How did you get started making cheese?

Unlike many cheesemakers, I was not born into cheesemaking. My parents introduced me to great food and cooking at an early age and for many years, I wanted to become a chef.

My career in cheesemaking began at the Northside Cheese Coop in Monticello, Wisconsin. After 17 years there, I was a supervisor at Avonmore Inc. cheese facility in Kent, IL. Seven years later, I made the move to Roth Käse USA where I was the plant manager and head cheesemaker. I have experience in producing Baby Swiss, Havarti, Farmers, Cheddar, Raclette, Fontina, Gruyere, Mozzarella, Provolone, Ricotta, Romano, Parmesan, Swiss, Brick and Muenster.

In August 2003 I left Roth Käse USA, and bought my own cheese plant in Monticello. The little factory was built in 1916 and was seriously run down after being vacant for two and a half years. I spent the next six months working to turn Edelweiss Town Hall Cheese into what today is a state-of-the art little cheese plant. The doors opened for production in April 2004.

What are you producing at Edelweiss?

My goal is make wonderful old-world Emmenthaler, a 180-pound wheel of Swiss. To do this, I imported an entire Swiss cheese plant, including a traditional copper-lined vat, from Switzerland. I'm also making a variety of specialty cheeses.

The copper is critical for producing real Swiss cheese. As the milk and curds are stirred around in the vat, miniscule particles of the copper enter the cheese, causing a reaction that ultimately results in the desired rich, nutty flavor.

Once the curds are pressed and removed from the giant round forms, my staff and I hand-wash them and turn them twice each week with a salt-water solution for two months. During this time, the rind develops and the characteristic interior eyes begin to form. This size takes longer to age, giving a unique texture and flavor to this traditional cheese.

The eyes on traditional copper-kettle Emmenthaler are large. They should be about the size of a quarter. What most people know today as Swiss cheese has eyes only about the size of a nickel.

I'm proud to say Edelweiss Town Hall Cheese is the only factory in the United States making Large Wheel Swiss Emmenthaler.

You're a Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, what does that mean?

Wisconsin's Master Cheesemaker program is really the top of the line in cheesemaking. In order to even be accepted to the program you need to have been making cheese for 10 years. I've been lucky enough to have been involved in the program. In 1999, I was certified as a Master Cheesemaker in Gruyere and Baby Swiss and I then returned in 2002 for additional certification in Butterkase and Havarti. In 2005, I graduated again with certification in Raclette. Currently, I am in the program for specialty Swiss and Emmenthaler.

When I learned about the Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker program, I felt I was at the point where I'd gone as far as I could go in cheesemaking, so I was eager to add this feather to my cap. It's like putting an advanced college degree behind your name.

The opportunity to work with the other cheesemakers was the highlight for me. There is a special camaraderie among Wisconsin cheesemakers to work together toward the common goal of producing great cheese. This and our great Wisconsin milk supply set us apart from the rest of the country.

Why do you choose to make cheese in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin dairies produce the best milk. All of my milk comes from a farm just a quarter-mile down the road, and my product is as close to a farmstead specialty as possible without having the animals raised directly on my own property.

I don't pool milk from multiple farms and because of that I know how the animals are cared for and what they eat. I'm confident that it's the highest quality I can get. That's another important factor in its ultimate flavor and quality. Any great cheese has to start with great milk.

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