who will take us into the cutting edge world of cheese and butter products and more. It will encompass just what we are marketing, and how they measure up to “sensory evaluation”. Are you creating new products or creating a line extension? How do you evaluate quality assurance? Where do you and your competitors’ products fall on a consumer preference map? Dr. Drake will answer these and more cutting edge issues dealing with the things you and your company must know to be on the front of the wave. Dr Drake will give an exciting presentation, “with sensory evaluations included” leaving you better informed on what it will take to reach our sales growth with the cheese and butter products we take to market.
Dr. Bruce Germain University of California - Davis Today’s advances in science, nutrition and health are bringing us information faster then can be properly applied. Dr. Bruce Germain will separate “truth from fiction” in presenting the very latest in cutting edge advances and just how recent discoveries and breakthroughs in science can best be applied to our cheese and butter industry. | |
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One very key area we have asked Dr Germain to highlight is in the area of probiotics. It is in this area, we will find how this health discovery benefit will best fit with our cheese and butter products. You just cannot afford to miss Dr Bruce Germain.
Cindy DiFerdinand, Nutritionist There is no way you can miss the high-energy cutting edge presentation by Cindy DiFerdinand. Holding a Masters Degree in Human Nutrition from the University of New Haven Connecticut; a Bachelor of Science Degree in Dietetics & Food Administration from California State University, Long Beach, Cindy packs her high energy and enthusiasm into everything you must know about nutrition in today’s world. Cindy is an experienced nutritionist and health educator. With over 20 years in the industry, Cindy has built a career on pioneering new food products with a focus on nutrition. She has consulted for the food industry and worked as a nutritionist in private practice, counseling people of all ages on preventive nutrition relating to optimum health and longevity. Cindy pioneered and developed nutrition programs at various clinics and fitness facilities. She is an experienced healthy menu and catering planner with considerable credentials as an exciting speaker and spokesperson.
Cindy’s key role is as Nutritionist for Omega Farms representing a full line of dairy products. With that, we have asked Cindy to highlight for us another growing and positive trend, that being the growth of Omega 3’s. Cindy will educate all of us on the health benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids the “good fats” which are so vital to good health and well being.
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As a passionate educator of America’s youth, and mother of five, this great home chef (“with a cook book in the works”), will take us all too new levels of understanding related to nutrition & health within our business.
Philippe Surget President, Lactalis USA It is no secret; specialty cheeses and butters represent the high growth segment of these categories. Who better to share his insights on why this is, then Philippe Surget? The international growth we are experiencing and Philippe to share his perspective, truly make the perfect combination. Philippe will focus on the wonderful and ever growing world of specialty and gourmet cheese and butter. Included will be the growing sophistication of our consumer, that includes the Baby Boomer generation, the robust flavors they seek, and the added buying power they will offer. The domestic and international insight Philippe will present and bring to us all will continue our quest to truly make this 2008 Convention and the CCBA, “the information destination”. More to come . . . . . | |
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2008 CCBA Convention continued ...
As we continue to interview and add additional speakers to our CCBA ’08 Convention, we are taking a couple of weeks off to assure we bring on speakers that enhance our current compliment of speakers. We are doing this in case you have a favorite speaker you have seen recently that would lend themselves well to what we currently have booked. If that is the case, please contact me immediately with the details. Your input is important in making the CCBA “the information destination”. As we will be finalizing our speakers very soon, don’t wait or be left out. Contact me with your ideas immediately!
Contact: Jim Taylor (626) 937-3562 (direct) or taylorj@caciqueusa.com
Through our contacts, we are currently in discussions on a political speaker to compliment the election year our convention will fall within. We are looking to Sacramento as well as Washington for just the right person that can bring revealing and little understood insight into the election and legislative process. Speaking of the legislative process . . . . . The CCBA has traditionally been involved in those bills and laws impacting our cheese and butter industry. We are currently working toward a more invigorated and active understanding of this area true to what we have done in our recent past. This represents a further benefit in being a part of the CCBA. With that said, the political speaker or speakers that we have at our ’08 Convention will add benefit to the CCBA in this important area.
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Include in their presentation will be the latest legislation impacting our cheese and butter industry. Some interesting facts about Rancho Bernardo Inn . . . .
We are planning a great Convention in 2008 and one of the areas we really want to shine is with the historical pictures and slide presentation we feature during our evening events. Jennifer Mullen one of our distinguished CCBA Board Members maintains the current archives of historical pictures we have been using. These really great pictures take us all the way back to the early days of the CCBA. Jennifer Mullen and Jim Taylor are currently updating these pictures and really need your help.
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If you have a picture or pictures taken during any of our CCBA events of the past, please send them to either Jennifer or Jim. You can either email them electronically to jfmulln@aol.com or taylorj@caciqueusa.com or mail the picture or pictures to:
Cacique Companies
If you want the pictures back, please include a self-addressed envelope and we will reproduce them sending the original back. No quantity is too small. By late summer we will begin the process of converting these pictures to disk for what we hope will be a great trip down memory lane . . . . .
We really need your help, and who knows, you just may receive special recognition at our 2008 Convention. Thanks all for your help with this great picture quest!
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We need your Help . . . . . .