Midwest Cheesemakers
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
Carr Valley Cheese Company - La Valle, WI
Owned and operated by the Cook family, Carr Valley Cheese Company is over 100 years old. Nestled among the rolling hills and lush pastures of central Wisconsin, they remain one of Wisconsin's traditional cheese plants, famous for making cheese the old-fashioned way! Carr Valley Cheese has won numerous awards over the years and continues to offer delicious and unique Wisconsin Cheeses from Aged Cheddar to Cocoa Cardona. Whether you prefer cow's milk, goat's milk, or sheep's milk, Carr Valley has something for everyone.
Bunker Hill Cheese - Millersburg, OH
Established in 1935, Bunker Hill Cheese, or Heini’s, is a third-generation, family-owned company. John (Hans) Dauwaulder trained as a master cheese-maker in Switzerland and came to the States in the 1920s to display his Artisan talents in a growing cheese market. Through the years the Dauwalder family has partnered with local farmers to produce their cheese and that commitment remains strong. Today up to twelve tons of cheese can be made in a day: we make over 25 varieties of cheese averaging 50,000 pounds of cheese a week. These artisan cheeses can be used for charcuterie boards, crackers, or even just for enjoying alone.
Burnett Dairy - Grantsburg, WI
Burnett Dairy Cooperative has its roots in the Branstad and Wood River creameries located in northwest Wisconsin, which boast a long tradition of serving dairy producers. Honored with many worldwide, national, and statewide awards, Burnett Dairy Cooperative produces high-quality cheese products. They produce a wide range of cheeses for retail and food service use. In addition to producing and selling award-winning cheese, their 295 employees also work hard to provide the latest crop, feed, fuel, and animal health services to their farmers.
Caves of Faribault - Faribault, MN
Since its inception, Caves of Faribault has remained true to its roots. Driven by passionate, down-to-earth people with a pioneering spirit of artistry and innovation backed by science, Caves of Faribault is the definition of authenticity. This cave-dwelling cheese is nurtured and developed with a fearless approach to cheesemaking and an understanding that cheese should be clean, straight, and full of dimension. From their community solar garden to the single-source origin of our milk, not only are they driven by authenticity, flavor, and texture, but sustainability, too.
Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese - Waterloo, WI
When you choose Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics Cheese, you are supporting locally owned and operated family farms. Their facility uses 100% green power, and practice water conservation and recycling. Crave Brothers is a carbon-negative company. This means they produce more power with their bio digester than they use for the dairy and cheese plant. Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics cheeses not only taste good, they make you feel good about your choice. The cheese is made from farm-fresh milk, produced on a state-of-the-art farm with sustainability practices that help preserve the environment for future generations.
Deer Creek Cheese - Sheboygan, WI
Deer Creek cheeses are their family’s kitchen counter creations come to life at the hands of some of Wisconsin’s greatest Master Cheesemakers. They continuously tweak each recipe with their cheesemaking partners to create cheeses that are characterful, inspiring both the cheese lover and cheese professional with a whimsical personality, creative flavor, and consistent quality. Underneath it all, Deer Creek cheeses are created with love. They’re just as proud to share them with their own loved ones as we are to share them with yours. They’re backed by life-long industry experience, passion for affinage, and a rigorous cheese grading program. Every time you enjoy Deer Creek cheese, you can feel confident that you’re tasting something we feel is truly special.
Door Artisan Cheese - Egg Harbor, WI
Door Artisan Cheese Company, a new cheese-making facility located in beautiful Door County, is the culmination of a dream of CEO and Master Cheesemaker, Mike Brennenstuhl. "My career has deep roots in Wisconsin cheesemaking, and it’s an honor to bring such a versatile facility and cheesemaking excellence to northeastern Wisconsin." Both traditional Wisconsin cheeses and original-recipe creations are hand-crafted by two Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers.
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery - Ellsworth, WI
Pride. It’s what’s put into every cheese curd that’s made at Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery. With over 300 patron families and over 100 years, these real farm families from Wisconsin and Minnesota help to make quality products. The cooperative was started in 1910 to manufacture and sell butter. In 1966 the cooperative began making cheese. Dairy farming is a 365-day-a-year job, but these dedicated farms wouldn’t dream of doing anything else. Their commitment is why Ellsworth cheeses are loved around the world and asked for by name.
Hennings Wisconsin Cheese - Kiel, WI
In 1914, Otto and Norma Henning made a decision to purchase a rural hometown cheese factory, in the heart of America's Dairyland, near Kiel, Wisconsin and devoted their lives to producing quality cheese. Their son Everett along with his wife Jellane took the factory over in 1963, seeing it through many changes. Everett is still very involved with the factory today. Since then, three of Everett's children, Kay, Kerry and Kert along with granddaughters Mindy and Rebekah continue the tradition. Small local family dairy farmers continue to provide Henning's cheese with a source of quality milk. These farmers pride themselves by pasture feeding their cows along with feeding them a carefully balanced diet of natural grains. Henning's uses natural, as well as non-animal, ingredients and offers a line of Kosher approved cheeses for your enjoyment. 100 years and three facility upgrades later, Henning's Wisconsin Cheese still stands as a testament of the family's commitment to making great quality cheese locally — for national enjoyment. With the help of Henning's dedicated employees, consistent quality continues to be their best source of pride.
Idyll Farms - Northport, MI
Idyll Farms is a goat farm and creamery located in Northport, Michigan, a small village perched on the edge of Lake Michigan. Their certified-humane alpine goats are pasture-fed through managed intensive rotational grazing, which is great for their pastures, their goats, and, best of all, their cheese (not to mention the sustainability of our planet). And by doing everything in-house, from pastures to the creamery, they meticulously coordinate their entire process in order to make some of the world’s healthiest and tastiest award-winning goat cheese. Great Lakes Pastures. Great Goat Cheese.
LaClare Creamery - Malone, WI
At LaClare Creamery, everything is about pursuing perfection in flavor and quality to produce distinctly delicious goat cheese. Their world-class cheese blends our passion for Wisconsin cheesemaking traditions with unmatched attention to detail. They are dedicated to clean taste and extraordinary flavor, with freshness at our core. Whether it’s the creamy canvas of their chevre infused with unique flavors or our robust hard cheeses, you’ll taste their commitment immediately. Whether it’s dinner time or anytime… Why Eat Average?
Marieke Gouda - Thorpe, WI
Marieke Penterman was born and raised in the Netherlands on her parents' 60 cow dairy farm. Her future husband, Rolf Penterman, emigrated to Thorp, WI and started a 350 cow dairy farm in May 2002. Thorp, with a vast dairy base and farm-friendly people, was an ideal location. Marieke followed Rolf a year later. Once in the United States, she missed the cheese from back home and decided to get her Wisconsin Cheesemaking License. She worked with a local cheese maker and traveled back to her home country where she learned how to make authentic Dutch Gouda cheese. Just four months after, she made her first batch of Gouda in 2006. She also received a gold award and in 2007 she was recognized at the US Cheese Champion Cheese Contest. They combine farm-fresh milk with traditional herbs, spices, seeds and berries from the Netherlands to produce authentically Dutch products in the heart of Wisconsin.
Maytag Creamery - Newton, IA
In 1941, Maytag Dairy Farms began producing world-famous Blue Cheese in the heartland of America with milk from a prize-winning herd of Holstein cattle. This herd of show cattle was established in 1919 by E.H. Maytag, the son of the founder of the famous appliance firm. During the 1930s, the Maytag Holsteins gained fame in competition across North America. Fred Maytag II, who succeeded his father in 1940, heard about a new process for making Blue Cheese developed by Iowa State University. This process is still in use today. It is a time-consuming method of hand-making cheese in small batches, using fresh sweet milk from Iowa dairy farms. Each batch of cheese is monitored carefully during the long months of aging in the curing caves. The ownership of Maytag Dairy Farms is now in the third and fourth generations of the Maytag family, with the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of E.H. Maytag providing the leadership.
Mt Sterling Co-op Creamery - Mt Sterling, WI
Mt Sterling Co-op Creamery is a member-owned and operated cooperative, incorporated under Wisconsin law in 1976 as the Southwestern Wisconsin Dairy Goat Products Cooperative. They market their products under the name of Mt Sterling Co-op Creamery. The owners of the traditional family-operated dairy goat farms are united in their desire to produce high-quality dairy goat products. That is why the RBGH hormone is not used by any producers in this co-op. The facilities of every producer located in our tri-state area, are inspected by each state’s Dept. of Agriculture. Their cheese factory is routinely inspected by the State of Wisconsin. Each time milk is picked up from a producer’s farm, it is sampled and tested for quality. All this is done to ensure that the products they sell are fresh, wholesome, and delicious.
Pasture Pride Cheese - Cashton, WI
Pasture Pride Cheese is located in Wisconsin in the heart of Amish Country. They craft their cheese with milk from local Amish dairies that are delivered to the factory in chilled milk cans, the old-fashioned way. They produce many varieties of cheese, including Pasture Pride Cheddars, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Muenster, Colby, and Co-Jack. In addition, Pasture Pride Cheese is home to “Juusto™” Cheese. This is a Finnish-baked cheese manufactured in our factory in Wisconsin. Savor the buttery flavor. Juusto™ has been judged “Best of Show” in numerous cheese competitions.
Roth Cheese - Monroe, WI
At Roth, they believe enjoying specialty cheese should be easy and fun. That’s why when you choose Roth you know their cheeses will always be made with good ingredients and will always taste good. The quality of their products starts on the farms here in Wisconsin, where they handcraft Roth cheese with milk from local family farms. Their cheesemakers and crew take pride in the product they put out into the world, only providing you with the best cheeses from Wisconsin. The secret to award-winning cheese? The best milk Wisconsin has to offer. Theirs comes directly from family dairy farmers down the road, always 100% rBST-free.
Sartori - Plymouth, WI
Sartori is a fourth-generation family-owned and operated company built in the spirit of great American tradition. From the leadership and artisan cheese expertise to the cheesemakers to the network of patron farmers, they share a deep sense of connection to one another and the land. Even the cows are in on it. And now, you are too.
Saxon Creamery - Malone, WI
What makes world-class cheese? Saxon Homestead Creamery believes in employing great people with a passion for making outstanding cheese. A world-class creamery is a necessity. Saxon Homestead Creamery built one in Cleveland, Wisconsin, along the shores of Lake Michigan, near Hika Bay. Finally, you need high-quality milk produced from healthy pastured cows and a great working environment for team members at the farm and the creamery.
Uplands Cheese - Dodgeville, WI
The layout and location of Pleasant Ridge's farm are ideal for growing the diverse range of grasses, legumes, and herbs that give them such high-quality milk. The farm is located the in the Uplands region of Wisconsin. The milk their cows produce has exceptional flavors. By using only grass-fed, raw milk, Pleasant Ridge Reserve's recipe follows the tradition of the Alpage versions of Beaufort and Gruyere, but they have tailored it to their own, unique milk supply.
Wisconsin Aging & Grading Cheese (WAG) - Kaukauna, WI
WAG Cheese is a cheese wholesaler specializing in the procurement, affinage, and aging of the highest quality cheddar cheese. They have been continually learning and mastering the art, science, and nuance of aging cheddars spanning over two decades and three generations. Having just the right balance of flavor, body, & texture makes their cheddar better. Cheese That “Taste Like More”.
Widmer's Cheese Cellars - Theresa, WI
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars settled in the heart of one of the richest cheese-making areas in America more than a century ago. Embracing the manufacturing techniques which have been handed down through generations of European and Wisconsin cheese makers, Widmer’s Cheese Cellars carefully produces some of the finest Brick, Cheddar, and Colby cheeses in the world. When it comes to brick cheese, the young cheese is placed in forms to be pressed– the Master Cheesemaker still uses the same bricks his grandfather bought to weigh down the new cheese decades ago.
Jacobs & Brichford Farmstead Cheese - Connersville, IN
Nestled in the Whitewater River Valley of South East Indiana, their land has been home to their family farm since the early 1800s. They produce all the milk used in their cheese from their grass-fed, Jersey, Normande and Tarentaise cross cows. Their farm is also home to a small flock of hair sheep and a drift of Berkshire hogs. Following nature’s rhythm of milking (in a New Zeeland-style outdoor parlor), they operate a seasonal dairy and move their cows through fresh pastures each day. With their meticulously managed resources and limited use of inputs, they create all-natural, grass-fed milk and cheeses of the highest quality.
Nasonville Dairy - Marshfield, WI
Nasonville Dairy has been committed to cheesemaking excellence for more than a hundred years. Their family-run plant honors classic recipes and embraces innovative flavors to create mouthwatering experiences for every taste. Cheese is only as good as the milk behind it. Their family dairy producers put their hearts and souls into their land — and Wisconsin’s unique mineral profile promises rich flavor. Nasonville Dairy’s 17 licensed cheesemakers and three Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers® ensure top quality in every batch.
Reny Picot - Benton Harbor, MI
Reny Picot began in 1960 in Asturias, a region of northwest Spain, as producers of French cheese varieties. While in the process of setting up the new company, they wanted a brand name that would reflect the high quality of their business and products. Because French cheeses have always been known worldwide for their quality and excellence, they decided on a name with a French flavor: Reny Picot. It has always been the company’s mission to bring its flagship brand to as many parts of the world as possible, to build a company that believes in the efficient use of raw materials through the most advanced technologies of our time, and to provide to consumers with dairy products of the very highest quality.
Tulip Tree Creamery - Indianapolis, IN
Tulip Tree Creamery was founded in 2014 by Fons Smits and Laura Davenport with the help of other advisors. All of their products are made by hand, using microbial rennet that is vegetarian-friendly. They use traditional European Recipes and add their own twist to them! Their products are being distributed across the US with heavier distribution in the mid-west, east and west coast. They are always developing new products and love feedback from their customers on which types of cheese we should make next.
Milton Creamery - Milton, IA
Milton Creamery is the result of a dream built in Southern Iowa – a place with rolling hills, woodlands, rivers, and rich soil. They are a small family owned business that makes award-winning cheese. That’s what they do. But the reason why they do it is much bigger and far more important than them. When they set out to create Milton Creamery over 15 years ago, they did it out of necessity. They wanted to help provide a more viable and economically sound solution for the small, local, and family-owned dairy farms in their community. They felt that if they did it right, and they made a cheese that people would truly enjoy, just maybe they could place a higher value on their neighbor’s milk than the other milk buyers in their area and help support their local dairy farms. In a nutshell, that’s why they are in business.
Hook's Cheese - Mineral Point, WI
Hook’s Cheese Company, Inc. is a family-run business making cheese in a facility that was built into the hills of Mineral Point, WI during the mining era. Known for award-winning cheeses, the company prides itself on producing high-quality products that are a result of years of expertise, rigorous testing and monitoring throughout the cheese-making and aging processes, and milk from local cows, sheep, and goats.
Meister Cheese - Muscoda, WI
For more than a century, Meister Cheese has been known as a high-volume producer of award-winning American-style cheese. Their founder Joseph Meister specialized in making flavorful Cheddar cheese, and Meister Cheese continues to win awards with the family recipes. Over the years, they have added flavored Monterey Jacks, Colby, Havarti, Gouda, and other varieties also recognized for their taste and quality.