Midwest cheese producers are bringing
something new to the table.
BY JANET FLETCHER
Cheeses from the Heartland
PHOTO: ANNA PETROW
T
o many Americans, the Heartland is that vast, flat prairie between the coasts with the amber
waves of grain. Certainly corn, wheat, and soybeans thrive in the Heartland—also known as
the Midwest—but dairying is huge, too, especially in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.
Artisan cheese from the Midwest barely registers in the region's economy, but the segment is growing.
For merchants, these up-and-coming creameries contribute new flavors and fresh stories to the cheese
case. A few Midwest producers, like Capriole Goat Cheese, Hook's Cheese Co., and Roth Cheese, are
veterans that continue to innovate. Many others have yet to complete their first decade.
Green Dirt Farm Aux Arcs
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