State Cheese Production
Spans A Century And A Half
Wisconsin Cheeses come from a heritage of over 150 years of quality and craftsmanship. During this long and rich history, the art and science of cheesemaking have been balanced with time-honored traditions to develop varieties that meet unsurpassed standards of excellence.
Today, Wisconsin produces over 350 different varieties, types and styles of nationally and internationally award-winning cheeses.
The story of Wisconsin's dairy industry really began in prehistoric times. Nature set the stage for America's Dairyland during the last Ice Age, when glaciers cut through what is now Wisconsin. As they receded, the massive mountains of ice left behind a countryside of rolling hills and lush pastureland.
Millions of years later, when European immigrants migrated west, they found the nation's heartland, which reminded many of their homelands. Growing conditions suited farming well, and initially, farmers grew wheat, hops, and other grains.
Dairy farming followed naturally, and dairy farmers soon produced an abundance of top-quality milk. To preserve excess milk, farmers made cheese. The move from producing cheese for family use to making cheese to sell was a short step. However, commercial production of cheese in Wisconsin began on a small scale.
In 1841, Mrs. Anne Pickett made cheesemaking history when she established Wisconsin's first cottage industry cheese factory using milk from neighbors' cows. Seventeen years later, John J. Smith obtained the first cheese vat and made cheese at home in Sheboygan County. Smith also instituted the marketing of cheese outside Wisconsin.
A year later Hiram Smith, a farmer on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, founded a full-scale cheese factory. He purchased milk from other dairy farmers or processed their milk for a percentage of the finished cheese. The cheesemaking industry in Wisconsin had taken hold.
In 1864, Chester Hazen built a factory in Ladoga. Many doubted the success of this venture, dubbing it "Hazen's Folly." Critics were silenced when, after just one year of operation, the factory used milk from over 300 cows to produce Hazen's cheese. His success heralded the rapid growth of the cheese industry in the state.
However, this rapid growth did cause some problems.
Up to that time, no uniform grading system tied to standards of identity for cheeses existed. To remedy the situation, in 1872 the Dairymen's Association, composed of seven leaders in the dairy industry, sponsored a new Board of Trade in Watertown to establish procedures to market Wisconsin cheese.
The Board also secured a 60 percent reduction in freight rates, which contributed significantly to the efficient marketing of cheese from Wisconsin. Clearly, cheesemaking had become an important and prosperous industry for the state.
By 1886, the University of Wisconsin College of Agriculture offered short courses for dairy farmers and cheesemakers and sent experts in the field to extend the education process. In 1890, Stephen Babcock of the University of Wisconsin developed the milkfat test that allowed dairymen to determine which cows produced the richest milk, the best for cheesemaking. This test is still used today.
In 1921, Wisconsin became the first state to grade its cheese for quality. This leadership role in quality assurance coupled with Wisconsin's central location for distribution enabled the industry to continue to grow rapidly. By 1922, over 2,800 cheese factories existed in the state.
Cheesemakers and dairy farmers who immigrated to the United States often chose Wisconsin as their destination. This influx of talent and energy kept the cheese industry vigorous. These men and women represented almost every country in Europe. They arrived with a strong work ethic, determination, treasured family secrets, and the tradition of making favorite cheeses from the old country. These cheeses quickly gained popularity in the United States.
Swiss, among the first Old-World cheeses produced in Wisconsin, originated, as the name suggests, in Switzerland. Italians brought Pasta Filata cheeses such as the popular Mozzarella and Provolone, as well as the blue-veined Gorgonzola. The French gave us creamy, soft-ripened Camembert and Brie. From Germany came the secrets of Muenster and Limburger. The English contributed Cheddar, and the Dutch, Gouda and Edam.
These immigrants were responsible for much of the rich variety of cheeses produced in the state. And Wisconsin cheesemakers created original cheeses such as Brick and Colby.
By 1945, more than 1,500 cheese factories in Wisconsin produced about 515 million pounds of cheese a year.
Today, approximately 17,000 dairy farms, with just over 1 million cows that produce an average of 17,306 pounds of milk each, per year, continue the reputation for quality milk from Wisconsin. Cheesemakers use approximately 90 percent of this milk to produce cheese at over 120 plants.
Wisconsin has more skilled and licensed cheesemakers than any other state. These cheesemakers must complete rigorous studies in dairy science and cheesemaking before they can be licensed. They also may serve as an apprentice under a licensed cheesemaker.
These fine craftsmen produce over 2 billion pounds of cheese each year, over 25 percent of all domestic cheese. These quantities continue to grow to meet the nation's demand for quality and variety of cheese from Wisconsin, America's Dairyland.
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