Podcast: How Cheese Has Shaped Oregon
May 8, 2025 | 1 min to read
Oregon boasts a remarkable cheese scene, featuring both large producers like Tillamook and Rogue, who won the world’s best cheese in 2019, and smaller artisans like Helvetia Creamery and Don Froylan, recognized for their exceptional string cheese. Although Oregon’s cheese production is less than leading states like Wisconsin and Idaho, its commitment to quality has significantly influenced the state's history.
World-class cheese is all around us in Oregon.
From our largest cheese producers like Tillamook and Rogue, who won the world’s best cheese in 2019, to some of our smallest producers like Helvetia Creamery and Don Froylan, who won the best string cheese in the country for two years in a row.
And while Oregon doesn’t produce the quantity of cheese like Wisconsin, Idaho, or other leading states do today — Oregon punches above its weight class in terms of quality. And the production of cheese has also shaped the history of the state.
To read more, please visit Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB).