Posted: 12.17.2010

You could hear the smile in his voice.  John Umhoefer, executive director of the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association, said that the holidays have been treating most of his members very well.

"Wisconsin cheesemakers have a disproportionately large amount of sales during the holiday's," Umhoefer said in his interview with Pam Jahnke.  "So far the reports I've gotten are that sales are very strong."

Umhoefer tells Jahnke that the "buy local" movement has also helped consumers connect with their local cheesemaker.  "Only in Wisconsin can you go to the cheese shop - shake the hand of the cheesemaker and get the story - and then take home bulk Wisconsin cheese and re-tell the story to your friends and family while you entertain.  It's great!"  Umhoefer says for a lot of smaller cheese plants - the holiday business is what keeps them going.

Umhoefer says the downturn in the economy hasn't shackled the Wisconsin cheese industry.  In fact he notes that there's been more expansion during the slide.  "I'm looking at no less then 20 companies that have added seven figure additions to their plants," Umhoefer says, "Cheese is a backbone industry in Wisconsin and we really hope people can appreciate it."  He hopes that Governor-Elect, Scott Walker's paying attention too.

In fact Wisconsin's cheesemakers have been so successful - they're facing a new challenge.  A lack of qualified employees to fill jobs at these expanding plants.  To that end, the Wisconsin Cheesemakers have announced a financial infusion to the Babcock Institute on the UW-Madison campus to try and create curriculum that will jumpstart getting a new stream of employees into the market place.  The $500,000 donation is designed to generate interest in renovating the Babcock facility and future fund raising efforts.

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