This Is The Official State Cheese Of Wisconsin

Every state has a "state bird" or "state flower" the list goes on and on. I was surprised to see that up until earlier this year the state known for its cheese did NOT have a "state cheese."

Thankfully it does now, but people are divided on it.

How It Started

Earlier this year an actual bill was suggested to finally have a state cheese for Wisconsin. WMTV reported,

In a move that truly encapsulates the Dairy State, Wisconsin lawmakers held a public hearing Tuesday on why they believe Colby should be recognized as the official state cheese.

This idea had a lot of support behind it.

State Sen. Kathy Bernier (R-Chippewa Falls) and Rep. Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield), who are both authors of Senate Bill 371, explained Colby cheese was created more than a century ago right here in Wisconsin.

Some thought that maybe a different cheese should hold this great honor. Wisconsin like every other state has many things representing the state. Finally, after a surprising amount of debate a verdict, and cheese has been selected.

The bill notes that Wisconsin has a state song, waltz, tree, flower, bird, even herb- but no cheese. It does have a state dairy product- which is cheese, but does not favor a particular type.

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The Offical State Cheese

After almost a year of debating, and 174 years without a state cheese it is official.

Colby Cheese is Wisconsin's State Cheese

What is really crazy is that according to reports, the bill passed the committee in a 3-2 vote. That is super close.

Now you may be thinking... it's only cheese, but many can agree that Wisconsin is well-known for its cheese so it would make sense that they would be very particular about picking an official state cheese. Colby seems like a good pick,

Sixteen-year-old Joseph F. Steinwand conducted a cold washed curd process in cheese-making in 1885 in his hometown of none other than Colby, Wisconsin. The lawmakers pointed out that now, 45 million pounds of this cheese are produced in the state each year.

What do you think about colby cheese being the official cheese of Wisconsin?