Mahwah, NJ (November 14, 2017) – Inspired by the life and love of American pioneer Dorothy Kolb, the first woman to earn a degree in dairy science in the U.S., worldwide leader in specialty cheese Savencia Fromage & Dairy introduced today the Dorothy’s line of specialty cheeses.
As a 1930s farm girl, Dorothy Kolb fell in love with cows at her grandfather’s Illinois creamery – Kolb-Lena, the first European-style cheesery in the Midwest – and Dorothy took quickly to the cheese-making world, working at Kolb-Lena before and after school. In an effort to continue this love affair, Dorothy applied but was refused admission to the University of Wisconsin dairy program because of her gender. Dorothy persevered and secured admission to Iowa State University, and while there amongst the boys, hoisted milk cans, hefted 40- pound blocks of Colby and silenced naysayers with her witty comebacks, becoming the first woman to earn a degree in dairy science in America.
While at Iowa State, Dorothy met and married Jim Demeter, and together with their love of cheese, they reinvented the family business. Building on 19 th century techniques, Dorothy and Jim innovated cheese cultures, expanding their offerings with a range of velvety, flavorful cheeses. Over the years, Kolb-Lena perfected the Iowa-style Baby Swiss, was among the first to introduce domestic feta, and developed exceptional Brie, Camembert and blue cheeses.
Now, 50 years later, Dorothy’s family and her beloved Kolb-Lena plant are behind two new cheeses crafted in her honor, developed in partnership with Savencia:
- DOROTHY’S COMEBACK COW – Dorothy was known to work tirelessly or, as they say, until the cows come home, perfecting her soft-ripened cheeses, and this bloomy rind cheese is made from cow’s milk with rustic, fragrant notes and tinged orange with age.
- DOROTHY’S KEEP DREAMING – Passionate and optimistic, Dorothy secretly dreamed of the day she would create a soft-ripened cheese with creamy notes, developing a robust flavor as it matured. Her dream was made a reality in this tangy, complex cow’s milk cheese.
Made in Lena, Illinois by the passionate team at Kolb-Lena – including many who have been there since the 1970s, amongst them Dorothy’s son and nephew – the pair of soft-ripened cheeses have an elevated, creamy texture. Featuring rBST-free milk sourced from local farms and proprietary cultures found in raw-milk cheeses for deep, unique flavors, Dorothy’s cheeses uphold a respect for the cheese-making process that keeps hand manipulation where it matters – dipping, coating and wrapping. The line’s signature package is designed in the delicate shape of freshly sprung flowers, inspired by Apple River Canyon at the foot of the Kolb-Lena plant. Dorothy’s Comeback Cow and Dorothy’s Keep Dreaming will be launching in Chicago this December, exclusively at Mariano’s, for $9.99 each. For more information, please visit www.dorothyscheese.com Facebook: @dorothycreamery