Maytag Dairy Farms

Maytag Dairy Farms, based in Newton, Iowa USA, is a manufacturer of blue cheese and other food products.

History

Maytag Dairy Farms was established in 1941 by Frederick Louis Maytag II and his brother Robert Maytag. The history of the business dates back to 1919, when their father, Elmer Henry Maytag, purchased a single cow to provide milk for his family.^[1] He soon began to develop a small herd of Holstein-Friesian cows that would supply milk to his community, winning a number of blue ribbons at livestock shows across the United States. The offspring from his herd began to attract buyers from around the world.

Upon Elmer Henry Maytag's death in 1940, his sons took over the farm and Fred assumed his father's role as President of the Maytag Appliance Corporation.^[2] The company pursued his idea of creating an American blue cheese made from cow's milk. Fred collaborated with Iowa State University dairy researchers to pioneer the first American blue cheese to compete with classic European cheeses such as Roquefort made from sheep's milk. The cheese plant and caves were completed a year later and the first wheels of Maytag Blue Cheese were formed in October 1941. The milk from Maytag's Iowa Holsteins resulted in a rich, creamy cheese resembling European bleu cheeses' flavors. The cheese was sold by catalog. In addition to their blue cheese, Maytag Dairy Farms also produces white cheddar and cheese spreads for their catalog business.

Fred's son Fritz Maytag assumed leadership in 1962 and led the small company for the next 50 years. Fritz now serves as chairman Emeritus and a director, along with his brother Ken Maytag and sister Martha Maytag.

Present day

The cheese is made by hand in the small cheese plant that was constructed 80 years ago in the shadow of E.H.’s milking barn. The prize-winning herd is gone, but the barn remains and the company uses fresh milk from neighbor dairy farmers. The hand-formed wheels are aged for approximately six months.

Maytag Dairy Farms was family-owned until 2019 when it was acquired by Midwest Growth Partners, a private equity fund manager.^[3] In July 2022, AgCertain Industries purchased Maytag Dairy farms from Midwest Growth Partners.^[4]

See also

• List of dairy product companies in the United States

References

External links

• Maytag Dairy Farms
• Little Big Cheese: Maytag's Growing Niche Market, story on NPR (January 4, 2005)

This page was last edited on 16 June 2024, at 20:14