Wisconsin cheese
Encyclopedia
Wisconsin
's cheese
making tradition dates back to the 19th century. Europe
an immigrants who settled in Wisconsin were drawn to its fertile fields.
Soon, dairy
farms sprang up around Wisconsin, and farmers began producing cheese to preserve excess milk. In 1841, Anne Pickett established Wisconsin’s first commercial cheese factory, using milk from neighbors' cows. A century later, Wisconsin was home to more than 1,500 cheese factories, which produced more than 500 million pounds of cheese per year.
Wisconsin has long been identified with cheese; in the words of a 2006 New York Times article, "Cheese is the state’s history, its pride, its self-deprecating, sometimes goofy, cheesehead approach to life." Wisconsin has claimed the title of the largest cheese producing state in the United States since 1910, when it passed New York
. In 2006 Wisconsin produced 2.4 billion pounds of cheese and held onto its top ranking, despite concerns that California's faster-growing cheese industry would soon surpass Wisconsin's production. In 2007 Wisconsin again held onto its lead, and it was reported that its lead had begun to grow slightly. In 2010 Wisconsin's cheese production rose to 2.6 billion pounds (requiring the state cheese industry to import a substantial amount of milk from other states to meet production needs).
Wisconsin continues to be the largest cheese producer in the United States, making over 600 different cheese varieties. In addition, Wisconsin has more licensed cheesemakers than any other U.S. state. It is also the only state to offer a Master Cheesemaker program, which is patterned on the rigorous standards of similar programs in Europe.
Wisconsin cheese is known for its orange color, originally designed as a marketing tool to differentiate it from New England cheese.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
's cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
making tradition dates back to the 19th century. Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an immigrants who settled in Wisconsin were drawn to its fertile fields.
Soon, dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
farms sprang up around Wisconsin, and farmers began producing cheese to preserve excess milk. In 1841, Anne Pickett established Wisconsin’s first commercial cheese factory, using milk from neighbors' cows. A century later, Wisconsin was home to more than 1,500 cheese factories, which produced more than 500 million pounds of cheese per year.
Wisconsin has long been identified with cheese; in the words of a 2006 New York Times article, "Cheese is the state’s history, its pride, its self-deprecating, sometimes goofy, cheesehead approach to life." Wisconsin has claimed the title of the largest cheese producing state in the United States since 1910, when it passed New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In 2006 Wisconsin produced 2.4 billion pounds of cheese and held onto its top ranking, despite concerns that California's faster-growing cheese industry would soon surpass Wisconsin's production. In 2007 Wisconsin again held onto its lead, and it was reported that its lead had begun to grow slightly. In 2010 Wisconsin's cheese production rose to 2.6 billion pounds (requiring the state cheese industry to import a substantial amount of milk from other states to meet production needs).
Wisconsin continues to be the largest cheese producer in the United States, making over 600 different cheese varieties. In addition, Wisconsin has more licensed cheesemakers than any other U.S. state. It is also the only state to offer a Master Cheesemaker program, which is patterned on the rigorous standards of similar programs in Europe.
Wisconsin cheese is known for its orange color, originally designed as a marketing tool to differentiate it from New England cheese.