{"id":32030,"date":"2024-08-28T13:19:21","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T17:19:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/?page_id=32030"},"modified":"2024-08-28T13:19:21","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T17:19:21","slug":"cheesemaking-in-maine","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/mitchellcenter\/cheesemaking-in-maine\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheesemaking in Maine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Institution:<\/em> University of Maine
Sponsor:<\/em> Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheesemaking in Maine: Investigating Social, Economic, and Environmental Practices and Sustainability<\/h3>\n\n\n
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A sustainable agricultural system must do many things, including satisfying human food needs, contributing to biofuel needs, enhancing environmental quality, and, sustaining the economic viability of agriculture. The food system is thus a complex socio-environmental system in which sustainability requires highly efficient energy and material resource use, elimination of waste, and development of markets and products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A growing community of young farmers and food producers in Maine provides an opportunity to develop a sustainable food system, but such a shift will require farmers and food producers to develop strong connections to foster innovation and link to other sectors of the economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project is founded on the idea that information and opportunities are spread through social networks, and we are conducting a preliminary study of Maine\u2019s cheesemakers\u2019 business and waste management networks within this context. We focus on current network impacts on economic, environmental and community sustainability and how these networks can be strengthened and expanded to positively affect these inter-related systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maine is one of a minority of states in the U.S. in which the number of farms and young farmers are growing. Closely linked to these farmers are post-harvest production activities that more fully develop businesses downstream in the supply chain and move farm commodities, such as milk and other value-added products including cheese and yogurt. Such products are attractive on a number of levels\u2014they require complex skillsets, have a higher profit margin, and have more distinctive attributes contributing to branding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, Maine\u2019s artisanal cheese maker numbers are increasing, putting the number among the top in the U.S., and the cheese-maker to output ratio is comparatively low, suggesting growth potential. Additionally, U.S. demand for cheese has climbed steadily since 1995 with per capita consumption increasing from 24 pounds per person in 1995 to 34 in 2014. With Maine\u2019s growing reputation for \u201cfoodie\u201d consumers, the demand for artisanal cheese appears to be on a growth trajectory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, many of Maine\u2019s small-scale cheese producers do not want to grow past the point of being able to manage their business \u201cby hand.\u201d This means that network connections formed play a significant role in exchanging knowledge, creating more efficient distribution channels, and creating closed loops for waste management. These trends suggest that Maine is poised to have a significant regional cheesemaking cluster\u2014a geographic network characterized by high interactivity, that can generate economic growth, community development and more efficient closed loop waste management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sustainability for these small-scale cheese producers is a multi-dimensional problem. Profitability for Maine\u2019s cheesemakers is a struggle \u2013 many do not make a living wage, relying on second jobs, or partners who have additional income as well as health care benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Environmentally, the cheesemaking sector faces challenges stemming from reliance on fossil-fuel based transport systems, spotty access to farm waste recycling, and use of carbon-intensive inputs, making farms vulnerable to changing oil\/gas prices. Part of the work in building sustainable business clusters is careful stewardship of natural resources. Specifically, making cheese depends on using milk from cows, sheep, goats and water buffalo, and so involves manure management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, whey, a production by-product, can overload farm waste management systems but can be a beneficially used as a food ingredient or animal feed. For communities, a new business cluster represents not only additional revenues but also ideas and people that help build viable rural communities. Cheesemaking clusters have the potential for notable impact on social sustainability, as cheese makers populate the rural landscape and become part of their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project Specifics:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n