Bushra Griffith
Wisconsin is a national and world leader in cheese production, with the state's cheese business being worth billions. Wisconsin is the top producer of many popular cheese varieties, including cheddar, American, mozzarella, brick, muenster, and limburger. The state is home to over 126 cheese plants, which produce more than 350 varieties of cheese, nearly double that of any other state. Wisconsin's cheese-making tradition dates back to the nineteenth century, with the first documented cheesemaking cooperative opened by A. Pickett in 1841. Today, Wisconsin hosts the World Championship Cheese Contest and is known for its cheese factories and shops, as well as its cheese-themed festivals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First documented cheesemaking cooperative | 1841 by A. Pickett |
| Commercial cheesemaking | 19th century |
| First large-scale cheese factory | Chester Hazen |
| Number of cheese factories in 1922 | 2,807 |
| Number of cheese factories in 2012 | 43 |
| Number of cheese varieties in 2018 | 600+ |
| Number of cheese plants | 126+ |
| Number of licensed cheesemakers | 1,290 |
| Percentage of cheese produced in the US | 26-27% |
| Amount of cheese produced in 2019 | 3.36 billion pounds |
| Varieties of cheese | Colby, brick, cold pack, limburger, gouda, cheddar, muenster, feta, parmesan |
| Annual milk production | 23 billion+ pounds |
| Percentage of country's milk supply | 14% |
| Percentage of milk used for cheesemaking | 90% |
| Amount of cheese produced annually | 2 billion+ pounds |
| Average amount of cheese eaten by Americans annually | 27+ pounds |
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What You'll Learn
Cheese factories and historic cheese shops
Wisconsin is a national and world leader in cheese production, with almost a quarter of the country's dairy farms residing in the state. Many of these are family-owned and open to the public for tastings and tours.
For a small-scale, 100-year-old cheese factory, visit Cedar Grove, which exemplifies sustainability. The cheese-making process here is organic and hormone-free, and the factory is committed to environmentally friendly practices. Call ahead to try their award-winning artisan cheese varieties like the Faarko, a semi-soft mix of cow’s and goat’s milk, and the Donatello, a rich cheese made from goat’s milk.
Ellsworth is considered the "Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin" and hosts the annual Cheese Curd Festival. The Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery produces classic white cheddar cheese curds, as well as other fun flavours like taco, garlic and ranch. The cooperative also has a new factory store in Menomonie, which sells the deep-fried version of cheese curds, along with other local wines, beers, and desserts.
The Union Star, a tiny, family-owned factory near Appleton, has been operating since 1911. Visitors can learn how milk from local dairies is turned into squeaky cheese curds, and sample fresh curds, aged cheddar, and flavoured Muenster cheese.
The fourth-generation, family-owned Weyauwega Star Dairy cheese factory is another historic factory that produces tangy feta and nutty parmesan cheeses, as well as famous string cheese. The factory store also sells local goods beyond cheese, like beef sticks, sausage, Lakeside Mustard, and Rose Cottage Jams.
For those interested in goat cheese, the LaClare Family Creamery in Fond du Lac offers a self-guided tour that includes a goat farm visit. The shop sells goat cheese and spreads, handcrafted soaps, wine, ice cream, and other specialty products.
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Dairy farms and goat farms
Wisconsin is a national and world leader in cheese production, with almost a quarter of the country's dairy farms located in the state. Many of these farms are family-owned and open to the public for tastings and tours. In 1968, there were 71,000 dairy farms in Wisconsin, but by 2016, that number had dropped to 9,400. Despite this decline, more milk is being produced than ever, thanks to the modernisation of dairy operations.
Dairy farming in Wisconsin has evolved with technology, business plans, and management decisions. To remain financially viable, small farms have combined to form larger ones, capable of milking 300 to 500 cows in the time it took a farmer in 1968 to milk 60. This has resulted in the rise of mega farms, leaving smaller farms unable to compete.
Goat farms are also present in Wisconsin, with some offering tours and cheese-tasting experiences. The Door County Creamery, for instance, offers tours that include sampling locally-made cheeses and homemade gelato, as well as meeting the farm animals. LaClare Family Creamery, a goat cheese manufacturer, also offers self-guided tours that include a visit to their goat farm.
Wisconsin's cheese-making traditions are celebrated in summer festivals, such as the Cheese Curd Festival in Ellsworth, which features over 6,000 pounds of cheese curds, as well as craft beers, local wines, and ciders. Ellsworth was named the "Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin" by the governor in 1984, and the city remains a hub for cheese production, with the Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery producing white cheddar cheese curds and other creamery products.
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Cheese curds
You can make your own cheese curds at home with a step-by-step recipe. The process takes around 1-3 hours, and the end product can be broken into bite-size pieces and tossed with a bit of salt before serving.
In Wisconsin, the most common way to eat cheese curds is to bread and fry them. However, they are also versatile enough to be incorporated into all kinds of dishes, including salads, pizza, and pasta. They pair well with sweet foods, such as a homemade biscuit topped with blueberry preserves. They can also be used to garnish cocktails, such as a Bloody Mary or a martini, or even a Middle Eastern-inspired skewer with grapes and fresh mint.
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Cheese-making process and history
Wisconsin is a national and world leader in cheese production. In 2019, the state produced 3.36 billion pounds of cheese in over 600 varieties, accounting for 27% of all cheese made in the US that year. Wisconsin is home to almost a quarter of the country's dairy farms, and many of these are family-owned and open to the public for tastings and tours.
The history of cheesemaking in Wisconsin dates back to the nineteenth century. Early cheesemaking operations began on farmsteads in the Michigan and Wisconsin territories, with large-scale production starting in the mid-1800s. Wisconsin became the largest producer of cheese in the US in the early 1900s. The growth of cheese production in the state mirrored the growth in dairy farming, with the number of cheese factories in Wisconsin growing from 30 factories in 1860 to more than 700 in 1880. By the 1920s, over 2,800 cheese factories existed in the state.
The first documented cheesemaking cooperative in Wisconsin was opened by A. Pickett in 1841 and operated from his home near Lake Mills. Using milk from neighbours' cows, Pickett established a cheese factory in Lake Mills in 1841. However, selling Wisconsin-made cheese outside the state's borders was difficult in these early years, with buyers typically preferring cheese produced in New York. These sales were usually handled by the factory and a cheese dealer, which led to the creation of dairy boards where cheese buyers and sellers could meet, and call boards where buyers could bid on the available product.
The industrialization of the cheese industry in Wisconsin was slow, and scholars disagree on when the first commercial cheese factory was founded in the state. While historian Frederick Merk noted in 1916 that there was no clear definition of what constitutes a cheese factory, Chester Hazen is regarded as opening the first large-scale cheese factory in the state, in Fond du Lac County in 1864. By the end of the Civil War, there were 30 cheese factories in Wisconsin, and by 1870, this number had grown to 54. Cheese manufacturing was concentrated in three counties by the 1880s: Sheboygan, Green, and Jefferson. Sheboygan County primarily produced cheddar cheese, while Green County factories mainly produced Swiss and limburger cheese.
In the 1850s, experts began to educate farmers on the importance of temperature and the value of proper storage. However, the limited local demand made many farmers sceptical of the value of specialized dairy. Interest in developing the dairy industry rose and fell with the decline and rise of the wheat market: as the wheat market lagged, more and more dairy farmers appeared. Most cheese was still made on individual farms, though J.I. Smith of Sheboygan County was an early exception. Smith obtained the state's first cheese vat in 1858 and became the first cheesemaker to market outside the state, shipping barrels of cheese to Chicago. Wisconsin dairying experienced a revolution of industrial development between 1860 and 1890, moving out of the farmstead and into the factory, due to the increased demand for dairy products and the shift from wheat to dairy.
Wisconsin's immigrant population also brought their cheesemaking traditions with them. Swiss cheese was among the first Old-World cheeses produced in Wisconsin, originating with the state's Swiss immigrants. Italians brought mozzarella, provolone, and gorgonzola. The French brought Camembert, Brie, and a variety of blue cheeses. The Germans brought Muenster and Limburger, and the English brought Cheddar. Dutch immigrants brought Gouda and Edam. Wisconsin cheesemakers also developed original cheeses like Brick and Colby.
University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Stephen M. Babcock developed the Babcock test in 1890 for measuring butterfat content. This helped ensure cheesemakers received unadulterated milk and was soon widely adopted in North America. In 1896, Babcock and fellow professor Harry Luman Russell examined the mechanisms of cheese maturation, discovering that an enzyme they named galactase, rather than bacteria as had been previously thought, caused the cheese to ripen. They published the discovery in 1897 and built upon it with the development of the cold-curing method, in which cheese is aged in rooms between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This method was published in 1901 and began to see widespread use in the state by 1910.
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Cheese varieties and awards
Wisconsin is a national and world leader in cheese production, with almost a quarter of the country's dairy farms residing in the state. The state is the first in the production of many popular cheese varieties, including cheddar, American, mozzarella, brick, muenster, and limburger. In 2019, Wisconsin produced 3.36 billion pounds of cheese, accounting for about 26-27% of all cheese made in the United States. The state is also home to the country's most stringent standards for cheesemaking and overall dairy product quality. Wisconsin has over 1,290 licensed cheesemakers, more than any other state, and its cheese is not just produced sustainably but is also prize-winning.
Wisconsin hosts the World Championship Cheese Contest annually and takes home top honors. The state has over 126 cheese plants, producing more than 350 varieties, types, and styles of cheese—nearly double that of any other state. In 2018, Wisconsin cheese factories produced more than 600 varieties of specialty cheese, making up about 50% of all specialty cheeses made in the United States.
Several varieties of cheese originated in or are produced exclusively in Wisconsin, including brick, colby, cold pack, and limburger. Brick cheese, invented in 1877 by John Jossi, is a mild, semi-soft cheese ranging in color from white to pale yellow. Other famous cheeses from Wisconsin include the Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery's classic white cheddar cheese curds, with other fun flavors like taco, garlic, and ranch. The Mars Cheese Castle in Wisconsin also offers a wide range of cheeses, from sharp cheddar to curds and chocolate cheese fudge.
For award-winning, unique, and historic cheese varieties, visitors can explore the state's small-scale, family-owned cheese factories and shops. Cedar Grove, for example, offers a tour of its organic, hormone-free cheese-making process, showcasing award-winning artisan cheeses like Faarko and Donatello. The fourth-generation, family-owned Weyauwega Star Dairy cheese factory produces a range of cheeses, including tangy feta and nutty parmesan. Their famous string cheese was even featured in the Guinness Book of World Records for its impressive length. Nasonville Dairy is another historic cheese factory in Wisconsin, crafting award-winning cheeses for over a century.
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Frequently asked questions
Wisconsin is the top producer of many popular cheese varieties, including cheddar, American, mozzarella, brick, muenster, and limburger. In fact, Wisconsin produces about 26% of all cheese made in the United States.
Some famous cheese shops and factories in Wisconsin include Fromagination, Mars Cheese Castle, Door Artisan Cheese Company, Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, and Union Star.
Wisconsin has a lot to offer when it comes to unique cheese experiences. You can visit historic cheese factories, go on dairy farm tours, attend cheese-themed festivals like the Ellsworth Cheese Curd Festival, and even participate in interactive cheese-making classes.
