Professional Development Scholarship

   Cheesemonger, Cold Spring Cheese & Beacon Cheese Shops

Kaspar has been a cheesemonger for two years and is currently working toward becoming an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and Young Cheesemonger of the Year. When Kaspar isn’t behind the cheese counter, you’ll find him creating crochet, cross stitch, chainmail, printmaking, sewing, costime making, digital art, and so much more! This scholarship will help Kaspar attend Counter Culture in Massachusetts, to reconnect with makers, mongers, and distributors while continuing to grow his network. In addition to networking opportunity, Counter Culture events provide educational opportunities for the monger community. If he is selected as a finalist for Young Cheesemonger of the Year, any remaining scholarship funds will help him to travel to Spain for competition.
 

 Department Manager/Buyer, Honest Weight Food Co-op

Shelby has managed the Cheese & Specialty Department at Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany, NY for the past five years, championing New York’s local cheese community by prioritizing dairies and creameries within 100 miles of the store. Shelby earned her Certified Cheese Professional (CCP) certification in 2024 and has been an integral part of the New York State Cheese Council since its humble beginnings. Recently appointed to the board of Meeting of the Milkmaids, Shelby also competed at the 2025 Cheesemonger Invitational and is passionate about staff development, expanding catering, and creating pairing events. This scholarship helped Shelby take the Certified Cheese Sensory Evaluator (CCSE) exam at this year’s American Cheese Society Conference in Louisville. Looking ahead, Shelby plans to continue developing her team, expanding Honest Weight Food Co-op’s catering program, creating more cheese pairing events, and strengthening New York State’s cheese community. 

 Emilia is an incredibly talented cheesemonger and educator who will be using her scholarship funds to support her participation in Team USA at the prestigious Mondial du Fromage competition in France this fall. In order to qualify for Team USA, Emilia and her teammate, (Courtney Johnson, owner of Street Cheese, LLC) first had to beat out fierce opposition at 2025 CMI Masters (Cheesemonger Invitational). Additionally, Courtney is only the 2nd American to qualify to compete in Mondial twice. Their side-by-side wins make them the first all-female team from the United States! In addition to her role of Sales and Marketing Manager for Formaticum , Emilia has actively volunteered for roles supporting the New York State Cheese Council from its humble beginnings – her participation has been an invaluable piece of our success. The New York State Cheese Council is PROUD to support Emilia and Team USA in their efforts to bring home the gold! Stay tuned to hear more about their journey when Emilia speaks at our Virtual Winter Conference.
 

Go TEAM!
 

Julia and her family are the owners of Mid-Knight Dairy, an 8th generational family farm (purchased in 1836). The dairy grew to 60 cows in 1982 under John & Laura Knight’s care, & grew again to 150 cows, as the LLC was formed to include daughter, Julia, & her husband Travis. The farm has received numerous awards for quality milk, quality bred Holsteins and Dairy Farm of Distinction. Today, 3 generations live & operate the farm. John's main responsibilities are crop management & machinery repairs, & is serving on the Steamburg Milk Producers board. Laura handles the farm financially & helps with calf care & child care, & is a past 4-H leader. Julia is chief cattle manager & farm manager. She is a member of the CCE Chautauqua County Dairy Committee, 4-H Dairy Cloverbud Leader, & a member of the Climate Adaptation & Mitigation Fellowship (CAMF) where farmers collaborate to find ways to adapt to climate changes & mitigate their impact on the environment. Travis’ responsibilities include cattle care, manure management, machinery repairs & crop management. Mid-Knight Dairy, LLC strives for high milk production, quality milk & high-quality forages. The farm makes the most of the limited land available in the area in order to grow abundant crops. It is situated on hill with a creek that runs through the property. Reducing soil erosion is a necessity. The farm uses cover crops to improve soil structure, reduce erosion, increase organic matter & water retention. The farm practices no-till corn planting & uses a no-till grain drill.

Mid-Knight Dairy’s next endeavor will be to branch out into the world of value-added dairy & will co-pack with Eden Valley Creamery. Julia plans to use her scholarship funds to further this mission by registering for courses at nearby Cornell. We are PROUD to support Mid-Knight Dairy’s journey!