Katarina's Cheese Dream

Have you ever ended up somewhere and wondered how on earth you got there? Or looked back and marveled at the twists and turns that life has given I was sixteen years old when my parents decided to pack up my sisters and brother and I and move to the country-- something about giving the kids more room to run and play.  We’d barely moved when we had chickens, goats, and beehives. I think the rationale for these additions went something along the line that working hard and playing hard would teach good character, and caring for livestock seemed a good way to accomplish both work and play.  As the oldest, I can attest that there was plenty of work-- but working with family can be pretty rewarding and it wasn’t long before the few goats that were to teach responsibility had become an entire herd and the milk and cheese for the family became product being made in a Grade A Dairy which was the family business. I was a professional cheese-maker at twenty, and excited at the prospect of spending my life perfecting my craft on the family farm. Then hard times hit. Drought was followed by wildfire, which was followed by a metabolic issue which caused unexplained animal losses, which was followed by losing the milk supplier we partnered with in making cheese. Ultimately I had to do what I never desired to do: leave the farm to get a job to help pay the bills. It was a time when we all did whatever was needed to save the family farm. I ended up applying for a job as a barista in a local specialty grocery store but oddly enough, they decided that I should work with cheese instead. Something about having experience, or something…  Something unexpected happened during the course of this “city job” that I never wanted to take in the first place. I learned that I love cheese. No, really, I LOVE cheese. Not just making goat cheese, but everything about cheese. I love the history, the learning of the terroir, or how the environment impacts the cheese, about the animals and why goat cheese is different from cow or sheep or buffalo cheese. I love cooking with the cheese, learning how to pair cheese with wine, and about different cheese-making techniques. I find teaching people about cheese and helping them select new and unique cheese to be exciting and fulfilling. I know, it seems odd, but I just really like working with cheese.  In short, I learned that as much as I love making cheese and thought that this was all I ever wanted to do, there is something I want more-- to be a Certified Cheese Professional. This certification covers everything from cheese making to pairing to a young Humboldt Fog and Sauvignon Blanc. Only 40% of the 450 who take the test yearly pass the test, which prepares them for careers in cheese affinage, purveyors of cheese, and cheese education. The next time the certification examination is offered is Pittsburg , on July 25. In order for me to take this test, I need to raise $2,500 to cover travel expenses, the cost of the exam itself, and to attend the American Cheese Society's conference that is held in the days following the exam.  I know that in the big scheme of things that this isn’t much, but from my vantage point, making an hourly wage telling people love stories about cheese, it is quite sizable and will take at least a couple years to save the money to take the exam. So I thought I would see if anyone is interested in helping me reach my goal. It is not life or death, this is not an issue of social injustice. This is just about someone who found their first love during their farm chores and fell deeper in love by having to leave the farm wanting to jump in with both feet and be the very best that they can be. Might you be interested in helping me?