History of cheesemaking in Wisconsin facts for kids
Making cheese to sell in Wisconsin started a long time ago, in the 1800s. At first, people made cheese on their farms in the Michigan and Wisconsin territories. Bigger cheese factories started in the mid-1800s.
Wisconsin became the top cheese producer in the United States in the early 1900s. By 2019, the state made over 3.36 billion pounds of cheese! That's a lot of cheese – more than 600 different kinds. It was about 26% of all the cheese made in the country that year.
Some popular types of cheese were first made in Wisconsin. These include colby, brick, and cold pack.
History of Wisconsin Cheesemaking
How Cheese Making Started (1830s-1880)
In Wisconsin's early days, most farmers grew crops like wheat. Not many raised dairy cows. Women on farms usually took care of the cows. They would make cheese and butter from the milk.
Bigger cheese-making efforts began around the late 1830s. These were often groups of families working together. The first known cheese group in Wisconsin started in 1841. It was run by A. Pickett from his home near Lake Mills.
Selling Wisconsin cheese outside the state was hard back then. Buyers often preferred cheese from New York. Cheese factories and dealers usually handled these sales. This led to "dairy boards" where buyers and sellers could meet. "Call boards" also let buyers bid on cheese.
It took a while for cheese making to become a big industry in Wisconsin. Experts disagree on when the first true commercial cheese factory opened. But Chester Hazen is famous for opening the first large-scale factory in the state. His factory started in Ladoga in 1864.
After 1860, wheat crops faced problems like lower prices, pests, and bad weather. So, Wisconsin farmers started raising other crops and animals. Dairy farming slowly grew, but it took many years to become the main industry.
As dairy farming grew, so did cheese production. In 1860, Wisconsin had only 30 cheese factories. By 1880, there were over 700! Many factories were in Sheboygan County, making mostly cheddar cheese. In Green County, factories focused on Swiss and limburger cheese.
Rules and Mass Production (1880-1990)
Making Cheese Better with Rules
Early cheese makers often had trouble making cheese that tasted the same every time. This was because the milk they received varied. Also, poor cleaning could cause problems.
By the 1880s, some farmers tried to make more money from their milk. They would add water to it or take the cream off before sending it to the factory. Some factory owners also took cream for other products. This led to "skimmed" or "filled" cheese. This type of cheese spoiled quickly and lost its flavor. Making this bad cheese hurt Wisconsin's good name for quality cheese.
To fix this, the Wisconsin Dairymen's Association pushed for changes. When William D. Hoard became governor, the state created the Office of the Dairy and Food Commissioner in 1889. This office watched over cheese production. In 1895, Wisconsin made it illegal to sell "filled" cheese.
New Discoveries and Training
New discoveries in food science in the 1890s also helped cheese making. University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Stephen M. Babcock created the Babcock test in 1890. This test measures the amount of butterfat in milk. It helped make sure cheese makers received pure milk. Babcock did not patent his test, so many people started using it.
In 1896, Babcock and another professor, Harry Luman Russell, studied how cheese ages. They found that an enzyme, not bacteria, caused cheese to ripen. They shared this discovery in 1897. Then, they developed a "cold-curing" method. This meant aging cheese in cool rooms, between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This method became popular in Wisconsin by 1910.
While scientists improved cheese-making methods, UW-Madison also started teaching cheese makers. In 1890, they offered a 12-week course on making cheese and butter. Students learned how to produce cheese and keep things clean. Many early factories were not very clean, which led to low-quality cheese.
An inspector in 1906 described some of the worst factories: "The intake room, walls, presses, and milk vats were badly dirty and greasy. The ceiling was black with fly-specks, the floor was dirty, and almost all tools were unclean. No efforts were made to keep flies out or to reduce the number inside. Some flies even got into the milk and cheese."
Quality standards kept getting better. In 1915, Wisconsin was the first state to require cheese makers to have a license. Six years later, it was the first state to require grading of its cheese.
Wisconsin Cheese Takes Over the Market
By 1910, most cheese making was in the eastern and southern parts of Wisconsin. Green, Dodge, Iowa, Lafayette, and Sheboygan counties had the most cheese factories.
| County | Number of factories |
|---|---|
| Green | 213 |
| Dodge | 141 |
| Iowa | 128 |
| Lafayette | 118 |
| Sheboygan | 111 |
| Outagamie | 99 |
Wisconsin cheese became very popular in the 1910s. Production also grew a lot. By 1919, Wisconsin made over 63% of all the cheese in the United States.
In 1909, a "call board" in Plymouth changed its rules. It allowed any cheese factory in the state to sell its cheese there. Before this, these boards only served small areas. The Plymouth board became the biggest in the state. In 1918, it was renamed the Wisconsin Cheese Exchange.
By 1936, this Exchange was used to set national prices for cheese. This led to some legal problems. The United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division accused some cheese buyers of trying to control prices.
The number of cheese factories in Wisconsin reached its highest point in 1922, with 2,807 factories. After that, many smaller factories closed or joined with others. This happened because cars and milk trucks made it easier to transport milk quickly from farms to factories. Even with fewer factories, cheese production kept growing. It went from 307.4 million pounds in 1920 to 406.9 million pounds in 1940.
By the 1950s, new ways of producing and moving milk made cheese even better. Farmers started using milk houses (separate storage buildings) and refrigerated bulk tanks. Milk tanker trucks also helped.
The growing popularity of pizza in the 1950s led some Wisconsin cheese makers to produce more mozzarella cheese. By 2017, Wisconsin made more mozzarella than any other type of cheese.
Changes in the Industry (1990-2020)
In the second half of the 1900s, cheese factories in Wisconsin continued to combine or close. The number of factories dropped from 1,279 in 1950 to just 126 by 1999. Cheese production became focused on either very large factories or small, special "boutique" factories.
Large factories made huge amounts of cheddar, mozzarella, and American cheese. Small factories made less common "specialty cheese." These included types like asiago, havarti, and gorgonzola.
The Wisconsin Cheese Exchange moved to Green Bay in 1956. It was renamed the National Cheese Exchange in 1974. It continued to sell cheese in large amounts, like train car loads. This Exchange helped set national prices for bulk cheese and, in turn, for the milk used to make it.
In the 1980s, government policies changed, and milk and cheese prices became less stable. Only small amounts of cheese were actually sold on the Exchange. But large buyers could sometimes influence prices, which affected cheese prices across the country. A study in 1996 found that a big food company had done this in the early 1990s. This price influence caused milk and cheese prices to drop a lot. Because of these issues, the Exchange closed in 1997.
Wisconsin continued to focus on quality. In 1994, the state started the first and only master cheesemaking program in the United States. The first master cheesemakers graduated in 1997.
In the early 2000s, people wanted to make more special, handmade cheese in Wisconsin. This led to the creation of the Dairy Business Innovation Center in 2004. The U.S. government helped fund this center. From 2004 to 2012, the Center helped create 43 new cheese factories in the state. By 2018, Wisconsin cheese factories made over 600 kinds of specialty cheese. This was about half of all specialty cheeses made in the United States!
In 2019, Wisconsin made 3.36 billion pounds of cheese. This was more than any other state and made up 26% of all cheese produced in the U.S.
Wisconsin's Special Cheese Varieties
Several types of cheese were first made in Wisconsin or are only produced there. These include brick, colby, cold pack, and limburger.
Brick Cheese
Brick cheese was invented in 1877 by John Jossi. It is a mild, semi-soft cheese. Its color can be white or light yellow. It is often used on Detroit-style pizza.
Colby Cheese
Colby cheese was first made in 1885 in Colby, which is where it gets its name. Joseph F. Steinwand created it. It looks and tastes a bit like cheddar, but it is milder and softer. Colby can be mixed with Monterey Jack cheese to make Colby-Jack.
Cold Pack Cheese
Cold pack, also called club cheese, was invented in Wisconsin bars around the late 1800s. It is a mix of different cheeses, seasonings, and cream. These ingredients are mashed together in a jar to make a spread.
Limburger Cheese
Limburger cheese first came from the Duchy of Limburg in Belgium. It is known for its very strong smell. This smell comes from the bacteria that helps the cheese ripen. It used to be eaten with dark bread and onions. But its popularity went down after Prohibition started in 1920. As of 2020, the only cheese factory in the United States that still makes limburger cheese is the Chalet Cheese Cooperative in Monroe.
 | James B. Knighten |
 | Azellia White |
 | Willa Brown |
