Wisconsin has long been a leading producer of cows” milk in the nation. Now a new niche dairy industry is continuing the tradition: Wisconsin is the country”s top producer of sheep milk for cheese. The state”s sheep dairy industry, although small, is growing. And a University of Wisconsin-Madison expert predicts that, with continued research and outreach support, the state will remain a leader.

Although consumers are more familiar with cheeses from cows” milk such as Cheddar and Swiss, there is an important market for sheep milk cheeses. Some foreign-made sheep milk cheeses are Roquefort from France, Pecorino from Italy, Manchego from Spain, and Feta from Greece.

As the only university in the country with a dairy sheep research program in both milk production and processing, the UW-Madison has played an important role in the industry”s expansion in Wisconsin, according to Dave Thomas, an animal scientist with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

The Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Cooperative consists of about 20 member farms across the Midwest and is the nation”s only sheep dairy cooperative. It anticipates marketing about 420,000 pounds of sheep milk this year at about $60 per 100 pounds. In 1996, shortly after the dairy sheep research program began, the cooperative marketed only 50,000 pounds of milk.

Thomas expects the industry”s growth to continue. “The most recent figures from 1999 show that the United States imports about 72 million pounds of sheep milk cheese per year,” says Thomas. “American production of sheep milk cheese, on the other hand, is estimated at about 450,000 pounds per year. That leaves plenty of room in the market for domestic producers to expand.”

Scientists at the UW-Madison are helping domestic cheesemakers and sheep milk producers compete in the market. Thomas, whose research began in the mid-1990s, is establishing and evaluating European lines of dairy sheep in the United States. Previously, producers were milking U.S. breeds that had been bred for wool and lamb production.

At the other end of the production spectrum, food scientists at the College are creating new lines of blended cheese from sheep and cows” milk, studying the effects of freezing on sheep milk and training cheesemakers to use sheep milk. Outreach specialists at the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives helped the sheep dairy cooperative form a strategic plan for marketing and expansion. And the University”s Babcock Institute funds international expert speakers for an annual dairy sheep conference.

“There have been many partnerships between the university and the members of the dairy sheep industry,” says Thomas. “Producers have been very receptive to new information from us, and they bring us their problems. With continued cooperation, I think Wisconsin will hold on to this niche in the future.”

New genetics increase milk production

Until the early 1990s, there were no true dairy sheep in the United States, according to Thomas. “Producers were thinking about milking sheep, but had only breeds of sheep that had been selected for lamb and wool production,” he says. “That”s like trying to start a dairy cow industry with beef cows.”

There were plenty of good dairy sheep breeds in Europe-such as East Friesians from Germany and Lacaunes from France-but strict animal health regulations meant they were hard to import. In 1993, the UW-Madison was finally able to purchase two East Friesian rams and Thomas began cross-breeding studies. He found that the East Friesian hybrids produced twice as much milk as non-dairy sheep hybrids.

“The industry took up the East Friesians very quickly,” Thomas recalls, “and also was receptive to the Lacaunes when we were able to obtain that breed in 1998.” Because there are few purebred ewes, farmers must breed the purebred rams with whatever other ewes they have, often ewes from non-dairy breeds. Thomas has begun investigating the performance of hybrid sheep from crosses between East Friesians and Lacaunes.

“Our research found that both breeds appear to be very good at producing lambs and milk,” explains Thomas. “However, by mixing breeds producers can take advantage of the natural vigor of hybrids, as well as try to select for the most desirable traits from both breeds.” Thomas will continue cross-breeding the hybrids and studying their performance.

The College”s research sheep flock is kept at the Spooner Agricultural Research Station in northern Wisconsin. Yves Berger, a lead sheep researcher at Spooner, says that the flock of 350 milking ewes provides 130,000 pounds of milk each year-roughly one-quarter of the total amount of milk marketed by the Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Cooperative.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Dave Thomas, (608) 263-4306

Food scientists create a win-win situation for cow and sheep dairy industries
The unique properties of sheep milk mean that producers and cheesemakers can”t handle it in the same way they would cows” milk. After some investigation, UW-Madison researchers Bill Wendorff and John Jaeggi have been able to advise producers and cheesemakers across the state about how to store and use this new type of milk.

Although the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research primarily focuses on cows” milk, some of that work is applicable to sheep milk as well, says Wendorff, chair of the food science department. And, creating blended cheeses made from sheep and cows” milk is beneficial for both industries. “The new lines are value-added products for cows” milk producers-meaning that they are specialties, beyond what is typically produced,” says Jaeggi, a food scientist and cheesemaker at the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research. “And for sheep milk producers, the blended cheeses are a way to get into the market.”

One problem producers faced was that even with increased production of milk, volumes are still small. Producers must store their milk until they have enough to meet a cheesemaker”s needs. Wendorff found that using commercial freezers instead of home freezers and storing the milk in shallow containers kept the casein-the milk protein that forms curd-from destabilizing. The commercial freezers kept the milk at negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit, colder than home freezers could, and the shallow containers helped the milk freeze quickly. With this method, milk can be stored for up to one year, Wendorff says.

Once milk arrives at a cheese plant, cheesemakers have to know how to handle it. Sheep milk has twice the fat of cows” milk and more protein, so cheesemakers must adjust their processing accordingly. The food science department offers short courses for cheesemakers that cover the different techniques, and Wendorff and Jaeggi estimate that most sheep cheesemakers in the state have taken the course.

Jaeggi and the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research also developed a cheese from both cows” and sheep milk called Shepherd”s Blend. Shepherd”s Blend and other blended cheeses have been produced by commercial cheesemakers.

Overall, Wendorff sees the market for sheep cheese expanding, similar to the way that goat cheese increased in popularity. “In five to seven years, processors will expand significantly,” he predicts. “The interest is there, but producers can”t supply enough milk yet. You”ll start seeing sheep milk cheese in regular stores-not just specialty, high-end stores as you do now.”

Jaeggi says that the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research will continue to assist cheesemakers in developing lines of sheep milk cheese. “They have the vision, and we use our experience to help them reach their goals,” he explains. “Their questions and problems inspire our research.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Bill Wendorff, (608) 263-2015; John Jaeggi, (608) 262-2264

Strategic advice for the sheep dairy cooperative
The Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Cooperative, formed in 1997, markets the milk produced by its members. By pooling milk from individual producers, the cooperative can provide enough milk to cheesemakers for commercial production and help ensure a stable market for sheep milk.

However, the cooperative went through some natural growing pains when it tried to plan for the future, according to Jody Padgham and Greg Lawless, outreach specialists at the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives. “When independent farmers must make joint decisions, it”s challenging-it can make or break a co-op,” says Padgham. “Our experience helps here; we can tell them that division among members is all part of the process.”

The cooperative applied to the center in 1998 for help forming a strategic plan. The center had some USDA funds to help rural-based co-ops by giving them free technical assistance, and the cooperative wanted to plan for expansion. “They saw their market opportunities, but they needed help doing it,” says Lawless.

Lawless and Padgham laid out a range of options for the cooperative, ranging from minimal to major investments of time and money. They advocated standardizing production at each of the member farms, developing systems to test the milk for quality, increasing marketing, working toward a branded product, and promoting production of cheese in Wisconsin. “The marketing is very important,” says Padgham. “They got a grant to do market research, and we advised them how to maximize the information they gained from it-what questions to ask.”

Since forming the strategic plan, the cooperative has seen annual increases in sales. It is currently working to develop a special brand of cheese, and sees a great deal of room for growth, according to Daniel Guertin, president of the cooperative.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jody Padgham (608) 262-0705; Dan Guertin (651) 430-3732