Ponderosa Dairy Products, LLC of Kewaunee, WI was recognized at the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association awards ceremony, in Madison, on April 18, for their Ponderosa Farmstead Fiesta String Cheese. Fiesta String earned a gold medal during judging, which was held at the US Cheese Championship, March 5-7 at Lambeau Field. Ponderosa Dairy Products, LLC competed against 2,555 entries from 35 states.
“We are very proud of our team for earning this award! It is an incredible accomplishment for our small plant of employees. to compete successfully on the world stage.” Ben Shibler, head cheesemaker of Ponderosa Dairy Products, shared. “This is a testament to the incredible quality of our farmstead cheeses, which are produced through the hard work and dedication of our team.”
Ponderosa Dairy Products, LLC crafted their award-winning, farmstead cheese at their on-site farm production facility. To be classified as a farmstead, cheese needs to be produced on-farm using milk from the dairy herd. The on-farm production facility is housed at Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, LLC - Wisconsin’s largest family owned and operated dairy farm.
“This award puts our farmstead products in the national spotlight, opening doors for the growth of our brand,” states Shibler. “I am very excited for the future of Ponderosa Farmstead!”
Award- winning, Ponderosa Farmstead Fiesta String Cheese, can be found at Ron’s Wisconsin Cheese, LLC in Luxemburg, Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, LLC on-farm, general store and online at www.ronscheese.com
Ponderosa Dairy Products, LLC began farmstead cheese production in 2014 as an extension of Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, LLC – owned by Kewaunee’s Pagel family since 1946. Ponderosa Dairy Products, LLC handcrafts farmstead cheese curds, string, whips and variety of block cheeses under their brand, Ponderosa Farmstead. For more information on fresh, Ponderosa Farmstead cheeses, visit pagelsponderosa.com
