When Ron Henningfeld of Hill Valley Dairy made his first batch of cheese at home many years ago, he laughingly recalled that it didn’t turn out great; however, he remained determined to learn the art of cheese making. At the time, he taught high school science and agriculture for the Delavan-Darien School District, but he still had time to learn cheese making with an eye toward pursuing it as a career.
Henningfeld took classes and got a cheese making apprenticeship required in Wisconsin to get a cheese makers license. He trained with a couple of cheese makers, including Bob Wills, owner of Cedar Grove Cheese and Clock Shadow Creamery. When Wills opened Clock Shadow Creamery in 2012, Henningfeld, who by then had transitioned out of teaching, served as manager and cheese maker. While at Clock Shadow, he trained others in the art of making small-batch, quality cheese.
Three years ago, Henningfeld and his wife had their first child. He left Clock Shadow to be a stay-at-home parent, but his passion for making cheese remained. Last summer, he formed Hill Valley Dairy to make and sell his own cheese. His entrepreneurial spirit comes from growing up on Romari Farm in East Troy, Wis., a dairy farm founded by his grandparents. Henningfeld often helped his father on the farm. “I always had it in me to work hard, but to work hard for myself and for my own business. That’s something I had in mind when I got into cheese making,” he said.
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