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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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? Wisconsin
Milk Marketing Board
Photos ? Jerry Apps
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