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— ELLSWORTH —
CHEESE CURD CAPITAL

Ellsworth Co-op.

The Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin, in corporate form. A farmer-owned cooperative making 180,000 pounds of curds a day from 180+ family farms — and the most widely available great curd in America.

9.0Avg.
Profiled by Chris Sivertson
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery in Ellsworth, Wisconsin — the self-described Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin.
PHOTOGRAPH · Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery · Ellsworth, WI Brand Profile

The operation, in one paragraph.

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative based in Ellsworth, Wisconsin — the trademarked "Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin." Its roots trace to 1903, and today it draws milk from more than 180 patron family farms across Wisconsin and Minnesota, producing roughly 180,000 pounds of fresh cheese curds every day. If you've ever bought a cheese curd in an Upper Midwest grocery store, there's a strong chance it came from here.

The cooperative model.

Ellsworth's structure matters. As a farmer-owned co-op, the 180+ family farms supplying milk are the owners — which aligns the operation around milk quality and farm sustainability in a way a corporate creamery isn't necessarily. The milk is rBST-free, and the curds are made with microbial enzymes rather than animal rennet, making them vegetarian. The co-op has grown by acquisition over the decades (Comstock Creamery in 2011, Wohlt Creamery in 2018) and opened a state-of-the-art specialty plant and retail store in Menomonie in 2022.

Most cheese fans consider Ellsworth's curds the gold standard in the cheese curd world. At 180,000 pounds a day from 180-plus family farms, they've earned the right to set it.

The curds.

Ellsworth's Natural Cheddar curds are white, milky, and clean — the textbook American cheese curd, and the one that has largely defined what the snack tastes like nationally. They scored 9.0 in our review with excellent squeak. The co-op also makes Ranch and Garlic flavored cheddar curds. Read the full curd review →

The shelf-life advantage.

Ellsworth's signature technical achievement is shelf life. Their proprietary packaging removes oxygen while keeping the curds loosely packed, producing a tested 9-month shelf life unopened and refrigerated — far beyond any other curd we've tested. Ellsworth says the cheddar flavor actually enriches the longer the bag stays sealed, and in our testing a months-old sealed bag did read as deeper and more cheddar-forward, at the cost of a little squeak. It's a genuinely unusual property and a real competitive edge.

Beyond curds.

Ellsworth makes more than 80 cheese varieties, including the Antonella half-moon line — pressed-curd semi-soft cheeses infused with natural ingredients, aged, and hand-rolled in spice. The co-op runs retail stores in Ellsworth and Menomonie and ships nationwide Monday through Thursday via UPS with ice packs.

The verdict.

Ellsworth is the most available great curd in America, and the 9-month shelf life is a real, unique advantage. It scores 9.0 — just behind Renard's, and a touch milder in flavor distinctiveness — but for value, availability, and reliability, nothing matches it. The gold standard, for good reason.

From the Shoot

In the field.

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery exterior in Ellsworth, Wisconsin.
▢ The creamery
Production floor at Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, where they make 180,000 pounds of cheese curds per day.
▢ The scale
Ellsworth's natural white cheddar cheese curds, plated to show their milky color.
▢ White cheddar curds
A patron dairy farm in rural Wisconsin, one of the 180+ family farms in the Ellsworth Cooperative.
▢ The family farms
The Reckoning

Strengths and trade-offs.

— What we liked —
  • ✓Most widely available great curd in America — grocery + online.
  • ✓Unmatched 9-month shelf life unopened, with flavor that enriches.
  • ✓Farmer-owned co-op model aligned around milk quality.
  • ✓rBST-free milk and vegetarian (microbial) rennet.
  • ✓Excellent squeak from a proprietary preservation process.
  • ✓Enormous, consistent scale — 180,000 lbs of curds daily.
— Where it falls short —
  • ✗Flavor is milder and less distinctive than Renard's yellow.
  • ✗Mail-order cold chain is more manual than calibrated systems.
  • ✗Scale means less of the small-batch character some seek.
  • ✗Flavored line (Ranch, Garlic) doesn't reach Gardner's heights.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Ellsworth the Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin? +
Ellsworth, Wisconsin holds the trademarked title "Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin®." The Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery makes roughly 180,000 pounds of fresh curds every day from 180+ family farms, the basis for the claim.
Is Ellsworth a cooperative? +
Yes. Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative, with more than 180 patron family farms across Wisconsin and Minnesota as its owner-suppliers. Its roots date to 1903.
How long do Ellsworth cheese curds last? +
Unopened and refrigerated, Ellsworth curds have a tested 9-month shelf life — the longest of any curd we've tested. A proprietary low-oxygen packaging process keeps the cheese loosely packed, and the flavor enriches the longer the bag stays sealed.
Are Ellsworth cheese curds vegetarian? +
Yes. Ellsworth Natural Cheddar curds use microbial enzymes rather than animal rennet, making them vegetarian, and are made with rBST-free milk.
What flavors of Ellsworth cheese curds are there? +
Ellsworth's signature is Natural (white cheddar). They also make Ranch Cheddar and Garlic Cheddar flavored curds. Beyond curds, the co-op makes 80+ cheese varieties including the Antonella half-moon line.
Where can I buy Ellsworth cheese curds? +
Ellsworth curds are widely stocked in Upper Midwest grocery chains. You can also order direct from ellsworthcheese.com (ships Mon-Thu via UPS with ice packs) or visit their retail stores in Ellsworth and Menomonie, Wisconsin.
How big is Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery? +
Very large by curd standards — roughly 180,000 pounds of fresh curds daily, drawing on 180+ family farms, making it the largest cheese curd operation we cover. The co-op has grown through acquisitions and opened a new specialty plant in Menomonie in 2022.