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Canadian Dance Troupe Brings Sheep Behavior to Life

CORPUS, a Canadian dance theater troupe, will start their first U.S. tour at the Long Island Children's Museum with a performance entitled Les Moutons - in other words, The Sheep. The performers combine dance, performance art, and slapstick to bring the world of sheep behavior to their audiences.

Audiences will observe a strange and hilarious universe as CORPUS re-enacts the results of their carefully studied overview of sheep behavior. Three white ewes (Julie, Marie-louise, Bernadette) and one black ram (César) comprise the “cast” under the watchful eye of a stoic shepherd. During the performance, audience members will observe such routine activities as shearing, feeding, milking and more. The piece is interactive allowing audience members to pet and feed the “sheeps” and for the “sheeps” to mix and mingle with them.

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Canadian Dance Troupe Brings Sheep Behavior to Life

Cheesemaking for Beginners in Australia

Cambray Sheep Cheese fills in the seasonal gaps of their production cycle by teaching the art of cheesemaking to eager beginners. Trevor Hay of The West Australian sits in on a class and reports back on his experience.

Before long we are scooping the curds into the moulds. Because the focus is on home cheese-making Jane points out that we don't need fancy equipment. Our brie moulds are rounds of PVC drainage pipe and later we strain our feta through Chux cloths placed in desk tidy trays. The process for the feta is similar to that for the brie, but using different cultures and moulds. Once this is settled we have to turn the brie.

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Cheesemaking for Beginners in Australia

A Tour of New York City's Cheesier Side

Sue Riedl of The Globe and Mail takes us on a mouth-watering tour of familiar New York City cheese haunts. Follow her everywhere from Lucy's Whey to Union Greenmarket to Beecher's Handmade Cheese and more!

Walking off some of the fondue, we found ourselves in the Flatiron District, where we sidestepped the smorgasbord of Mario Batali’s Eataly and the temptation of Shake Shack in favour of the nearby Beecher’s Handmade Cheese store. I bought a serving of Flagsheep – Beecher’s firm, aged ewe’s milk cheese – while my husband munched on squeaky cheese curd and watched more being made through a window onto the production area. For an early-evening nibble, head downstairs to share a cheese plate and sip wine alongside the working cheese cellar where Beecher’s Flatiron Cheese (exclusive to New York) is ripened.

A Tour of New York City's Cheesier Side

Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Goes Carbon Negative

Jeanne Carpenter of Cheese Underground, blogs about the environmentally friendly Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese: their farm is so green it's carbon negative!

When he's not making cheese, and not making jokes about making cheese, George works with brothers Charles, Tom and Mark on the farm, making sure all aspects of the 2,000 acre operation are running smoothly. In 2008, the family installed an anaerobic digester to break down cow manure in a process that ultimately produces methane gas. The gas is then burned similar to natural gas, thus generating clean, renewable energy for the farm and nearby community.

Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Goes Carbon Negative

Study Shows Cows Produce More Milk Under LED Lighting

Oklahoma State University monitored milk production among cows that were being milked under LED versus fluorescent lights. The study was originally started because farmers and researchers wanted to make sure that cows were unaffected by the change. The results were surprising, however - the cows actually produced 6% more milk than under the original lights.

One theory: LED lights reduce stress, making for more contented and productive cows.

The results astounded the study’s authors and those backing the research, including the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

They were expecting further insights into the lights’ energy savings and how they performed overall, including their durability on a working farm. Milk production was being tracked because of concerns the LED lights could harm the animals by, for instance, interfering with their feeding. A drop in milk production would signal a problem.

Study Shows Cows Produce More Milk Under LED Lighting

Raw Milk Q&A on Food Safety News

In light of the recent E. coli outbreaks in Oregon, Bill Marler of Food Safety News answers frequently asked questions about raw milk safety .

Raw Milk Q&A on Food Safety News

Dutch Vermeer sells for $8,400 at auction

Vermeer, a low-fat Gouda-style cheese, and this year's World Champion Cheese Contest winner recently sold at auction for the whopping price of $8,400 per wheel. That's $350 dollars per pound! That sounds like a record-breaker, but other cheeses have gone for more:

While $350 might sound like a lot to spend on a pound of cheese, it's only half of what one of last year's gold-medal winners, a peppercorn cheddar, sold for at auction, said Jane Cisler, the marketing coordinator of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association.

The Vermeer wasn't even the most expensive cheese sold at this year's auction. A 32-pound set of three gold-medal cheeses produced by Decatur Dairy Inc. in Brodhead went for $500 per pound, or a total of $16,000.

Read the full story here

Dutch Vermeer sells for $8,400 at auction

International Biscuit Festival May 16-19

The International Biscuit Festival celebrates one of the most perfect foods. Yes, you guessed it, the biscuit. This year the event boasts live music, plenty to taste, a biscuit bake off, and a celebration of Southern culture. The festival takes place May 16-19, 2012 in Knoxville, TN.

“For the past two years, the International Biscuit Festival has created an experience in Knoxville that is authentic and fun,” said Kim Bumpas, President of Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation. “The Festival brings together biscuit makers, artists, musicians, vendors, and thousands of attendees to downtown to enjoy southern culture and home cooking. The event offers fun and exciting activities, and highlights Knoxville’s authentic culture throughout the weekend.”

Read more about the festival here.

International Biscuit Festival Expands Events

Do cows really lie down when it rains?

Brad Johnson of the Salisbury Post takes on two popular livestock myths: "Do cow lie down when it rains?" and "Do goats eat tin cans?" Spoiler alert: The answer to both questions is "No," but Johnson does some research for us and explains his reasoning.

Do cows really lie down when it rains?

Farmers' Markets Return to Prague

In the past two years, farmers markets have returned to the Czech city of Prague and have been very popular with residents. There are now 26 weekly markets throughout the city. Jiří Sedláček is an organizer of three such markets. He was inspired by a trip to Switzerland where he saw successful local farmers markets in action.

Farmers Markets Return to Prague