Marieke Penterman was born and raised in the Netherlands on a 60-cow dairy farm, so her move to Thorp, Wisconsin, with her husband Rolf in 2002 was a natural first step in carrying out their shared passion for dairy farming. In 2006, desperately missing their gouda from Holland, Marieke and Rolf embarked on a new adventure in cheesemaking. Using farmstead-fresh, raw cow's milk from their family farm, Marieke began crafting authentic Dutch cheeses. The milk is piped directly from the cows into the cheese-processing vat after the first milking of the day and its freshness is unrivaled. The awards are proof – just one year after Marieke crafted her first batch of gouda in November 2006, she captured a gold award at the U.S. Champion Cheese Contest in 2007. Dozens of awards have followed including the biggest win, the U.S. Grand Champion in 2013. Marieke brought her time-tested, Old World cheesemaking methods to us from the Netherlands, and we're glad she's here in Wisconsin!

When you choose Castle Rock Organic Farms products, you're supporting a Wisconsin sustainable organic farm and a family, too. At Castle Rock, oldest son Barry and his family take care of the herd and do the crop work, second son Jake is plant manager and cheesemaker, and the grandchildren are the 5th generation of farmers. They practice stewardship of land, body and soul, and believe in nurturing future generations through the quality and craftsmanship of every product they create. It all starts with the cows that lead relaxing lives, grazing on green pastures, and ends with the products you find in stores that bring back the taste of time gone by. We hope you'll enjoy the sustainable, organic life with Castle Rock Organic Farms!

Back in 1910, a group of local family farms looked to establish a consistent, trustworthy market for their rBST-free milk and Maple Leaf Cheese Co-op was born. Fast forward to the present, Maple Leaf is still locally farmer-owned and recently celebrated 100 years in the cheesemaking business. Cheeses at Maple Leaf reflect the pride and care exhibited by small family farms that utilize quality milk to make handcrafted cheeses... and it's something you can taste in their delicious small batch cheeses. From traditional cheddar (you'll love the Gold Medal World Champion English Hollow cheddar) to the best-selling cranberry white cheddar, Maple Leaf is sure to please the most avid cheese lover. Maple Leaf's own Master Cheesemakers also craft award-winning "jack" cheeses with award-winning monterey jack. We recommend the flavored jacks with chipotle and habanero. They're sure to heat up your next party.