The artisan cheese community in the United States has seen a revolution in the last 30 years. Consumers have a renewed interest in locally produced foods and wines-U.S. artisan cheese producers have overtaken a niche once belonging to the European market. According to the American Cheese Society, the word “artisan or artisanal implies that a cheese is produced primarily by hand, in small batches, with particular attention paid to the tradition of the cheesemaker’s art, and thus using as little mechanization as possible in the production of the cheese”. Most simply, it is made mostly by hand, in small batches, and usually reflects the region it was produced in. There will be upcoming profiles on artisan cheesemakers and a listing of master cheesemakers throughout the country. This section also includes cheese styles and information on the cheese making process.