Wisconsin Cheesemakers

Find out more about the Wisconsin cheesemakers, master cheesemakers and artisanal cheesemakers that Wisconsinmade.com represents:

• Babcock Hall Dairy
• Carr Valley Cheese
• Cedar Grove Cheese
• Decatur Dairy
• Gile Cheese
• Harmony Specialty Dairy Foods
• Hollands Family Cheese

• Jim's Cheese
• Mt. Sterling Cheese Company
• Old Tavern Cheese
• Roth Kase USA Ltd
• Zimmerman Cheese, Inc.

Babcock Hall Dairy

• The Babcock Hall Dairy Store was built in 1951 in Wisconsin.
• Master Cheesemaker Gary Grossen creates award winning cheese for Babcock Hall.
• Gary is specializes in Muenster, Brick, and Cheddar and is currently working on becoming a master in Gouda and Havarti.
• Gary placed 2nd in the Brick cheese category at the 2011 US Championship Cheese contest.
• University of Wisconsin students work hard to fill Babcock Hall Dairy orders for Wisconsinmade.com.

Carr Valley Cheese

• The Carr Family has been making cheese for over 100 years.
• Owned and operated by Master Cheesemaker Sid Cook who has over 15 years of advanced training in cheesemaking.  
• Sid received his cheesemaking license at the mild age of 16.
• Carr Valley cheeses have won over 60 national and international awards.
• Carr Valley produces over 100 different varieties of cheese including Cocoa Cardona- a one of a kind cheese rubbed with cocoa powder.

Cedar Grove Cheese

• Cedar Grove was the first cheese producer to pledge that all products would be free of Bovine Growth Hormone.
• Cedar Grove offers several certified organic cheese varieties include Mild Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Muenster. 376
• Cedar Grove cares about the environment and cleans waste water leftover from the cheesemaking process.
• Six certified cheesemakers supervise the cheesemaking process at Cedar Grove.
• Cheesemaking at Cedar Grove begins at 11pm, and the process isn't finished until 9pm the next night.

Decatur Dairy

• Decatur Dairy is a co-op with more than 70 members.
• Master Cheesemaker Steve Stettler creates unique cheeses at Decatur Dairy.
• Steve specializes in Brick, Farmer's, Havarti and Muenster cheese.
• In the 2011 US Championship Cheese Contest Decatur Dairy won first place in Havarti.
• Cheese curds usually come in the cheddar variety, but Decatur Dairy makes a unique Muenster cheese curd.

Gile Cheese

• The Carr Cheese Factory was purchased by the Gile family in 1946.
• Owner Tim Gile is a third generation cheesemaker.
• Gile Cheese has won over 200 awards. 
• 75% of these awards are first place awards.
• Tim's daughters assist in the cheesemaking, making Gile cheese a real family affair.

Harmony Specialty Dairy Foods

• Harmony Specialty Diary Foods was established in 2007.
• The dairy only uses milk from Harmony-Ho Farm which gives their cheese a consistent flavor and texture.
• There are 450 Harmony-Ho Holsteins on their Stratford, Wisconsin farm.
• Harmony specializes in British and Welsh inspired cheeses like Abergele, Caerphilly and more.

Hollands Family Cheese

• Owned and operated by the Penterman Family who emigrated from the Netherlands in 2002.
• Holland's Family Cheese is made using traditional Dutch methods.
• Cheeses age for up to 60 days in a cellar with wooden shelves that came from Holland.
• The dairy cows that produce the milk for Holland's Family cheese are pampered! They sleep on soft bedding and are cooled with fans in theWisconsin summer.

Jim's Cheese

• Jim's cheese is considered the Cheese Cut Out Capital of the World.
• The company sells 400-500 different cheese shapes made with real Wisconsin cheese.
• Jim's cheese started in 1955 with their star item- a heart-shaped cheese.
• Jim also specilized in artisan and aged cheddar.
   
• In 1995 Jim opened a retail store in Waterloo, Wisconsin.

Mt. Sterling Cheese Company

• Mt. Sterling is a member owned and operated cooperative.
• The Co-Op is made up of over 40 family operated goat dairies.
• Mt. Sterling cheesemakers have been making goat cheese since 1976 in Wisconsin.
• Mt. Sterling goat cheese is 100% natural with no colorings or additives.
• Each time milk is picked up from a Mt. Sterling goat dairy, it is sampled and tested for quality.

Old Tavern Cheese

• Old Tavern Cheese was founded in 1926 by Paul Strong in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
• Today, Old Tavern cheese is still a family owned and operated business.
• Old Tavern sells off 200 different types of cheese but the Club Sharp Cheddar Cheese Spread is by far the most popular.
• The cheese is 100% real Wisconsin cheese that is made from blocks of aged
• Wisconsin cheese that are shredded and blended and packed into containers.
• Old Tavern cheese spread is best enjoyed at room temperature.

Pasture Pride Cheese

• Pasture Pride uses milk from cows provided by Amish Farmers.
• Pasture Pride specializes in baked cheeses called Juusto. 
• Pasture Pride's Juusto comes in several varieties including Italian, Chipotle, Jalapeno and Guusto- a juusto made with goat's milk.
• Master Cheesemaker Tom Torkelson oversees cheesemaking at Pasture Pride, in Wisconsin.
• Tom is a master in Brick and Muenster Cheese varieties.

Roth Kase USA Ltd

• Roth Kase makes artisan cheese in both American and European traditions.
• Kase is the German word for cheese.
• The Kase family began making cheese in Switzerland in 1863.
• In 1991 Felix and Ulrich Roth and Fermo Jaeckle came to Wisconsin to start Roth Kase USA.
• Won over 100 regional, national, and international awards.

Zimmerman Cheese, Inc.

• The Zimmerman family has been making cheese in Wisconsin since the 1930s.
• The passion for cheesemaking has been carried on through 3 generations of Zimmermans' cheesemakers.
• The plant produces over 40,000 pounds of cheese per day.
• 60 local dairies provide milk for Zimmerman Cheese.
• Zimmerman Cheese won multiple awards at the 2010 World Cheese Championship.