MONROE - Roger Kubly is the Big Cheese.
The Foreign Type Cheesemakers Association announced Kubly, Monroe, will receive the Big Cheese Award Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Cheesemakers Ball in Turner Hall. He also will receive a plaque and engraved wrist watch to commemorate the event.
The early announcement is a change from previous years.
"It used to be a surprise, but we decided to get it out there early this year, so he would enjoy it more than just that evening," association member Gary Grossen said.
The Big Cheese Award was started "20-plus" years ago, Grossen said.
The beginnings of the award were not formally planned.
"We were sitting around talking and decided to recognize someone who did a lot for the dairy industry," Grossen said. The association decided to do the award, "because a lot of people are well-deserving of recognition."
"Roger Kubly is a great recipient," Jeff Wideman, another member, said. "He has provided a major service to our industry here for over 30 years. He has provided service to the cheese industry locally.
"Roger is dependable, reliable, honest and very giving. He has donated a lot of trucking to other organizations. There's not a more honest guy around."
The stipulations for who is chosen for the award are still the same today: The person has been in the cheese industry in some way, and they have done a lot for the dairy industry, even farming.
"Farming is a great big industry for our state," Grossen said.
Choosing a person to receive the award has never been a complicated process. There are no guidelines, rules or forms.
The Board of the Foreign Type Cheesemakers Association "sit in a group and throw names on the table," Grossen said. "Someone just comes up with a name. It's very casual."
The process is so casual that a record of past recipients is not kept on file.
The Foreign Type Cheesemakers Association has been around for 80 to 90 years, as a testing association. The name was taken at a time in the early 1900s when so much Limburger and Swiss cheeses were made.
The Foreign Type Cheesemakers Association announced Kubly, Monroe, will receive the Big Cheese Award Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Cheesemakers Ball in Turner Hall. He also will receive a plaque and engraved wrist watch to commemorate the event.
The early announcement is a change from previous years.
"It used to be a surprise, but we decided to get it out there early this year, so he would enjoy it more than just that evening," association member Gary Grossen said.
The Big Cheese Award was started "20-plus" years ago, Grossen said.
The beginnings of the award were not formally planned.
"We were sitting around talking and decided to recognize someone who did a lot for the dairy industry," Grossen said. The association decided to do the award, "because a lot of people are well-deserving of recognition."
"Roger Kubly is a great recipient," Jeff Wideman, another member, said. "He has provided a major service to our industry here for over 30 years. He has provided service to the cheese industry locally.
"Roger is dependable, reliable, honest and very giving. He has donated a lot of trucking to other organizations. There's not a more honest guy around."
The stipulations for who is chosen for the award are still the same today: The person has been in the cheese industry in some way, and they have done a lot for the dairy industry, even farming.
"Farming is a great big industry for our state," Grossen said.
Choosing a person to receive the award has never been a complicated process. There are no guidelines, rules or forms.
The Board of the Foreign Type Cheesemakers Association "sit in a group and throw names on the table," Grossen said. "Someone just comes up with a name. It's very casual."
The process is so casual that a record of past recipients is not kept on file.
The Foreign Type Cheesemakers Association has been around for 80 to 90 years, as a testing association. The name was taken at a time in the early 1900s when so much Limburger and Swiss cheeses were made.