I’ve been writing this blog anonymously for almost a year now. I must say it’s been great fun to write about the cheesemakers I have the honor of working with at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, as well as with the dairy artisans, specialty retailers, chefs and generally quirky people I happen to meet every day.
So I had – emphasize had — a fun plan for my one-year anniversary to ask readers to guess who I might be. I thought I might give a set of clues every week, with the winner getting a free box of my favorite cheeses (I know – kind of lame, but fun the same – what else do Wisconsinites really have to do during the winter?). But alas, those hopes were dashed when some dude named Kevin O’Brien outed me on the Chicago Reader website this month.
Let me be the first (okay, well the second after Mr. Kevin) to tell you that I am indeed Jeanne Carpenter, communications director for the Wisconsin Dairy Business Innvoation Center. I am proud to have the opportunity to work with dairy artisans every day – working with a team to assist new entrepreneurs set up dairy businesses and helping current artisans expand and develop new American Originals.
My work at the center has afforded me the luxury of meeting, getting to know, and working side-by-side with the many Wisconsin dairy artisans who make incredible cheeses and specialty dairy products and who win more awards than any other state or nation. It’s also given me the opportunity to meet retailers, chefs and industry experts I never would have met otherwise — and to bring you the latest scoop on the products being developed and the people behind them in make rooms across America’s Dairyland.
So the next time you see me, say hello. Keep sending me reader feedback and questions on where to find Wisconsin cheeses. Not only is it my day job, it is also my passion.
We still love you.