Many consider dairy to be a household staple. But in recent years, consumers have been eating more of their dairy rather than drinking it. In fact, per-capita dairy consumption is at an all-time high in the U.S., driven by cheese and butter.  

According to a recent report from CoBank, dairy retail sales have grown 15.4% over the past three years. These trends are expected to continue, thanks to slowing inflation for dairy products, more people cooking at home, and a supercharged demand for snack cheese – representing a $75 billion business. 
 

Award-winning cheddar from our Kiel plant 

At the center of this product line-up is our award-winning cheddar cheese, produced at our Kiel plant in Wisconsin, whose facility was upgraded to accommodate the launch.  

The history of cheesemaking at the Kiel facility dates to the late 1940s, when a group of farmers wanted to make USDA Grade A cheese, a product unheard of at the time. Since then, the facility has built a foundation of excellence through decades of producing award-winning cheese.  

Last year, Kiel cheesemaker Tim Stearns earned the rare designation of Master Cheesemaker by the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin – the equivalent of a Ph.D. in cheese – after a rigorous 13-year commitment to the craft.

"It’s amazing to be able to work for a company that is pushing for this,” Tim says, “and to make an award-winning product for the farmers, too. It shows the hard work and the passion they’re putting in, we’re equally putting our best in.” 

Flavor is what sets Land O’Lakes apart in the marketplace. “It’s an art and a science,” says Dairy Foods R&D Director John McDonald. “The cheesemakers in Kiel provide the art. From a science perspective, we’ve expanded the capabilities of our food microbiology and chemistry teams to ensure we have the most flavorful formulations.” 

To help meet this market demand, Land O’Lakes has been making strategic investments to expand our dairy case cheese offerings, which launched in late 2021. We currently have more than 30 different products – including shredded cheese, chunk cheese and snack cheese – in 3,800 stores across the Midwest and Northeast. 

Because we’re a farmer-owned co-op, consumers who purchase Land O Lakes® products are directly supporting more than 1,000 dairy farmer-owners and their rural communities—including 100 farmers in eastern Wisconsin who supply milk to the Kiel facility.  

“Expanding into the dairy case cheese business means that that we’re bringing more milk into the Kiel plant, which allows our members to grow their operations and build equity,” says Dairy Foods President Heather Anfang. 

Don’t forget the butter 

In addition to innovations in cheese, we’ve responded to consumers looking for creative and convenient ways to use butter in the kitchen, a trend that’s most popular among the younger (age 18-24) demographic. 
“Butter is a magical ingredient,” says Heather. “It instantly adds flavor and functionality to any meal.”

For example, we introduced Land O Lakes® Butter Balls, which are half-tablespoon butter balls for everyday cooking. Another popular product are our seasoned butter spreads, such as garlic and herb, cinnamon butter, and Maple Me Crazy™ butter spread. 

This is only the beginning. “The success of Land O’Lakes’ recent innovations in dairy is a testament to the passion of the whole ecosystem,” says Heather. “From our member-owner farms to the facilities where the product is made to home kitchens where it’s enjoyed, there's a lot of pride that goes into our products.”