This update is a happy one, as we congratulate both the recent AGW-certified producers who brought home awards from the American Cheese Society competition and the AGW-certified farmers who have recently celebrated a decade of certification. We’re grateful for all the farmers in our network and for all that you add to your farms and communities. Please see a reminder to complete our producer survey and check out this week’s technical resources below.

REMINDER: Complete the 2023 Producer Survey by August 18th

If you haven’t completed our 2023 Producer Survey, don’t miss this opportunity to tell us how we can better serve you. Check your inbox for a link to your survey and please submit your answers by Friday, August 18th. Questions? Get in touch at info.

Congrats to AGW-certified ACS Winners 

Congratulations to the AGW-certified producers winning awards at the 2023 American Cheese Society ’40 Years of Cheese’ competition: Green Dirt Farm Prairie Tomme sheep’s milk cheese won 3rd place in the Best in Show and 1st place in Sheep’s Milk cheese category, and their sheep’s milk Dirt Lover won 1st place in the open category under American Originals. Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery won 3rd place in the Feta category, 3rd place in the Goat’s Milk Cheeses category for their Chevre Frais and 2nd place in the Farmstead Cheeses category for Moonglo. Props on once again demonstrating the connection between sustainable practices and excellent products!

Celebrating a Decade of Certification

We want to take a moment and celebrate the following farmers who have reached the milestone of a decade of Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW certification in the first half of 2023: Lee Farms in Kent, NY, Apple Valley Creamery in New Berlin, PA, Longest Acres Farm in Chelsea, VT, Glynwood Center Farm in Cold Spring, NY, Seven Songs Farm in Kenyon, MN, Baker Ranch in Belton, TX and Walker Farm at Whortleberry Hill in New Braintree, MA. It’s been an honor to work with each of you, and we look forward to the years ahead. Later this year, we’ll be celebrating farmers reaching this milestone in the last half of 2023.

Featured Resource: The Audit Trail

The fundamental role of our team of trained auditors is to assess whether a certified operation is compliant with AGW’s standards. Interested in learning more about AGW’s auditing process? Read more in this blog post, originally published in Sustainable Farming magazine. 

Featured Blog Post: Avoiding Heat Stress in Pigs 

In our last update, we addressed heat stress in cattle. This week, we’re focusing on pigs. Despite the well-known saying, pigs don’t actually sweat (aside from their snouts) and can struggle to maintain their body temperature. As a result, overheating in outdoor pigs is a key health and welfare concern, and can affect growth rates, fertility and, in severe cases, can lead to death. Read more in the blog post. 

In the media: 

• Yellowhammer News features Working Cows Dairy in Slocomb, AL in “3 Alabama cheese makers brining dairy to doorsteps across the state” and WTVY features the farm in “How rising temperatures affect cows and dairy farms.”

• The Guardian features Green Dirt Farm in Weston, MO in “Not orange and plastic-wrapped: US artisinal cheese boosts dairy and goes green.”

• Cheapism.com highlights the Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW label as one to look for on egg cartons in “Cage-Free vs. free-range eggs: are speciality eggs worth the extra cash.”

• ChambanaMoms.com features Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery in Champaign, IL in “Best places to get close to animals in Champaign-Urbana.” 

You can help us reach more farmers by sharing our weekly farmer updates. Just pass this linkalong and thanks for helping us get the word out about farmer resources and AGW-certified businesses.