JODI PAIGE, CCO, CHIEF CHEESE OFFICER

“What’s the difference between Garden Club and Fight Club? You tell EVERYBODY about Garden Club!”  

A few seasons ago, Jodi and Garden Farms partnered to premiere her Las Vegan Green Community and Clark County Garden School Program inspired concept, the Grow Your Own Festival, to encourage the community by hosting all-day, hands on garden workshops, student farmers market, demos, chef stations, music and great food festival at Vegas Roots Community Garden.

A new love affair with plant based eating, growing her own organic produce, coupled with a Las Vegan community on fire for compassionate and creative cuisine, all came together in March of 2014 when Las Vegas launched its first animal sanctuary with a grand opening private dinner for 150 health conscious consumers. Guests were greeted with a vegan cheese appetizer table, with 8 varieties of organic, nut milk based cheeses. Guests came through the line 3-4 times and the cheeses hardly stayed on display very long. The Wine & Virgin ⓋCheese basket Jodi assembled with big wedges of Lemon Dill, Shallot Truffle, Bleu and a Cheddar Nut Ball - went at silent auction for $400.00.

Even more surreal, moving through the crowd to check on multiple auction items she had donated, Jodi was enveloped with one word whispers of "cheese" "cheese" "cheese" as she made her way from the booth to the auction area. Forty days later Virgin Cheese debuted at Fresh52 Farmers Market and sold out of 50 lbs of organic vegan cheeses. Virgin Cheese now ships to Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Sedona and Wisconsin for world-wide shipping via Vegan Essentials.

Jodi also presents a Ditchin’ Dairy Demo that demonstrates how to prepare dairy-free coffee creamers, yogurt, sour cream and cream cheeses. She is dedicated to inspiring people to live and eat honorably and to grow much of their own organic produce at home. A coalition of community forums she conceived, Peace Begins On Your Plate, is collaborating with UNLV Harrah’s Hospitality College to premiere Plant Power 101 and 102, bringing plant based education and demonstrations to a broader audience. Jodi joins the UNLV Veg Club as a Community Advisor. She is excited to return to pop up chef demos in our schools. Jodi brings her popular Garden Brushetta recipe to the classrooms and marches students out to harvest with “What’s the difference between Garden Club and Fight Club? You tell EVERYBODY about Garden Club!”  

Find out more about Chef Jodi or Virgin Cheese at www.virgincheese.com or info@virgincheese.com