During the holiday season, Michael was lucky enough to tour the Zingerman’s mail order facility with managing partner Mo Frechette on “The (last shipping) Night Before Christmas”. If you don’t know Zingerman’s, you should, it may be one of the best deli’s in the country. Aside from their sandwiches, bakehouse breads, extensive fromagerie (cheese selection), and endless shelves of artisan foods from around the world, their business plan is in a true cooperative spirit. Listen in to hear a first hand account from the belly of the beast after shipping out 10,000 boxes on their busiest day of the year and how Toyota’s car factory influences their efficiency (and sanity). This episode was sponsored by 360 Cookware. Visit www.360cookware.com to learn more about their vapor technology!

On a brand new episode of Cutting the Curd, discover Mystic Cheese & The 4th Annual Cheesemonger Invitational. Led by Jason Sobocinski and Brian Civitello, The Mystic Cheese Company is composed of highly skilled and and trained cheese experts using science and art to bring milk on a metamorphic jouney to pure deliouness. In the Spring of 2013 Mystic Cheese began releasing 5 handcrafted fresh and soft ripened American original cheeses. In addtion to their cheeses they have an innovative production and marketing infrastructure that will open up new possibilities in the wonderworld of artisan cheese. Organized by Adam Moskowitz, The 4th Annual Cheesemonger Invitational is where cheesemongers from around the country flex their minds and muscle in a battle of cheese skill and will. Tune in for the run down on both of these incredible worlds and continue your radio cheese exploration! This program was sponsored by Academie Opus Caseus.

"I want these people to take the cheese and cook with them, do things with them and have a good time with them - not just put them on a cheese pedestal." [13:00]

--Jason Sobocinski of Mystic Cheese Company on Cutting the Curd

"The best way to learn in this game is just to go out and do it. If you think it's hard work being a cheesemonger on your feet - try cheesemaking!" [21:00]

--Adam Moskowitz of The 4th Annual Cheesemonger Invitational

The rooftop farming movement gets an outlet in the form of Lauren Mandel's book, Eat Up. This week on Eat Your Words, Cathy Erway calls Lauren to get the scoop on rooftop farms all over the country. Tune into this episode to hear Lauren talk about some of the rooftop farms she visited and highlight in her book. Learn more about Lauren's company Roofmeadow, and how she helps design rooftop growing operations with her landscape architecture skills. What are the differences between conventional growing and hydroponics? Find out all of this and more on this week's episode of Eat Your Words! This program has been sponsored by Route 11 Potato Chips. Thanks to The California Honeydrops for today's music.

"A strong food system is a robust food system, so the more ways we have to produce food, the stronger our food system will be." [5:30]

-- Lauren Mandel on Eat Your Words