The Fight for Our Cheese Right

 When you hear the word "Colby", what's the first thing that pops into your mind?  As a small-town girl who's traveled all over the country, I've come to make this question a staple for any new person that I meet.  And why?  Because the answer is always the same... "CHEESE."  

After living in Minnesota for the past year of college, I have become known as the "crazy cheese Wisconsinite" who judges a state by their cheese, and honestly, can you blame me?  If you've ever been to Wisconsin and tried any of our 600 varieties of cheese produced in the state, then you'll know we take our cheese very seriously.  And with every right to.

As the only state that requires a license to produce cheese, Wisconsin holds this badge of honor close to our hearts.  Not to mention, our Master Cheesemaker Program is one of two in the entire world, THE ENTIRE WORLD PEOPLE.  And this program is literally in our backyard.  Need more proof of Wisconsin's pride in its cheese?  Every Master Cheesemaker in the United States is proud to call Wisconsin their home.  That's a lot of mastery, all from the Cheese State I am happy to call home.

So if you don't know me, let me enlighten you about my cheese obsession.  I grew up just outside of the small town of Colby, right in the heart of America's Dairyland.  And a short half mile bike ride to the south, lied the ever historic, Colby Cheese Factory.  Growing up, I remember exploring through the remains of the building, wondering what it was like in its prime years.  This began the spark of my now, obsession, with cheese.

From cheese tasting at the local 4-H meetings to secretly adding cheese curds on the griddle at dairy breakfasts to making cheese in my animal science class, cheese became a huge part of my life.  Give me a slice of Colby Cheese and a slice of Cheddar, and I could tell you which is which simply on texture.  Living in my Cheese Town my whole life gave me an appreciation for cheese you just can't find anywhere else. 

It wasn't until I went to college, that I truly understood the importance of good cheese.  Ensuring I would stop at Nasonville Dairy for fresh Colby cheese curds, Marieke Gouda for gouda and Ellsworth Creamery for cheddar were all guaranteed stops as I went back to school.  

But let's focus on the main reason for even writing this, Colby Cheese.  As Wisconsin is in fact, the cheese state, it is disappointing to note that we still do not have a state cheese.  And yet, we've been making cheese in this area since the 1830s.  That's before Wisconsin even became a state!  

So where is our pride for our cheese, Wisconsin?  We boast about being the biggest producer of cheese in the country, 4th in the world, and we can't say that we have a specific cheese as Wisconsin's State Cheese.  This bill has been going on for a while now and enough is enough. 

Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association, why can't you commit?

To say you don't want Colby Cheese to be the state cheese because it will create a marketing advantage for Colby Cheese is like saying you want to get a C (when you could get an A) in a class so your friends won't know you're actually good at Calculus.  That is literally how ridiculous you sound.  

When in life were you told to make yourself dumber to conform to your friends' opinions?  Never!  And yet, we see this every day where people of all ages are conforming to society's idea of perfection to not "hurt" anyone's feelings or never show our own perspectives.  It is because of thoughts like this from people we want to look up to, that today's society crumbles under pressure.  If we cannot learn to stand up for something we care about (making Colby Cheese the state cheese), then what's the point?

To validate your argument would contradict other state symbols that are already in place.

For example,

• Are we going to argue now that milk cannot be a state beverage because it will take away sales from non-dairy alternatives?
• Are we going to complain that Polka being the official Wisconsin dance will result in no other dances being done?
• Does having the dairy cow as the official state domestic animal prevent people from raising beef cattle instead?
• Will having the American Water Spaniel as the state dog breed result in no one wanting any other breed of dog?
• Does having cranberries as our state fruit mean strawberry farmers will not be able to make it?
• Are we really going to say that having the Sugar Maple as our state tree means Pines and Birch will never be planted again?

Wisconsin Cheesemakers, these are the same as your argument.  Having a state cheese will do no more to the market than what these state symbols does for them.  Colby Cheese should be the state cheese for the same reasons these things listed above are already state symbols... because they represent the state.

And just so we're clear, I'm not fighting for Colby Cheese because I think it is the best cheese ever invented, because honestly, it's not my favorite.  I will always eat fresh Colby Cheese curds but I would be lying if I didn't tell you my favorite cheese is actually Muenster, followed by Gouda and Swiss.  No, for anyone confused, Colby Cheese should be the state cheese because of the history behind it.

To live less than a mile from the original cheese factory, to listen to that sweet squeak of a fresh Colby Cheese curd, to know that such a powerful symbol started in the small town of Colby, Wisconsin is an accomplishment all Wisconsinites should be proud to celebrate.  For me, Colby Cheese is more than just another product on the shelf.  No, when I see Colby Cheese in the store, I smile because I know it all started in the little town I call home.

When I said in the beginning that I ask strangers what "Colby" means to them, it isn't just a question.  It is a conversation starter which leads to a deeper knowledge that I want to share with the world.  Any accomplishment in life is worth celebrating and to see the way the Colby community has come together time and time again to support the things we care about, that is the real reward.  

Any true Wisconsinite will tell you, cheese is more than something we find on our Culver's Butterburger or sprinkle on literally everything, cheese is a way of life here in Wisconsin.  To deny the Dairy State, America's Dairyland, and the Cheeseheads, a symbol of the very reason we were given all these names, is a disappointment for this Wisco girl.  

Why deprive Colby Cheese of the rightful name it deserves?  What about all the good things that could come out of this?  Imagine the publicity for cheese, Wisconsin, and the agriculture economy.  Are we really willing to sacrifice a good deed for such a critical industry because a Cheesemaker thinks its a bad idea?  The community of Colby alone in favor of this act would outnumber those against this bill, and we're a really small town.

The fight for our cheese right has gone on long enough.  We are not asking for a world title (we already have that).  We, the people of Colby and many other Wisconsinites, want the recognition Colby Cheese deserves because the history needs to be preserved.  And what better way to preserve it than have it written down in legislative law?

Colby- The Official Cheese for the State of Wisconsin 

I wrote it down.  Now all we need is YOU.  Let's make this official together.  Who wants to be present at an event that will go down in history?  Who wants to make a difference in every true Wisconsinite's life.  Vote "yes" for Colby Cheese, because the history speaks for itself.

Wisconsin Lawmakers, we need your help.  Let's come together as the community we are and give a little recognition to our glorious state we are so lucky to call home.  Because who better to have the first state cheese, than the state who created its own cheese?

Mark your calendars, our hearing is July 7th, 2021.  

In Wisconsin,

    I believe in the future of agriculture.

    I believe in the necessity of community.

    I believe in representation.

    I believe in state symbols.

    I believe in small town pride.

Because no matter what the decision, I believe in Colby Cheese.