MONROE - People started gathering early in front of the giant copper kettle north of the Green County Courthouse for the Old World Cheesemaking demonstration at noon Saturday. Soon there was standing room only.
John Bussman from Warren Ill. was making his last four-hour presentation of the traditional cheesemaking process to create a 200-pound wheel of Swiss cheese for the 2010 Green County Cheese Days.
Bussmann started performing demonstrations in 1970. This year marks his twenty-first demonstration for Cheese Days.
A third-generation cheesemaker and a president of the Historic Cheesemakers for 16 years, Bussmann, 85, said this has to be his last year. Even the "young guys" who helped him for decades are getting old, he said.
"Last time, when we got done, we sat around and said this should be our last year," Bussman said to the crowd. "This year, we're saying this will be our last year."
Bussman entertained the crowds with wit and humor and cheesy tales mixed in with the history and chemistry of cheesemaking.
As the demonstration was about to begin, he proved the authenticity of his Swiss heritage with a little yodeling, and the audience applauded.
The milk, pre-heated to 101 degrees Fahrenheit and transported by the Faith family from Monroe, arrived about 15 minutes early, but Bussman was ready for it.
He directed his helpers to lift the Plexiglas covering from the kettle. This year, Master Cheesemakers Jeff Wideman from Maple Leaf Cheese Factory and Gary Grossen from Babcock Hall at University of Wisconsin-Madison had the privilege of helping Bussman.
Plexiglas is a modern invention, but Bussman was making cheese outdoors. And even though none of the cheese made during the demonstration is allowed to be sold, Bussman was concerned about keeping the cheese clean.
Even in the relative warmth of a September day, the audience could see steam rising from the 1,700 pounds of milk, about 200 gallons, being pumped into the kettle.
Bussman added extra calcium, which aids in coagulation, according to Wideman, and reduces the amount of culture needed.
Bussman also added the bacterial culture that takes plain milk into its cheese-type destiny, in this case, Swiss.
"Culture used to be liquid. Now it comes frozen," Bussman said, holding up a small plastic bag of a white mass.
Alphorns are blown in Switzerland to announce to other cheesemakers that the cheese is in the process of being made, Bussman said. He had his Alphorn players on sight to continue the tradition.
As the milk set, Bussman signaled for the music to start. Rodalee Huntington on the accordion and Jerry Hastings on the banjo slipped in with some old-time Swiss polka music.
"I didn't know singing and music playing were part of making cheese," an observer said.
But after the cows are milked and the cheese started, what else is there to do while the rennet sets the milk into a thick custard?
Bussman said much of the history of cheesemaking, farming and the dairy industry has been lost, which is why he has taken on the job of showing others the Old World process.
With Bussman's retirement from demonstrating at Cheese Days, another little piece of cheesemaking history goes with him.
John Bussman from Warren Ill. was making his last four-hour presentation of the traditional cheesemaking process to create a 200-pound wheel of Swiss cheese for the 2010 Green County Cheese Days.
Bussmann started performing demonstrations in 1970. This year marks his twenty-first demonstration for Cheese Days.
A third-generation cheesemaker and a president of the Historic Cheesemakers for 16 years, Bussmann, 85, said this has to be his last year. Even the "young guys" who helped him for decades are getting old, he said.
"Last time, when we got done, we sat around and said this should be our last year," Bussman said to the crowd. "This year, we're saying this will be our last year."
Bussman entertained the crowds with wit and humor and cheesy tales mixed in with the history and chemistry of cheesemaking.
As the demonstration was about to begin, he proved the authenticity of his Swiss heritage with a little yodeling, and the audience applauded.
The milk, pre-heated to 101 degrees Fahrenheit and transported by the Faith family from Monroe, arrived about 15 minutes early, but Bussman was ready for it.
He directed his helpers to lift the Plexiglas covering from the kettle. This year, Master Cheesemakers Jeff Wideman from Maple Leaf Cheese Factory and Gary Grossen from Babcock Hall at University of Wisconsin-Madison had the privilege of helping Bussman.
Plexiglas is a modern invention, but Bussman was making cheese outdoors. And even though none of the cheese made during the demonstration is allowed to be sold, Bussman was concerned about keeping the cheese clean.
Even in the relative warmth of a September day, the audience could see steam rising from the 1,700 pounds of milk, about 200 gallons, being pumped into the kettle.
Bussman added extra calcium, which aids in coagulation, according to Wideman, and reduces the amount of culture needed.
Bussman also added the bacterial culture that takes plain milk into its cheese-type destiny, in this case, Swiss.
"Culture used to be liquid. Now it comes frozen," Bussman said, holding up a small plastic bag of a white mass.
Alphorns are blown in Switzerland to announce to other cheesemakers that the cheese is in the process of being made, Bussman said. He had his Alphorn players on sight to continue the tradition.
As the milk set, Bussman signaled for the music to start. Rodalee Huntington on the accordion and Jerry Hastings on the banjo slipped in with some old-time Swiss polka music.
"I didn't know singing and music playing were part of making cheese," an observer said.
But after the cows are milked and the cheese started, what else is there to do while the rennet sets the milk into a thick custard?
Bussman said much of the history of cheesemaking, farming and the dairy industry has been lost, which is why he has taken on the job of showing others the Old World process.
With Bussman's retirement from demonstrating at Cheese Days, another little piece of cheesemaking history goes with him.