Cow Town

It's no big secret that we here in Wisconsin love our cheese in more ways than most people love their families.   There are shrines made for this dairy delectable with the Foamation cheeseheads seen around the state, cities named after cheese types (or the other way around: think Colby, WI), even one cheese production facility devoted to the creation of Limburger cheese, the only one in the US.   Amazingly enough, there is a festival dedicated to the celebration of cheese that is so large, it only happens every two years and has it's own king and queen.   Three of the largest employers in Monroe are cheese manufacturers and make up quite a lot of the community supporters in the area.   To top it off, the high school's mascot is a cheese maker, so the devotion to cheese is hard to ignore when living here.   We have a visitor center that is a museum to the art of cheese making and a place to see all of the early instruments and equipment that was used for that art.   On the property stands a caboose and a small house that once made cheese in the early 1900's.   A neat feature is a cow statue which is one of many dotted around Monroe and Green County that documents different industries for the area.   The one I shot today is nicknamed "Honey Belle" and she's dressed in the typical dairy farmers' uniform: checked shirt, overalls, and a stylish trucker's cap looking the part.   She stands at the entrance as if like a hostess inviting the visitor to the experience of cheese.   When you drive past the center, if you turn the radio down, slow to a crawl, and hang your head out the window, you can almost hear that cow beckoning you to come in and celebrate the passion of the dairyland.