PUBLICATION OF THE FROM'GIRLS CALENDAR 2009
12 FROM'GIRLS ON A PLATE IN DEFENCE OF LOCAL CHEESES
Provocative dairymaids or a hint of more serious matters, the From'Girls Calendar appears for its 4th year. It is fulfilling a civic duty: to inform the public of the vital need to protect what is left of the unique national heritage of French cheese, and to promote life's pleasures. New for 2009: l'Association Fromages de Terroirs (non-profit making organisation) asked one of the remaining producers of Munster from unpasteurised milk to pose for the calendar. Virginie Haxaire, cheese maker with sex appeal, appears as Barbara Munster. Gruyère received its "Appellation Controlée" this year and appears in the calendar as Jeanne Gruyère.
Appreciating life's pleasures, its refinement and beauty is very French but is under threat. Our food has lost the human touch. "Nutrition" has become the watchword while flavours are becoming uniformly insipid. The From'Girls Calendar opens our eyes and stimulates our taste buds reminding us that to eat good locally produced cheese is the surest way to find happiness...
Glamour and "terroir"...
In pop-art style recalling the drawings of Mel Ramos in the 60's, Mesdemoiselles Clara Chaource, Solène de Selles-sur-Cher, Elsa de la Fourme d'Ambert, Marinette de Saint Marcellin, Maïtena d'Ossau Iraty, Adeline Camembert, Estelle Livarot, Adèle Pont L'Evêque, Emma de la Tomme de Savoie, Live de Sainte Maure, Jeanne Gruyère....are posing to whet the appetite of all cheese lovers.
Two images are contrasted: that of a sexy and sensual woman and that of cheese, a masculine and earthy product. The idea is to appreciate that cheese made with raw milk can form part of an up-to-date way of life and to realise that living produce can teach us a lot about our country. Holding on to our local producers, encouraging small firms to develop real cheeses, teaching the young to tell a real cheese from a synthetic one.... this is what sustainable development is all about. Preserving local production enriches rural life and helps to conserve the social fabric.
Financing of the calendar
The From'Girls Calendar is an independent initiative, which is supported by local small and medium sized businesses, often family run. 40% of the budget comes from producers and the remaining 60% from sales either through the internet, on www.fromages-de-terroirs.com, at a price of 15 euros, or from cheese retail shops (the list of these is available on the web site).
The profits go to the association to help with its publicity work, such as through the "Journée Nationale de Fromage" (National Cheese Day).
The following cheese makers produce all of their products in the traditional way: the Société Fromagère du Livradois for Fourme d'Ambert, the Fromagerie P. Jacquin & Fils for Selles sur Cher, the Fromagerie Lincet for Chaource, the Fromagerie Haxaire for Munster, the Fromagerie Graindorge for Livarot and Pont l'Evêque, the Fromagerie Gillot for Camembert, the Fromagerie Jura Gruyère for Gruyère AOC.
Activities of the "Association Fromages de Terroir"
"Fromages de Terroir" was established in Lyon in 2001 by Véronique Richez-Lerouge, press attaché and ex-journalist. It was a response to the series of health crises which targeted cheese made with unpasteurised milk. Since then it has striven to present the views of the producers and to inform the general public. 8 years ago the association launched the "Journée Nationale de Fromage" (see above), which takes place each Spring. For the last 4 years it has produced the From'Girls Calendar.
It now has more than 500 sponsors including Michelin starred and traditional chefs, journalists, cheese producers, many cheese retailers and gourmets...
The use of the association's web site increases every year. We recommend a visit. Nearly 70,000 hits per month were recorded in 2007.
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