When people think “Wisconsin,” a few things come to mind.  Right after the Green Bay Packers, most people will no doubt think, “Wisconsin Cheese.”  This is because ever since the 1890s, Wisconsin agriculture has been focused on dairy production, of which cheese is a major part.  Wisconsin Cheddar cheese, in particular, has put Wisconsin cheese production on the map.

Of course, the story of cheddar cheese does not begin with Wisconsin cheese production.  It begins in the small village of Cheddar, which you can still find today in the southwestern county of Somerset, in England.  It has been produced there since the 12th century, making its recorded history almost a millennium long, though it may date back even further, to the time when the Romans occupied Britain.