Articles by Barbara Harfmann

Manufacturing 42 varieties of premium cheese in the heart of America’s Dairyland not only takes a ton of high-quality raw milk — 1.8 million pounds a day, or 534 million pounds annually, to be exact, in the case of Marshfield, Wis.-based Nasonville Dairy. 

Recognizing that March is “Women's History Month,” Dairy Foods, for the third consecutive year, proudly recognizes the outstanding achievements women have made within the multifaceted dairy industry. 

In addition to making seven varieties of spicy, hot cheddar cheeses such as Carolina Reaper and Scorpion, central Wisconsin-based Nasonville Dairy, a third-generation, medium-sized cheese processor, is “hot” for handcrafting 42 varieties of premium cheese, including Cheddar, Colby, along with many flavored cheeses like Blue Marble Jack, Garlic & Herb, and Horseradish.

The food inclusions market — split into chocolate chips and chunks, candy pieces, fruits and nuts, herbs, spices, and even savory ingredients like cheese or bacon bits — is thriving based on demand for value-added food products and significantly wider application in dairy products, ice cream, frozen desserts, confectionary, baked products, and snacks and bars.

Known for his smooth, velvety voice, music icon Frank Sinatra was a great interpreter of the Great American Songbook. In “It Was a Very Good Year,” he outlines the times of his life at 17, 21, 35 and in the autumn of his life. 

When processing ice cream, yogurt, or sour cream, or adding texture to an analog/vegan cheese, hydrocolloids are essential thickening and gelling ingredients that help dairy processors attain the desired viscosity, mouthfeel and creaminess of a wide range of products.

Whenever a new year begins, most of us strive to make some resolutions such as going to the gym, drinking less (aka, Sober January), and stopping smoking. 

In a relatively new category, hybrid dairy, which combines both plant-based and animal-based ingredients into a single food, has yet to fully take off. Dairy processors started experimenting with hybrid dairy after seeing meat producers come out with blended meats.

There’s an old saying, “Everything is better with butter.” The richness of butter is a key ingredient in baking, pan-frying, and sautéing, and is perfect on top of a baked potato. Then there’s the spreadability of butter on toast and pancakes, and its usage in casseroles, pasta, and even butter pecan ice cream, where pecans are roasted in butter before being tossed into the frozen treat.

Featuring festive food, a robust cattle judging contest, educational seminars, career connections and a large exhibitor hall with more than 700 exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge technology and the latest dairy equipment, the 57th Annual World Dairy Expo (WDE), taking place Oct. 1-4 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis., was buzzing with activity around the theme, “The Golden Age.”