To some, American cheddars are the "plain janes" of cheese, reserved for grilled cheese sandwiches and mac & cheese. Cook's Illustrated noticed that many American creameries were developing "artisan" or "vintage" varieties of cheddar to curb this trend. So, they held a tasting to determine if these newer, American specialty cheddars were up to snuff. The verdict? Yes, indeed, these cheddars were off the charts.

The first thing we noticed was that all of the cheddars tasted remarkably different. In fact, the spectrum of flavors was so broad—everything from mellow and buttery to pungent and sulfurous—that we were surprised that all of these cheeses could be labeled cheddar. Texture also varied hugely. Some cheddars were so dry that they crumbled in our hands, while others were as moist and creamy as Monterey Jack. One thing was clear, though: Our top cheddars were worth every penny.

Arla Foods UK, a British dairy and cheesemaker, has achieved its goal of becoming a zero waste company an entire year ahead of schedule.

Having set out on the mission in 2004, Arla finally tackled residual waste in 2010 by working with a chain of materials recycling facilities – finding an end solution in 2011 when it employed a system that crushes and converts residual waste into fuel pellets.

Read the full article here.

In the luxury hotel amenity world, wine cellars are old news. Cheese caves are the newest, hottest trend. From the Park Hyatt in Chicago to Blackberry Farm in Tennessee to the Four Seasons in Hong Kong, travelers can now sample cheeses right out of the hotel's cheese cave.

Forbes Travel Guide rounded up five top hotels where you can sample ripe, creamy due latte and maple-and-whiskey-infused cheddar, including properties that take a locavore angle and focus on regional cheeses.

Read the full guide to hotel cheese caves here.

Photo by Markus Gortz

Look forward to options beyond Coors and Bud at the ballpark this summer -- craft beers are being tapped at stadiums all over the country.

"Every market is different," said Bob Sullivan, vice president of sales and marketing for Boulevard Brewing Company. "But what you're seeing now is that stadiums are saying, `We really need to carry the local beers.' People pay a lot of money for their season tickets, and there's some obligation to give them what they want."

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Photo by David Salafia

$295 will get you this chic burger, topped with cave-aged Montgomery cheddar, creme fraiche and white-truffled butter, among other excesses.

Serendipity isn't trying to cash out; they're donating all profits to the Bowery Mission, which serves homeless and hungry New Yorkers.

"Today" co-hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb have already tried the burger, racking up a nearly $600 tab in the process. After one bite, Kotb exclaimed, "I just ate eighty dollars."

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Photo by Serendipity 3

Good benefits and good healthcare make for better workers -- cows included. Some U.S. dairy farmers have turned to creative options to keep cows comfortable (therefore producing more, better quality milk), including massages, hiring chiropractors and playing classical music.

"It's kind of like how an athlete with a sprained ankle isn't as productive," said Larry Meyer, 36, whose parents own the dairy farm in Chilton, Wis., where Lucky and another 115 dairy cows live. "If you can get a cow healthy and back to normal, it makes a difference in their productivity."

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Photo by Frank Wouters

Listen to the survival stories from the Galaydas and Stryk farming families who experienced the 2011 Texas drought. Lack of feed and water forced farmers statewide to slaughter livestock, creating the smallest cattle population in Texas since 1952. These two families persevered despite the drought and thoughtfully used creative business acumen to stay afloat.

First, before the spring of 2011, she looked over the livestock. Cows that weren't pregnant, heifers — or young females — with the smallest deficiency and other any less-than-perfect bovine was sold.

Read the full article here.

Photo by Dave_B_

More than a dozen goats at UC Davis have been genetically engineered to include a single human gene that gives the goats' milk extreme bacterial fighting properties. The end goal is to use these goats to help end diarrhea, the number one killer of children worldwide, from unclean drinking water and other sources.

A study Murray and his team published in 2008 in the Journal of Nutrition found that feeding pigs the lysozyme-enhanced milk did their stomachs good. Compared to a control group, the genetically enhanced stuff significantly cut coliform bacteria in the pigs’ small intestines. And a more recent study observed that the milk both tamped down inflammation in the gut while also beefing up the cells that serve as the intestine’s first line of defenses against bacteria.

Read the full story here.

A Q&A with Scardello Artisan Cheese owner Rich Rogers on making and enjoying washed rind cheeses, which are one of this cheesemonger's favorite varieties.

Entree Dallas: What exactly does it mean when a cheese has a washed rind?

Rogers: It’s a treatment that’s done after the cheese is made. And it is what it says it is; it’s literally washing or rubbing the rind, typically with a brine solution that sometimes has a form of diluted alcohol added.

Read the full article here.

According to the National Young Farmers' Association, 78% of beginning farmers say that lack of access to capital is their greatest farming challenge. A grassroots organization called Slow Money is trying to change that. Farmers can pitch their business plans to local Slow Money chapters and a variety of investors who care about local food and sustainability can opt to support them. Some of these investors are even other farmers, who would know firsthand how difficult acquiring startup capital can be.

Slow Money (like the perhaps better-known organization Slow Food) is a countercultural, grassroots approach to food systems; instead of diversifying and preserving local products, Slow Money aims to diversify and localize financial markets that invest in local, sustainable farm businesses and food enterprises.

Read the full article here.