People from Colby, Wisconsin make case for Colby as official state cheese

Amy Reid by Amy Reid

COLBY, Wis. — Should Colby be the new state cheese in Wisconsin? People from Colby, Wisconsin say yes.

Lawmakers in the Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection heard public comment on Wednesday on a proposal that would make the mild cheese the official state cheese in Wisconsin.

People from the 1,800-person city spoke passionately at the hearing about what the cheese’s history and connection to the community means to them. An area high school choir performed a song about the city and cheese. Descendants of the inventor of Colby cheese also spoke about how much the cheese means to their family.

Colby cheese was invented in and named after Colby, Wisconsin in 1885. It has a mild flavor and is processed similarly to cheddar, but it is not aged.

“Wisconsin cheese” as a whole is already considered the official dairy product of Wisconsin. The proposal to make Colby the official state cheese was introduced in October.

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