Madison, Wis. – With its 2014 graduating class, the Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker® program celebrates 20 years of providing the nation's only advanced training course of its kind for veteran cheesemakers. This year's class includes four new Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers and three veteran Masters who repeated the program to earn certification in additional cheese varieties.
The four new Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers are:
- Mike Brennenstuhl, Great Lakes Cheese Seymour, Inc., Seymour, Wis., certified for Blue and Gorgonzola
- Pat Doell, Agropur, Inc., Luxemburg, certified for Mozzarella and Provolone
- Brian Renard, Renard's Rosewood Dairy/Renard's Cheese, Algoma, Wis., certified for Cheddar and Colby
- Chris Renard, Renard's Rosewood Dairy/Renard's Cheese, Algoma, Wis., certified for Cheddar and Mozzarella
Returning graduates in the 2014 class are:
- Mark Gustafson, Sartori Company, Plymouth, Wis., now certified for Fontina and Romano, as well as Parmesan and Asiago
- Paul Reigle, Maple Leaf Cheese, Monroe, now certified for Cheddar in addition to Yogurt Cheese and Monterey Jack
- Bruce Workman, Edelweiss Creamery, Monticello, now certified for Cheddar and Gouda in addition to Baby Swiss, Brick, Butterkäse, Emmental, Gruyère, Havarti, Muenster, Raclette and Specialty Swiss (low-sodium, low-fat lacy Swiss).
The graduates will be honored and presented with Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker medallions at a ceremony during the International Cheese Technology Exposition in Milwaukee on April 24.
"We congratulate the 2014 graduates and are proud to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this unique program. Those who have earned the title of Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker have such a dedication to their craft and pride in what they've achieved," says James Robson, CEO of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB). "The impact of the program on them personally, as well as on their companies and the Wisconsin cheese industry has been immeasurable."
Established in 1994 through a joint partnership of the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, UW-Extension and WMMB, the Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker® program is the most formalized, advanced training program in the nation. Patterned after European programs, it is administered by the Center for Dairy Research and funded by Wisconsin dairy producers, through WMMB. Applicants to the program must be active, licensed Wisconsin cheesemakers with at least 10 years of experience. Cheesemakers can earn certification in up to two cheese varieties each time they enroll in the three-year program and must have been making those varieties as a licensed cheesemaker for a minimum of five years prior to entering the program. Once certified, they're entitled to use the distinctive Master's Mark® on their product labels and in other marketing materials.
For additional information and questions, contact Jon Whitely at jwhitely@stephanbrady.com, 608-241-4141.