ELLSWORTH, WIS. – The journey of the 112,000 pounds of deep-fried cheese curds that will be consumed at the Minnesota State Fair begins with a single cow.
When the fair opens in Falcon Heights on Thursday morning, a good share of the nearly 2 million people expected to pass through the gates during the ensuing 12 days will beat a path seeking that little cardboard basket of the gooey, deep-fried delicacy.
The fair is a place of marvels and tradition, the curds being but one. And Ellsworth, Wis., is the nation's curd epicenter.
"It's all about the curds," said Beth Ingli, who farms with her husband, Craig, about 8 miles from Ellsworth.
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, which provides all of the State Fair's curds, produces 150,000 pounds daily, using milk from farms within a 100-mile radius from Ellsworth, from west of the Twin Cities to east of Eau Claire, Wis.
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