Pam Hodgson never thought she would make cheese. Now she is one of two women in the U.S. with the prestigious title of “master cheesemaker.”

Ms. Hodgson grew up on her parents’ dairy farm in rural Plymouth, Wis., helping raise their calves from a young age. She always assumed she would follow in her parents’ footsteps, but in 1991 she took a job in a cheese plant to help provide for her family.

“I...