Monday's agriculture website - Gourmet Sleuth

Ever wanted to try your hand at cheese making? The website the Gourmet Sleuth has several cheesemaking recipes. In addition to recipes for hard cheeses, such as cheddar, and soft cheeses, such as blue, it also lists recipes for yogurt and sour cream.

The goal of the Gourmet Sleuth is to help inform and educate people interested in food, cooking and eating. The company's staff writes culinary articles on various foods and cooking topics and publishes recipes that take a "how to" approach.

The site also has a store of "novelty" and hard to find kitchen items and products in addition to maintaining a huge database of food and beverage related sites. The Gourmet Sleuth staff also provides research on food and cooking product related questions for readers.

Monday's agriculture website - Farmer Bloggers

Have you ever wondered what happens on the farm?  Do you want to know how the milk gets from the cow to you?  What does a rancher ride the prairie for?  If you've ever wondered about this or other farm and food questions, head over to the Farmers Blog, a collection of farmer blogs in  "one stop shop" setting.

The group of blogs consists of several farms and ranches from the California Valleys and Mountains to the Midwest plains, organic, conventional, large, small, grain, livestock and more.   Click here to see a complete list of the farmers and their backgrounds.

Monday's agriculture website - Grilled Cheese Academy

Did you know that April is National Grilled Cheese month? What a great idea! (and sounds like a fun way to celebrate) In case you need recipes for inspiration, head on over to the Grilled Cheese Academy. The site is maintained by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing board and includes a variety of recipes within a variety of cheese types. The academy also encourages users to submit their recipes for inclusion on the site.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: ICE CREAM RECIPES

*For those new to the Cow Art and More Blog, every Monday, gallery owner and jewelry artist Kathy Swift shares an agricultural website or article of interest with readers.*

Did you know that when Ronald Reagan was president, he designated July as National ice cream month?  To celebrate, I wanted to share with readers the Ice Cream recipes site.  It has a few basic recipes to get everyone started on making that perfect batch of homemade ice cream.  There is even a recipe on how to make a Baked Alaska.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: DAIRY MAX

Today's agricultural website of interest to share with readers is Dairy MAX. Dairy MAX is a non-profit organization affiliated with the National Dairy Council and funded by the dairy farming families in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and southwest Kansas. The team of dedicated professionals is devoted to the promotion of dairy’s lifelong health benefits and enjoyment of nutrient-rich foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt as supported by the US dietary guidelines. Dairy MAX provides timely, research-based nutrition information to the media, health professionals, schools, educators, consumers and others committed to fostering a healthier society. For over 35 years, the organization has supported the demand for dairy foods via strategic partnerships and programs while proudly representing the dairy farming industry’s positive image.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: DAIRY GODDESS BLOG

Monday's agricultural themed website of interest is the Dairy Goddess's blog, written by Barbara Martin, a third generation California Dairy farmer. She married a 3rd generation dairy farmer 26 years ago, and together, they have a dairy farm located in Central California. She is the very proud mother of 2 great college kids.

On a personal note, I believe Barbara does a great job putting a face on "where your milk comes from." It is obvious that Barbara has a passion for what she does and doesn't mind sharing it with her readers. My favorite updates are about Barbara's favorite heifer "Chica." Meet Chica and Barbara in their video.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

For those new to the Cow Art and More blog, every Monday, I focus on an agricultural website of interest for our readers.

Today's agriculture website focus in on Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. Consumers are becoming more interested in knowing how agriculture impacts and protects the environment. Since 1988, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has helped advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program. The national outreach office of the SARE program is supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It operates under cooperative agreements with the University of Maryland and the University of Vermont to develop and disseminate information about sustainable agriculture.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: INTERNATIONAL DAIRY FOODS ASSOCIATION

Monday's agriculture website of interest is from the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA). The IDFA represents the nation's dairy manufacturing and marketing industries and their suppliers, with a membership of 530 companies representing a $110-billion a year industry. Within IDFA, there are three constituent organizations: Milk Industry Foundation, National Cheese Institute, and the International Ice Cream Association. IDFA's 220 dairy processing members run more than 600 plant operations, and range from large multi-national organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85% of the milk, cultured products, cheese and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States.