By Sandra Petersen
Facts About Wisconsin Cheese
Wisconsin has been known as the Dairy State because of its most-noted industry. According to eatwisconsincheese.com, about 90 percent of the milk produced in Wisconsin goes toward making cheese. Some of Wisconsin's award-winning cheesemaking companies started as family industries.
History
European immigrants to Wisconsin have produced cheese products since the 1840s. These immigrants came from France, England, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. The first cheeses were made by housewives to use up the surplus of milk from dairy farmers' herds.
Types
More than 600 varieties of cheese are made in Wisconsin, including Swiss, cheddar, provolone, gouda and brie. Colby and brick cheese were created by Wisconsin cheesemakers. Wisconsin cheese is made from cow, goat or sheep milk.
Factories and Tours
Many Wisconsin cheese factories have observation windows through which you can watch cheese being made. Some offer tours as long as the factory is notified ahead of the visit.
Fun Fact
A master cheesemaker in Wisconsin has to complete three years of coursework through the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to get his certificate. The market cheese she makes carries the Master's Mark symbol.
Awards and Honors
Wisconsin cheeses have competed and repeatedly won high honors in the United States Championship Cheese Contest.
Resources
About the Author:
For almost four years, Sandra Petersen has written fiction stories and non-fiction articles for sites like FaithWriters, Associated Content, Helium, Textbroker, and Triond as well as Demand Studios. Petersen attended the University of Wisconsin-Superior and earned her Bachelor's degree in elementary education with a minor in music education.
Photo Credits:
Sandra L. Petersen
