Wisconsin specialty cheese production up 1%

With 25% of the nation’s total cheese production, Wisconsin maintained its ranking as the nation’s top cheese producing state in 2024. At 1.02 billion pounds, specialty cheese accounted for 28% of Wisconsin’s total cheese production. This was an increase of 71.3 million pounds from 2023. Ninety-three of the state’s 116 cheese plants manufactured at least one type of specialty cheese during 2024. Wisconsin cheesemakers are known for offering a wide variety of high-quality specialty cheeses. A specialty cheese is a value-added product that commands a premium price. According to the Wisconsin Specialty Cheese Institute, the nature of specialty cheese is derived from one or more unique qualities — such as exotic origin, particular processing or design, limited supply, unusual application or use, and extraordinary packaging or channel of sale. The common denominator is its very high quality.