Translated excerpt taken from the french website.

12 muses of french history to defend the french cheese patrimony For the sixth year in a row, the Fromages de Terroirs not profit organization publishes its cheeky and glamour calendar. 12 pin’up girls represent 12 periods of time from the middle ages to today... This year, the association focused on the french history, highlighting the role of women in the cheese tradition as well as the importance of the gastronomic inheritance in which cheese taken a major part.

Backed up by small and family companies, the From’Girls Calendar promotes the art of french life style. The sales benefits go to the Association to help it militating for the conservation of biodiversit, which guaranties the beauty of the terroir and the quality of our cheese. This independance and freedom of speech let the Association denounce abusive practices from global companies which progressively invade the French terroir, through the discreet purchase of production units. There exists a genuine risk of uniformisation. There is only 10% of natural meadows left, 11% raw milk cheese, and 3% of farm cheese won’t last long in comparison to the growing cheese industry. The cheese participates to an ecological balance. It is a sacred link between nature, men and animals. Without the large gammut of cheese on our trays, that the whole world envies, races of cows, lambs or goats would not have peopled our beautiful landscapes. That is why the association fights to preserve our thousand years old heritage to save it from industrial groups which use fake recipes and steal our "savoir-faire".

For example, the Cantal and the Banon are born 2000 years ago, the first one in the middle of France and the second in the South. They were really appreciate in ancient Rome and Pline l’Ancien wrote about. The history of Reblochon, a cheese made in French Alpes, begin in XIIIth century. The Comté, one of the most famous french cheese, was born in the east of France during the XIth century. The Camembert was born in clandestinity during the french Revolution, around 1789. Each cheese has its own history... 12 of them are in the calendar.

The From’Girls Calendar is a cheese provocation to bring people into focus Placing itself of the other side of the clichés, the cheese girls calendar bears another look on our gastromic and agricultural environment. It shows cheese as more poetic, sensitive, childlike, even maybe feminine... it certainly helps it go out of the safety and security prison to give it back its seat in the very exclusive club of products which have a high cultural added value

The young women recruited for the calendar are doing it for charity and have various jobs. The association tells small scenes on a humourous tone. Whether they are surrounded by dozens of cheese or facing one single piece at the center of the picture, the pin up girls make one with the cheese. Philippe Serieys is behind the camera.

The cheese casting 2011 The From’Girls Calendar is backed up by some small and familial companies : Fromagerie Haxaire for the Munster Géromé AOP, Fromagerie Gillot for the Camembert of Normandie AOP, Fromagerie Graindorge for the Livarot AOP and the Pont L’Evêque AOP, Etoile de Provence for the Banon AOP, Fromagerie Xavier Baldovini for the Tommette Corse, Fromagerie Lincet for the Chaource AOP, Coopérative fromagère of Planèze for the Cantal AOP, Fromagerie Delin for the Brillat-Savarin, Fromagerie Juragruyère for the Comté AOP and the french Gruyère AOC, Fromagerie Chabert for the reblochon AOP. Where can you find the Calendar ?5 000 copies have been printed, and you can buy the From’Girls Calendar everywhere in the world on the Association website. The cheese companies as well as a few cheese makers partners of which you can find the list on the website, sell the Calendar. Most of the customers are consumers but professionals buy it as well.