Cheddar nuggets galore
County fairs spotlight dairy farmers and Wisconsin cheese.
Cheddar nuggets with ranch.
Summer is for county fairs. Draft horse shows, carnival rides, magic shows, fresh squeezed lemonade, log rolling — the enormous week-long gatherings represent what it is to let loose in the United States: terrible fun, fried food, and exorbitantly priced, winner-never games.
If you don’t go to the fair, you’re likely missing out on a quintessential American right of passage. For Midwest folks, you’re also forfeiting a chance to experience cheese curds at their finest.
Hot, stringy, melt-in-your-mouth…fried county fair Wisconsin cheese curds are about as iconic as they come. Just ask Belvidere, Illinois’, 2024 Boone County Fair attendees. Some of the most populous lines across the grounds were those for vendors advertising “Wisconsin cheese.”
Dairy barn at the Boone County Fair
A (purely educational) taste test of my own halfway through a day-long fair excursion confirmed that the acclaimed “cheddar nuggets” were, in fact, an experiment in perfection. If their chewy plumpness and savory center weren’t enough, the crisp edge of their exterior sealed the tastebud deal. Among my party, they were the night’s clear winner.
But dairy at the fair is not limited to decadence. A quick jaunt down the dirt road from where our senses took root lay the designated dairy barn, where attendees could walk past stall after stall of beautifully groomed dairy cows.
“They get bathed and blown out before their showing,” said 4-H alumni Becky Schroll. “The best cow gets an award.”
“Best” can mean a set of criteria ranging from rump and hooves to legs and udders. A judge examines each entry and determines which meets these requirements with the most precision. The shows aren’t just for awards, either.
“Local companies support 4-H members by purchasing shown livestock at an auction,” Schroll said.
In the barn, each and every farmer’s face told the story of dedicated agricultural labor. Exhausted family members napped beside their stalls in touching solidarity with the animals they care for.
It’s easy, I realized, to forget about the people who make possible our daily nutritional servings. Basket of cheese curds in hand, stunning heifers on either side of the path ahead, I paused to take it all in. I thought about how lucky we all were to bear witness to the great service that is dairy farming.
Hoard’s Dairyman Farm Creamery cheeses may not come battered and fried, but they can be made to be so. Peruse our selection and decide on your own unique path into the world of quality dairy products.