In northwest Wisconsin, about 25 miles from the Minnesota border, Schuman Cheese makes award-winning cheeses with techniques borrowed from French and Italian cheesemakers.

Dairy brands and associations are taking to the web and using social media to promote grilled cheese sandwiches in April, known as National Grilled Cheese Month.

There is widespread comfort with current conditions in the cheese industry. Prices have been moving within a narrow trading range and cheese manufacturers are happy to take additional volumes of milk.

Bel Brands USA built a plant on a green field in Brookings, S.D., to make the popular Mini Babybel cheeses. The management philosophy values transparency and the building itself reflects that.

Karoun Dairies started out making cheeses for ethnic markets. Today, the cheesemaker is tapping into mainstream America’s taste for feta, queso fresco, labne and other specialty cheeses and cultured dairy foods.

Bel Brands USA is enjoying double-digit growth with its Mini Babybel brand. It opened a plant last year to meet demand for the little waxed-covered cheeses. President Frederic Nalis (right) talks about the success of the brand and the challenges yet to be overcome.

While considered to be a major defect in some cheeses, crystals can be a desired attribute in certain aged products.