MONROE - Getting into the cheese sales tent at Green County Cheese Days should be less of an effort this year.
The 160-foot tent is 60 percent longer than last year, and special buying-only areas have been set aside for those who know what they want - no more waiting behind the samplers to decide which of the hundred varieties they like best. People were invited to "come on in and mill about," decimating a waiting line that was backing up by 11 a.m. Friday, just an hour after the tent opened.
What are some of the best sellers in the cheese tent?
"Cheese curds, always," said Steve Stettler of Decatur Dairy, Brodhead, whose booth is offering 30 varieties of cheese for sale, including eight from Chalet Cheese Cooperative of Monroe.
Coming in close behind for Decatur sales is Stettler Swiss - a lacy Swiss, and Colby-Swiss - a blend that taps down the powerful Swiss for a softer texture and a relaxed, lingering flavor.
A new Decatur cheese making its Cheese Days debut and "a big hit this year is Beer Cheddar," Stettler added. And yes, you can taste the beer.
Decatur has nine booth workers, with four or five people each shift, pulling "long days," to keep the sampler lines moving, Stettler said.
Edelweiss Creamery, Monticello, which makes the well-known, large Swiss wheels, is also presenting a new cheese at Cheese Days this year - Eiger Mountain, a Swiss cheese without the eyes.
"Not every wheel is perfect," said Bruce Workman.
Aged for four years, Eiger Mountain has a drier texture than Swiss and developed Parmesan, Romano, Gruyere and Swiss flavors.
"It's a mouthful of flavor once you bite into it," Workman said.
Edelweiss brought 23 booth workers and at least a dozen cheese varieties to Cheese Days this year.
Only its award-winning cheeses from the past two years, including Tuscan Dream, Havarti and Dill Havarti, are for sale, and "all are moving like crazy," Workman said. Six people are working per shift, and some are pulling double shifts. That number does not include Workman himself, who said he's the fallback guy.
Klondike Cheese brought its line of Odyssey brand Greek yogurts to its first appearance in the Cheese Days sales tent.
"Good cheesemakers know their culture," said Master Feta Cheesemaker Jim DeMeter, who is converting to yogurt-making, which he said is still "all about the culture."
Of the six master Feta cheesemakers in the U.S., four work at Klondike, according to Stan Woodworth, the company's national sales manager for its yogurt.
"Greek yogurt is being called the food of the decade," Woodworth said. "Some say, the century."
Popular yogurt flavors among Klondike sales are strawberry and blueberry, followed quickly by raspberry and black cherry. All have no added sugars - the fruit does the sweetening. Klondike also produces 2 percent fat and nonfat plain yogurts.
Brunkow Cheese of rural Darlington makes more than 50 varieties but felt they needed to bring only their top seller, Bruun-uusto Baked Cheese, to Cheese Day, but it comes in numerous flavors: plain, pizza, jalapeno, bacon, garlic, and their new, limited Hatched pepper.
Kyle Geissbuhler, 23, was helping his parents at their booth Friday -he's been coming with them to Cheese Days since he could just barley se over the booth tables, about 15 years. Bruun-uusto is like no other cheese. Baked, not fried, with brown surfaces, it makes delicious appetizers, that won't leave behind a greasy mess in your hands.
Their third time at Cheese Days, Josh and Carla Erickson, owners of Silver-Lewis Cheese of Monticello, were also holding down their own booth on Friday.
Which varieties sell the best for them?
"It's different each year," Carla said, "but always aged brick ... and the horseradish (flavored farmers cheese) - always."
Aging with each Cheese Days, Cascaval, with its Greek Parmesan-Asiago flavor, is also on Silver-Lewis's sale tables. This year, it's four years old. Newest to the Silver-Lewis family of cheeses is Smoke Habanero, making its first Cheese Days appearance.
Cheese sales are a big part of Cheese Days, especially for the area cheesemakers. They plan for months to attend and began setting up booths as early as Thursday night. Some cheesemakers didn't have such a luxury.
"We had to make cheese this morning," said Hans Lehner of Valley View Cheese Co-op in South Wayne.
At 10:30 a.m. Friday, he was still stocking his sales booth with his best sellers, Cheddar, Havarti and Muenster curds.
"Made fresh this morning," he added.
The 160-foot tent is 60 percent longer than last year, and special buying-only areas have been set aside for those who know what they want - no more waiting behind the samplers to decide which of the hundred varieties they like best. People were invited to "come on in and mill about," decimating a waiting line that was backing up by 11 a.m. Friday, just an hour after the tent opened.
What are some of the best sellers in the cheese tent?
"Cheese curds, always," said Steve Stettler of Decatur Dairy, Brodhead, whose booth is offering 30 varieties of cheese for sale, including eight from Chalet Cheese Cooperative of Monroe.
Coming in close behind for Decatur sales is Stettler Swiss - a lacy Swiss, and Colby-Swiss - a blend that taps down the powerful Swiss for a softer texture and a relaxed, lingering flavor.
A new Decatur cheese making its Cheese Days debut and "a big hit this year is Beer Cheddar," Stettler added. And yes, you can taste the beer.
Decatur has nine booth workers, with four or five people each shift, pulling "long days," to keep the sampler lines moving, Stettler said.
Edelweiss Creamery, Monticello, which makes the well-known, large Swiss wheels, is also presenting a new cheese at Cheese Days this year - Eiger Mountain, a Swiss cheese without the eyes.
"Not every wheel is perfect," said Bruce Workman.
Aged for four years, Eiger Mountain has a drier texture than Swiss and developed Parmesan, Romano, Gruyere and Swiss flavors.
"It's a mouthful of flavor once you bite into it," Workman said.
Edelweiss brought 23 booth workers and at least a dozen cheese varieties to Cheese Days this year.
Only its award-winning cheeses from the past two years, including Tuscan Dream, Havarti and Dill Havarti, are for sale, and "all are moving like crazy," Workman said. Six people are working per shift, and some are pulling double shifts. That number does not include Workman himself, who said he's the fallback guy.
Klondike Cheese brought its line of Odyssey brand Greek yogurts to its first appearance in the Cheese Days sales tent.
"Good cheesemakers know their culture," said Master Feta Cheesemaker Jim DeMeter, who is converting to yogurt-making, which he said is still "all about the culture."
Of the six master Feta cheesemakers in the U.S., four work at Klondike, according to Stan Woodworth, the company's national sales manager for its yogurt.
"Greek yogurt is being called the food of the decade," Woodworth said. "Some say, the century."
Popular yogurt flavors among Klondike sales are strawberry and blueberry, followed quickly by raspberry and black cherry. All have no added sugars - the fruit does the sweetening. Klondike also produces 2 percent fat and nonfat plain yogurts.
Brunkow Cheese of rural Darlington makes more than 50 varieties but felt they needed to bring only their top seller, Bruun-uusto Baked Cheese, to Cheese Day, but it comes in numerous flavors: plain, pizza, jalapeno, bacon, garlic, and their new, limited Hatched pepper.
Kyle Geissbuhler, 23, was helping his parents at their booth Friday -he's been coming with them to Cheese Days since he could just barley se over the booth tables, about 15 years. Bruun-uusto is like no other cheese. Baked, not fried, with brown surfaces, it makes delicious appetizers, that won't leave behind a greasy mess in your hands.
Their third time at Cheese Days, Josh and Carla Erickson, owners of Silver-Lewis Cheese of Monticello, were also holding down their own booth on Friday.
Which varieties sell the best for them?
"It's different each year," Carla said, "but always aged brick ... and the horseradish (flavored farmers cheese) - always."
Aging with each Cheese Days, Cascaval, with its Greek Parmesan-Asiago flavor, is also on Silver-Lewis's sale tables. This year, it's four years old. Newest to the Silver-Lewis family of cheeses is Smoke Habanero, making its first Cheese Days appearance.
Cheese sales are a big part of Cheese Days, especially for the area cheesemakers. They plan for months to attend and began setting up booths as early as Thursday night. Some cheesemakers didn't have such a luxury.
"We had to make cheese this morning," said Hans Lehner of Valley View Cheese Co-op in South Wayne.
At 10:30 a.m. Friday, he was still stocking his sales booth with his best sellers, Cheddar, Havarti and Muenster curds.
"Made fresh this morning," he added.