Madison Originals Magazine Madison Originals Magazine May 2014 | Page 35

have a similar passion for Wisconsin
artisan cheese on crafting the menu.
Most events are held in Madison and
Milwaukee, but Jeanne recently worked
with Wave Kasprzak of the Dining Room
at 209 Main, a farm-to-table restaurant
in Monticello.
Her love for and knowledge of cheese is
demonstrably apparent, but it was only
10 years ago that Jeanne found herself
launched into the world of cheesemaking.
Raised on a farm, she spent her early
career as a city government reporter
and agriculture writer before joining the
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture,
Trade and Consumer Protection
(DATCP), eventually serving as its
spokeswoman.
In the early 2000s, the State of Wisconsin
received an earmark from Congress
to reinvest in its dairy industry. At the
time, more than 300 dairy farms per
month and three to five cheese plants
per year were being lost. One of the
problems? The majority of cheesemakers
were making cheddar. In 2004, Jeanne

and a DATCP team helped open the
Dairy Business Innovation Center to
support the development of specialty
and artisanal cheese. The team also
convinced cheesemakers to diversify
and move from making cheddar to more
artisan varieties. “I really fell in love with
cheese, and met the most genuine, most
hard-working people,” Jeanne says.
In 2007, Jeanne left the state to work
as a public relations and marketing
consultant for some of the cheesemakers
she had worked with. Unfortunately, the
Dairy Business Innovation Center closed
in 2012 due to a lack of funding, but
their work remains evident. According
to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing
Board, specialty cheese is now 22% of
Wisconsin’s total production. In 2012,
more than 600 million pounds of
specialty cheese was produced in the
state.
After working with so many Wisconsin
cheesemakers, one has to wonder if
Jeanne has a favorite cheese. After a
moment’s hesitation, she confesses,

“Uplands Cheese Rush Creek Reserve. It’s
stinky, meaty, and downright delicious.”
Wisconsin Cheese Originals hopes
to continue increasing artisan cheese
production by maintaining strong
networks with cheesemakers. Several
years ago, they supported Todd Jaskolski,
owner of Caprine Supreme, who was
forced to reorganize his dairy plant after
a genetic disease began making it hard
for him to lift his arms. Now, with a
revamped setup, he is able to produce his
revered “La-Von,” a French farmhouse
brie made with goat’s milk.
As Wisconsin Cheese Originals moves
into the future, Jeanne hopes to build
the strong community that has formed
around artisan cheese. She concludes,
“We are on the cusp of diversification of
cheese. Cheesemakers are always telling
me about the new cheeses they are
making, and a lot more young women
are becoming cheesemakers. It’s an
exciting time.”
More information on Wisconsin Cheese
Originals and how to sign up for special
events and classes can be found at
wisconsincheeseoriginals.com.
Holly Whittlef is a freelance designer
and writer who lives in Madison, and
blogs about her love of good design
and food at Hollis Anne.
Photographs provided by
Wisconsin Cheese Originals.

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