You know how we tell our youngsters to be careful of what they post on the internet in general and on social media web sites in particular. As a business person trying to keep up with all the social media trends of the day, I realize I might need to be taking my own advice. I Googled myself just to see what was out there. With relief, I found all the more obvious links I expected, but a surprise popped up too. I took part in a conference many years ago, and for some reason the piece I submitted for that conference appeared not too far down the line. As I looked it over, I realized that the then budding industry, then followed a path of incredible growth that led to the current

I remember attending a Bon Appetit Sponsored tasting event in Chicago with Judy Schad, of Capriole  goat cheese. I also remember people coming to the table, napkin in hand, ready to taste and be prepared to spit out the offending goat milk cheese. And, how they were mostly pleasantly surprised by the delicate flavors presented in the samples we presented.

Honestly, I didn't have a single memory of writing the piece, and I find myself amazed at what has become of the commercial industry sited in the article. I know many of the producers of fine cheeses I worked with then are still producing now, and have indeed become some of the most well-regarded artisan cheese producers in the country. The American Dairy Goat Products Association was disbanded as an official entity at about the same time I went to work for the American Cheese Society. But the same energy carried by that small contingent of erstwhile and passionate producers went forward, educating and encouraging others, until currently goat cheeses have proliferated throughout the country. From West Coast to East, from Wisconsin and Texas through the middle of the country. And, I must say, the quality of these cheeses continue to astound and surprise.

I'm not sure why the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences thought this particular article important, but I do appreciate having found this bit of a past chapter.