This Cheesemaker Took a Cue From the Moon to Craft Hill Valley’s First Award-Profitable Wisconsin Authentic

We have now teamed up with Wisconsin Cheese for an interview mini-series referred to as Meet the Makers, that includes a sampling of the state’s greatest cheesemakers and their award-winning creations.

When you grew up within the ‘90s like I did, likelihood is that you additionally watched the charmingly British sequence of brief movies that includes Wallace and his suave canine, Gromit. In an installment titled A Grand Day Out, Wallace and Gromit understand they’ve eaten via their cheese retail outlets, in order that they embark on a quest to search out extra. Naturally, their adventure takes them to the moon—that massive, faded yellow orb within the sky with its Swiss cheese-like holes. Spoiler alert: Wallace and Gromit uncover that the moon isn’t, if truth be told, made from cheese and go back house with none further curds in tow.

Wisconsin cheesemaker and Hill Valley Dairy founder Ron Henningfeld regarded to the moon with equivalent tacky interest when making his first ever cheese, Luna—and the remainder is historical past. As of late, Ron and his spouse Josie churn out wheel after wheel of this celestial-inspired cheese at the side of an excellent lineup of cheddars, Goudas, and cheese curds, all made the use of milk from his brother’s circle of relatives farm. I sat down with Ron to be informed extra about his moon cheese, their milk-to-market type, and what it manner to be a cheesemaker in Wisconsin.

This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.

MADISON TRAPKIN: Are you able to inform me who you might be and what you do?

RON HENNINGFELD: I’m a cheesemaker at Hill Valley Dairy and I make small batches of artisan cheese the use of milk from my brother’s dairy farm

What does it imply to be a Wisconsin cheesemaker?

I believe to be a cheesemaker in Wisconsin manner to be a part of a circle of relatives, a part of a group. We are all rooting for every different [and] looking to make the most efficient Wisconsin cheese that we will.

How cool is it whilst you get to in fact watch anyone take their first chew of one in all your cheeses?

When I am getting to peer shoppers check out [our] cheeses for the primary time and I am getting to peer the response, it is rewarding simply to peer them smile or nod or give this perception [that] they are playing it. That is the rewarding facet of cheesemaking. When other people inquire from me what I really like about being a cheesemaker, after all I really like beginning with our circle of relatives’s milk and making cheese, however I additionally experience that cheese makes other people satisfied. I really like creating a product that makes other people satisfied.

What does “milk-to-market” imply?

What we do at Hill Valley Dairy is a bit bit distinctive [in] that we are in a position to make use of milk from simplest our circle of relatives’s farm to make the cheeses we produce. It makes me recall to mind that first day after I began Hill Valley Dairy and we were given a load of milk, a small truckload from the farm, and taken it to the creamery. I would already been a cheesemaker for a couple of years, however this was once the primary time I used to be making cheese with milk from our circle of relatives farm. That was once simply in point of fact, in point of fact particular. It was once particular to make that product, proportion it with the circle of relatives, and in the end promote it to shoppers. So milk to marketplace is an instantaneous line. It is not a advertising ploy—it is very tangible, particularly with shoppers in need of to grasp the place [things] are from. It’s [about] realizing. Understanding the farm very in my view, realizing my brother runs an incredible farm and looks after the animals—wholesome animals and high quality feed produce high quality milk, which is in the end what we’d like for generating nice cheese.

How does Hill Valley Dairy construct group via cheese?

I believe the group of cheese enthusiasts existed for a very long time and Hill Valley Dairy, however now [we] play a job in that. Our position is to stay generating nice Wisconsin cheese. Whether or not it is the farmers markets or the cheese store or the cheese occasions, we offer a spot for a group of cheese other people to come back acquire, get excellent cheese, and discuss cheese. I believe we additionally be offering an front level for individuals who may no longer know but how a lot they do admire cheese. When we will put some in point of fact excellent cheese in entrance of them that has a tale and has a taste and style and profile to head with it, then we are rising this group to do extra.

Let’s communicate cheese—inform me concerning the beginning tale for Luna.

I have been a cheesemaker for approximately 12 years now and it’s develop into a large a part of my lifestyles and my circle of relatives’s lifestyles. My spouse, Josie, and I are at all times speaking about cheese. Everyone knows [the story] of [how] the moon was once made from cheese, and [Josie and I] at all times took that dialog additional. If the moon was once made from cheese, what wouldn’t it style like? So we’d at all times have that banter concerning the moon and cheese and in the end more or less having this concept of like, we will have to make a cheese that tastes just like the moon.

When Hill Valley Dairy was once more youthful, I used to be making some trials of cheeses that will be originals for [us]. There was once an afternoon that I introduced 3 or 4 samples of cheeses to the kitchen desk with Josie. We sat down and tasted a few sorts, and we were given to this one. We tasted it and we had been like that is Luna as a result of [of] its crumbly texture, its saltiness, its tanginess, its nuttiness. It simply more or less struck [us] that that is what the moon would style like.

You’ve made some award-winning cheeses through the years—what are one of the vital awards you’re maximum pleased with?

Over the past two years I have submitted Luna and a few different cheeses into the International Cheese Championship pageant and they have achieved very properly. Luna has taken 3rd in its elegance and fourth in its elegance in numerous years and its spouse cheese, Alina, has taken fourth in its elegance as smartly. So the ones are, the ones are some awards we are very pleased with. In a global championship pageant the place there [are] over 3,000 entries and our does ok, that is lovely spectacular, in truth.

Your operation is exclusive in that your cheeses are made with milk out of your circle of relatives’s dairy. Do you are feeling that this lets you be extra nimble to your cheesemaking procedure?

I believe having a continuing supply of milk from a unmarried circle of relatives farm in fact results in extra consistency. I do know that milk very in my view [even as] it adjustments all over the yr. I believe nimbleness comes from making small batches of cheese and with the ability to be hands-on with it.

If we want to make changes or need to make changes, we will. We will be able to as a result of it is only a small batch and we will tweak issues by hook or by crook if we are looking to be in step with the cheese or if we are looking to exchange cheese, and particularly if we are looking to make a brand new cheese. Our batch sizes are in point of fact affordable to play with and check out some amusing issues and spot what comes from it.

What does the long run grasp for Hill Valley Dairy?

We are lovely excited at this time. It was once simply months in the past after we obtained our personal micro-cheese manufacturing unit. We are excited for our group of workers to ramp up the cheeses we already make, get extra of the ones into the marketplace and to shoppers who’re in search of it and if truth be told requesting them. So we are excited to carry extra milk from the circle of relatives farm to the cheese manufacturing unit, make extra cheese, and achieve a bigger area. [We’re] additionally interested by the potential for making a few new cheeses as a result of we’ve got keep an eye on of our manufacturing facility on this area.

Our new manufacturing facility in Milwaukee has a entrance finish that we’re going to revamp into great cheese retail, but additionally [as] a meeting position for individuals who love cheese.

Our buddies at Wisconsin Cheese are dedicated to showcasing the entire superb cheeses the state has to provide—and there is a large number of them. Wisconsin has extra flavors, sorts, and types of cheese than any place else on this planet. From Italian classics like Parmesan and ricotta to Wisconsin Originals like Colby and Brick, this cheese-obsessed state has a bit one thing for everybody. In finding out extra about Wisconsin Cheese by way of visiting their website online.