Heritage. It's true that a person's heritage influences many things in their life. The same can be said for Wisconsin's cheese makers.
Wisconsin attracts many companies and people in the dairy industry because of the state's bountiful land, water, vast infrastructure and the heritage of the individuals who have settled here. All of those elements help create the delicious cheeses we enjoy today.
It won't take you long to think of some Swiss or Italian-based cheeses or recognize the areas of the state where they were crafted.
Wisconsin can also be proud of international influences from France, the Netherlands and even South America. Our cheesemakers make more than 600 types, varieties and styles of cheeses all but a few influenced by the international heritage of the cheesemakers who settled here.
Can you name two varieties of cheese that are Wisconsin Originals'? One is named after the town in which it was created, the other after the shape of the cheese. If you guessed Colby and brick, you are correct!
Wisconsin also has the cows and farmers that produce high-quality milk. While my family only milks a couple dozen cows, there are farms in Wisconsin that milk more than 8,000. Wisconsin has a spot for both large and small dairies and the many thousand in between.
In 2014, Wisconsin's records show the state as being home to more than 1.27 million cows that produced an average of nearly 22,000 pounds per cow. Let's take a look back to 1924 when there were 1.92 million cows in the state but they were each only producing a little more than 5,000 pounds of milk per year.
Certainly, our great state, the cows, universities and diversity of people have helped to create the dairy industry we have today.
If you get a chance, I urge you to check out the Discover Wisconsin America's Dairyland videos that can be found on our website: www.DairyDoingMore.org. Watch the one titled, "Wisconsin's Cheese Heritage" for an inside look into some of the great cheeses and foods created with an international influence.
10.20.2015