BRATTLEBORO — In collaboration with The Windham Foundation, which owns and operates The Grafton Village Cheese Company, the Strolling of the Heifers is adding a new Cheesemonger training initiative to their established Farm-to-Table Culinary Apprenticeship program.
Grafton Village Cheese produces award-winning Vermont cheddar and specialty cheeses and operates a full-service cheese shop in Brattleboro. The Strolling of the Heifers “Farm-to-Table Culinary Apprenticeship Program” creates career paths for low income people who face challenges entering the job market.
This is a first-of-its-kind training program for cheesemongers in Vermont and the region.
“This is a great initiative,” Tom Bivins, Executive Director of The Vermont Cheese Council said in a news release. “Vermont cheesemakers create jobs and strengthen Vermont's reputation for high-quality food products. This apprenticeship program reinforces that.”
“Specialty cheese is one of the fastest growing categories in food stores,” said Liz Bankowski, CEO of the Windham Foundation. “Specialized cheese knowledge is an important credential for working in the specialty food sector and provides apprenticeship graduates with a wider variety of employment opportunities.”
In addition to gaining knowledge about types of cheeses, their varied characteristics and production methods, apprentices receive training in sales skills and customer engagement and education. Apprentices will have the opportunity to work directly with customers at The Grafton Village Cheese Store in Brattleboro and two other retail stores.
Upon successful completion of the training, apprentices will receive certificates from the Strolling of the Heifers “Farm to Table Culinary Program.” The program will be overseen by Joseph Green, a Certified Cheese Professional who is one of only four CCPs living in Vermont.
Apprentices will also work with Tristan Toleno, who has been the lead teacher of the program for the past two years and a professional chef for more than twenty years, with a graduate degree from the New England Culinary Institute, Wesleyan University, and an MBA from Marlboro College.
“The Cheesemonger training is the next evolution in the apprenticeship program. By integrating specialized skills we're providing graduates with a wider variety of employment opportunities,” explained Orly Munzing, Founder of Strolling of the Heifers.
The new cheesemonger training will be piloted with three participants in the next Strolling of the Heifers “Farm-to-Table Apprenticeship” cohort, launching in July.
Total enrollment for the program is limited to 12 persons and is free to eligible participants. In its third year, the ongoing Farm-To-Table Apprenticeship teaches culinary skills to veterans and underemployed community members, placing them in full-time, permanent positions at local restaurants and institutional kitchens.
Each 12-week job training session provides culinary and nutrition training, food safety certification, and a paid work experience to prepare participants for careers in the culinary field. In addition, participants receive coaching in job readiness skills including time management, personal presentation and appropriate dress, personal finance, and resume building.