Meet Felice Thorpe: President of the California Artisan Cheese Guild
Earlier this year the California Artisan Cheese Guild (CACG) elected Felice Thorpe as their new President. The CACG is a dynamic organization that promotes California artisan cheese through partnerships, outreach and education. It’s one of several cheese guilds in the US including the Ohio Cheese Guild, Oregon Cheese Guild, Massachusetts Cheese Guild and Maine Cheese Guild. Without further ado, meet Felice Thorpe.
You grew up in a rural Northern California town that is famous for its efforts to stay under the radar. How did that influence you and your career?
I grew up on a farm in Bolinas and our home was "off the grid" - no toilet, electricity or running water. I was pretty unaware of the reputation of Bolinas growing up because of our fairly isolated home. My parents are still in our family home and are active local and global citizens. Living in the country is physically demanding- the house was cold unless we brought in the firewood and we did not have a bath unless we hauled up water from the creek- this formed my deep appreciation for people who work with their hands and on the land.
How did you get started in cheese?
I worked in specialty food for years and always saw myself eventually working with dairy and cheese. Growing up in West Marin, I was surrounded by cows, goats and sheep. We had a cow (Bessie) when I was a child for daily milking and always thought it was pretty magical.
What was it like working at Pt Reyes Farmstead?
Working for Point Reyes Farmstead gave me a huge appreciation for the adage “good things come to those who wait.” Cheesemaking is a long process and it takes months to age a wheel of cheese. It is the definition of “slow food.” Point Reyes Farmstead has its original creamery on some of the most gorgeous farmland in the state. My office overlooked a rolling field of lush grass dotted with grazing Holsteins—it was better than any corner office view.
Tell us about your role at CAGC
I am the President at the CACG. It is an elected position so I am especially proud of it. We have hundreds of cheesemaker members and cheese enthusiasts across the state of California. Our mission is "Celebrating the quality and diversity of artisan cheeses produced in California through partnerships, outreach, and education.” We are the foremost cheese organization in the state. We host many festivals, events, and educational forums throughout the year. My role as president is part role-taker part mover and shaker and I try to make life easier for our executive director Anthea Stolz whenever I can!
What are some of the biggest issues facing the CACG?
Our biggest challenge right now is the obvious one which is COVID-19. We have experienced a 70% drop in sales due to COVID-19. Most of that is due to the lack of restaurants being open or restaurants not ordering specialty cheese. As restaurants closed- those typical orders disappeared. Many artisan cheesemakers don't sell to the larger grocery store chains so they missed the conventional grocery business sales that opened up these past several months. It is pretty difficult for the smaller cheesemakers to deal with the protocols that large retailers demand. Long order lead times, insurance requirements, stocking fees etc.
We are trying creative new ways of marketing our cheesemakers- Instagram Live cheese tastings, we are working with the California Milk Advisory Board on an e-commerce California Cheese Box and this fall we are hosting our annual SF Cheese Fest but it will be an interactive digital tasting experience!
With restaurants not at full capacity and retail sampling also reduced, what else can be done to support artisan cheesemakers?
I’m encouraging cheesemakers to buy cutting and wrapping equipment but it’s expensive, it comes from Europe. Cheese is often packaged in 6-8 ounce sizes, but maybe consumers will be more motivated to buy if packages are just 4 ounces.
The CACG has professional and enthusiast members, how does that work?
We’re a more professional group but have always included enthusiasts because we have events that the public attend. What we heard from enthusiasts was that they want to hear what’s going on in the cheese world. People were reaching out to us to learn more so there’s no reason not to include them. We have some sommeliers and winery owners and professional food industry folks as members too. The enthusiasts have a lot of influence though. Now is a great time to consider becoming a member because we can provide information for everyone and support for cheesemakers.