From central to southern parts of the state, a growing number of artisanal cheesemakers are betting on our gourmet culture and palate.
Alise Sjostrom wanted to carry on her family’s dairy farming legacy in new ways. The second generation of Jer-Lindy Farms in central Minnesota, she branched out from her parents’ milk-producing operation founded in the 1980s to start the artisan cheese brand Redhead Creamery on the family’s farm in Brooten.
“My great-great-grandparents moved here from Germany and Denmark as dairy farmers,” Sjostrom said. “It’s very much in our blood.”
For Sjostrom and others, the state’s tradition as a large dairy producing state — eighth in the country, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office — combined with growing consumer interest in local, small-batch makers, have made conditions ripe for a burgeoning number of artisan cheesemakers.
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