April 16 was a day full of appreciation for raw milk cheeses! We loved looking at all your pictures and posts, and hearing about all the creative ways you celebrated Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day this year. You can see some pictures on our website, and more on our Instagram page.
The number one comment we heard from folks was: We need a week, not only one day! We agree. One single day to celebrate the hundreds of raw milk cheeses available is certainly difficult, but our global community of raw milk cheese lovers rose to the challenge. The official count was 632 events in 14 countries a big increase from last year! Plus we had 80 participants new this year, which shows that this is a bandwagon worth jumping on.
Highlights from our 2nd Annual Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day:
Maple Hill Creamery gave away raw milk cheeses to lucky consumers who entered their competition on social media. Maple Hill regularly hosts fun contests, you should follow them and try some of their delicious cheddars.
Neal’s Yard Dairy and Milk Jam got together to taste raw milk from the producers of some of the most iconic raw milk cheeses in the United Kingdom, after traveling 750 miles around the UK to collect the raw milks.
There were wonderful events in Canada, Brazil, and Mexico in the Americas, and we learned a lot about the raw milk cheeses and producers in those countries.
There were special samplings, tastings, and special menus in Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Sweden. We tried to follow the conversation, but we need to learn more languages. Luckily, raw milk cheese benefits, tradition, and flavors translate well amongst us turophiles.
Finally, there were events in Australia in independent shops and also in larger stores all demonstrating that raw milk cheese is something we all enjoy, all around the world. New Zealand’s one event was a product of the true cheese solidarity between cheesemongers and cheesemakers in the country.
Our official hashtag, #rawmilkcheese, reached an estimated 1 to 2 million people on Twitter, and more than 1,000 people were talking about raw milk cheese on Facebook. All of this engagement, from the worldwide events to social media celebrations, energizes us moves us forward. We will be celebrating the 3rd Annual Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day on April 15, 2017.
Your contribution to the Oldways Cheese Coalition helps us ensure that we can continue promoting raw milk cheese and many other events coming up. Visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to and out more.
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