Even a talented cheesemaker can only do so much with average-quality milk, according to Ben Shibler, cheese manager and head cheesemaker at Ponderosa Farmstead in Kewaunee.
At farmstead cheese operations, like Ponderosa Farmstead, Feltz’s Dairy Store in Stevens Point and Redhead Creamery in central Minnesota, the milk used in making cheese on-site is as fresh as can be, coming straight from the farm’s cows to the cheese production facility for processing.
kAm&D:?8 >:=< BF:4<=J 2?5 DF3;64E:?8 :E E@ 76H6C >6492?:42= AC@46DD6D E92E 42? 2=E6C E96 >:=<’D DECF4EFC6 :D 2 5:776C6?46\>2<6C 7@C 72C>DE625 4966D6D[ $9:3=6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm“qJ 92G:?8 D@>6 @7 E96 7C6D96DE[ 36DE BF2=:EJ >:=< @? E96 A=2?6E[ E96D6 72C>DE625 @A6C2E:@?D[ H6 86E 2 36EE6C AC@5F4E[” $9:3=6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm$9:3=6C D2:5 E92E E96J 2C6?’E ?646DD2C:=J 36EE6C 2E >2<:?8 4966D6 E92? D@>6@?6 6=D6j E96J ;FDE 92G6 2 DFA6C:@C :?8C65:6?E E@ DE2CE @77 H:E9]k^Am
kAm%96 >:=< E92E 8@6D :?E@ !@?56C@D2 u2C>DE625 4966D6 4@>6D 7C@> E96 72C>’D 96C5 @7 d[c__ 4C@DD3C65 w@=DE6:?^y6CD6J 4@HD[ H9:49 J:6=5 2 >:=< H6==\DF:E65 7@C 4966D6>2<:?8[ $9:3=6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm“x? >J H9@=6 42C66C[ E9:D :D AC@323=J E96 36DE 4966D6>2<:?8 >:=< E92E x 92G6 6G6C 8@E E@ H@C< H:E9[” $9:3=6C D2:5]k^Am
kAmu@C $9:3=6C[ H9@ 92D 366? H:E9 !@?56C@D2 u2C>DE625 7@C 7:G6 J62CD[ 72C>DE625 4966D6 92D AC@G6? E@ 36 2 492?86 7C@> E96 DE2?52C5 4966D6 AC@5F4E:@? 724:=:E:6D 96 AC6G:@FD=J H@C<65 2E]k^Am
kAmpE #659625 rC62>6CJ[ 72C>DE625 4966D6 AC@G:565 2 H2J 7@C AC6D:56?E 2?5 9625 4966D6>2<6C p=:D6 $;@DEC@> E@ ;@:? 96C A2C6?ED’ 52:CJ 72C> @A6C2E:@?]k^Am
kAmpD 2 9:89 D49@@= DEF56?E[ $;@DEC@> D2:5 D96 <?6H D96 H2?E65 E@ 36 A2CE @7 E96 72C> 3FE H2D?’E DFC6 9@H — F?E:= 2 c\w EC:A E@@< 96C E@ rC2G6 qC@E96CD u2C>DE625 r966D6 :? (2E6C=@@] r966D6 3C@F89E $;@DEC@> 96C “2\92 >@>6?E @7 ‘x’> 8@:?8 E@ >2<6 4966D6] %9:D >2<6D D6?D6 E@ >6] (6 42? 5@ E9:D C:89E @? @FC 72C> 2D H6==]’”k^Am
kAm$96 DEF5:65 4966D6 2?5 H@C<65 7@C D6G6C2= 4@>A2?:6D 367@C6 4@>:?8 324< E@ E96 72C>[ H96C6 4966D6 3682? E@ 36 >256 :? a_`c[ $;@DEC@> D2:5] %96 @A6C2E:@? 92D?’E 366? H:E9@FE “9:44FAD[” D96 D2:5[ 3FE E96J’G6 6G@=G65 @G6C E:>6]k^Am
kAm}@H 23@FE `_T @7 E96 >:=< 7C@> E96 72C>’D 96C5 @7 a__ C68:DE6C65 w@=DE6:?D 2?5 qC@H? $H:DD 8@6D :?E@ E96:C 72C>DE625 4966D6[ $;@DEC@> D2:5[ H:E9 E96 C6DE 8@:?8 E@ 2 4@\@A[ H96C6 :E’D 2=D@ FD65 E@ >2<6 4966D6]k^Am
kAmu@C 2=>@DE 7@FC J62CD[ u6=EK’D s2:CJ $E@C6 92D 366? D6==:?8 4966D6 2?5 @E96C AC@5F4ED[ E96 G2DE >2;@C:EJ @7 H9:49 2C6 7C@> (:D4@?D:?[ 3FE :D ;FDE 86EE:?8 :?E@ >2<:?8 72C>DE625 4966D6] y2<6 u6=EK[ >2?286C @7 u6=EK’D s2:CJ $E@C6[ ;FDE C646:G65 9:D 4966D6>2<6C’D =:46?D6 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9[ H:E9 D2=6D @7 E96 72C>DE625 4966D6 96 A=2?D E@ >2<6 :>>:?6?E]k^Am
kAm“x 5:5 ?@E A=2? @? >2<:?8 4966D6[” u6=EK D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6 :?:E:2==J A=2??65 @? ;FDE 5@:?8 C6E2:= 2?5 96=A:?8 @FE @? E96 72C>[ H9:49 92D 23@FE f__ 4@HD] qFE 2D E96 4:EJ @7 $E6G6?D !@:?E 8C6H 2?5 DE2CE65 E@ 6?G6=@A E96 72C>[ E96 u6=EK 72>:=J 564:565 E@ 2446AE :E 2?5 255 4966D6>2<:?8 E@ 36?67:E 7C@> E96 6IEC2 EC277:4] %96 4966D6>2<:?8 AC@46DD H:== 255 2?@E96C =2J6C E@ E96 72C>’D E@FCD[ 2==@H:?8 2 4@>A=6E6 “72C>\E@\7@C< 6IA6C:6?46[” u6=EK D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 :562 E@ DE2CE >2<:?8 4966D6 7@C>F=2E65 2 4@FA=6 @7 J62CD 28@ 2?5[ 27E6C D@>6 56=2JD 5F6 E@ E96 r~'xs\`h A2?56>:4[ u6=EK H2D 7:?2==J 23=6 E@ 7:?:D9 E96 4@FCD6H@C< 2?5 2AAC6?E:46D9:A C6BF:C65 367@C6 =:46?D:?8]k^Am
kAmu6=EK A=2?D E@ 7@4FD @? >2<:?8 4966D6 4FC5D 7:CDE[ H9:49 H6C6 2? 2=C625J AC@G6? A@AF=2C D6==6C 2E E96 DE@C6] %96 A=2? :D E@ DE2CE D>2== 2?5 6IA2?5]k^Am
kAmp== @7 E96 72C>DE625 @A6C2E:@?D >2<6 65F42E:@? 2 A2CE @7 E96 3FD:?6DD[ H:E9 6249 72C> @776C:?8 E@FCD[ 2=E9@F89 E9@D6 92G6 =2C86=J 366? AFE @? 9@=5 5F6 E@ E96 4@C@?2G:CFD A2?56>:4] #659625 rC62>6CJ 2=D@ 9@DED rFC5 u6DE 2??F2==J W?@E =2DE J62C 5F6 E@ E96 A2?56>:4X[ H9:49 :D A2CE=J 65F42E:@?2= 3FE >@DE=J 7@C 7F?[ $;@DEC@> D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ :ED :>A24E @? E96 72C>D’ E@FCD[ r~'xs\`h 2=D@ >62?E E92E E96 72C>DE625 4966D6 @A6C2E:@?D D2H 492?86D :? 9@H E96J >2C<6E65 E96:C AC@5F4E] ~?=:?6 D2=6D E@@< @77[ 3FE 7@@E EC277:4 :? 72C> DE@C6D E92E >2J 92G6 D66>65 E@ 36 E96 D>2==6C[ D276C D9@AA:?8 49@:46 D66>65 E@ :?4C62D6 2D H6==]k^Am
kAm%FC?:?8 E@ 72C>DE625 4966D6 AC@5F4E:@? 5@6D 92G6 492==6?86D E@ 4@?D:56C]k^Am
kAmtDE23=:D9:?8 ?2>6 2?5 3C2?5 C64@8?:E:@? 42? 36 92C5 E@ 5@ H96? 4@>A6E:?8 H:E9 ?2E:@?2= 3C2?5D @? DE@C6 D96=G6D[ $9:3=6C D2:5] tIA2?5:?8 2 3C2?5 42? 2=D@ A@D6 492==6?86D :? E6C>D @7 86EE:?8 E96 4966D6 AC@5F4ED H:E9 2 =:>:E65 D96=7 =:76 @FE 72CE96C]k^Am
kAmu2C>DE625 4966D6 @A6C2E:@?D 2=D@ H:== 92G6 E@ :?G6DE :? 7@@5\8C256 6BF:A>6?E 2?5 >66E 2 G2C:6EJ @7 C68F=2E:@?D[ $9:3=6C D2:5] u2C>DE625 4966D6 @A6C2E:@?D D9@F=5 92G6 2 4@?DF=E2?E H:E9 2 4966D6 324<8C@F?5[ 5@ E96:C @H? C6D62C49 2?5 ?@E “4FE 4@C?6CD[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmu6=EK 25565 E92E :E’D :>A@CE2?E E@ 7:?5 D@>6@?6 H9@ <?@HD H92E E96J’C6 5@:?8 H96? :E 4@>6D E@ >2<:?8 4966D6 2?5 =62C? 7C@> E96>]k^Am
kAm(96? :E 4@>6D E@ >2<:?8 4966D6[ 36:?8 23=6 E@ 252AE E@ 4@?DF>6CD[ EC6?5D 2?5 H92E’D C:89E 7@C E96 72C> H:== 2=D@ A=2J 2 C@=6[ E96 A2?6=:DED D2:5]k^Am
kAm$;@DEC@> D2:5 E92E E96C6 H2D 2 “9F86 =62C?:?8 4FCG6” H96? D96 DE2CE65] (96? ;FDE DE2CE:?8 @FE[ #659625 rC62>6CJ AC@5F465 2 =@E @7 E96:C 4=@E93@F?5 496552C 3FE H@F?5 FA 4@>A@DE:?8 ?62C=J E9C66\BF2CE6CD @7 :E H96? E96J 4@F=5?’E D6== :E H96? :E H2D C625J] ~E96C 4966D6 56G6=@A>6?E 96=A65 H:E9 42D9 7=@H 2E E96 E:>6[ 3FE $;@DEC@> D2:5 :E H2D D@>6E9:?8 D96’5 ?6G6C H2?E E@ 8@ E9C@F89 282:?]k^Am
kAm$;@DEC@> 2=D@ D2:5 E92E 367@C6 EFC?:?8 E@ 72C>DE625 4966D6[ “4@?D:56C 9@H >F49 J@F =:<6 A6@A=6” 3642FD6 E92E H:== 36 5:776C6?E E92? H@C<:?8 H:E9 E96 4@HD]k^Am
kAm!C@5F46CD 2C6 2=D@ 6?4@FC2865 E@ 56E6C>:?6 :7 E96J H2?E E@ 36 E96 4966D6>2<6C @C >2?286 E96 4966D6>2<6CD 2?5 :7 E96J’C6 AC6A2C65 7@C E96:C C@=6 E@ 492?86[ $;@DEC@> D2:5]k^Am
kAm“!6CD@?2==J[ x 2=H2JD 4@?D:56C65 >JD6=7 E96 >2<6C[ 2?5 @?=J E96 >2<6C[” $;@DEC@> D2:5] “qFE E92E’D 492?8:?8[ 2?5 :E 92D E@ 492?86 :? @C56C 7@C >J 3FD:?6DD E@ 8C@H]”k^Am