Uplands Cheese

Uplands Cheese was founded in 1994 by two neighboring farmers that decided to become partners - Mike Gingrich and Dan Patenaude. Early environmentalists, they were at the forefront of the rotational grazing movement. Because their cows were on pasture, eating wild grasses and herbs, they felt that the quality of their milk was superior to that of cows eating feed and hay and tried to brainstorm a way to put their flavorful milk to use. The obvious answer was cheese! Inspired by the cheeses of the French & Swiss Alps, where cows graze in seasonal highland pastures, Mike & Dan returned to Wisconsin determined. Working with local dairy research centers and local cheesemakers, they settled on their first recipe in 2000. Andy Hatch came to work on the farm in 2007 and Scott Mericka came to work on the farm in 2010. In 2014, once Mike & Dan decided to retire, Andy & Scott purchased Uplands Cheese and carried on the legacy. Today they produce some of the most celebrated and sought-after cheeses in America. Pleasant Ridge Reserve is the only cheese to have won Best of Show three times, and the only cheese to have ever won both of the major, national cheese competitions.