New Factory to Thorp Area Brings

Holland's Family Cheese

The Thorp Courier (Thorp, WI)
January 31, 2007 -- Front Page
Transcribed by Dolores Mohr Kenyon
 

When we heard about a new cheese factory called Holland’s Family Cheese in Thorp we had to know more about it. I met Marieke and Rolf Penterman at their farm on Gorman Avenue and they invited me in to visit. Rolf made some delicious coffee from Holland and we ate slices of cheese with bread. I smiled to myself as I saw the cow depicted on my coffee mug. On the front of the mug a cow is smiling hello while the other end wags a good bye on the back. Seated to my left was the youngest Penterman. He was playing with a rattle and was such a quiet content little boy.

“Oh, he’s good right now,” Marieke said with a knowing look.

I assumed not all mornings went as smoothly as this one. As we were visiting, two little girls came chattering into the room wearing dress up clothes and a large assortment of hair bands in their locks. The Pentermans have twin girls, Luna and Joyce or Joy for short. The twins are three years old and were excitedly playing in their frilly gowns. Marieke and I talked as Rolf got the girls ready to go to Ester Zimmerman’s, a neighbor woman who cares for the children. Marieke told me she is a very kind woman and the children just love her.

“The Neighbors are wonderful here,” she exclaimed.

As she prepared snacks for the children to take, we chatted about life in Holland.

“It is very sad,” Marieke said, “In Holland farmers are treated poorly, much like criminals. Here we are welcomed and farmers are treated much better in America.”

It is hard to understand that she is referring to the same America in which we often see farmers and the country lifestyle so misunderstood. In Holland, farmers are simultaneously depended on for their products, while scorned for the land and resources they use. This attitude is somewhat understandable when you consider that over four Holland’s would fit inside the state of Wisconsin. Our state population would need to increase nine fold to reach that of Holland’s. An increase such as this would place Thorp’s population at 13,824, just slightly above the current population of Chippewa Falls.

Marieke and I walked across the yard to the cheese factory for my tour. I could see immediately that this was going to be a treat. The store in the front of the factory was filled with wooden shoes, chocolates, coffees from Holland and key chains with little wooden shoes attached. A little whimsy is provided as you spot a rack of slippers shaped like wooden shoes standing in the corner.

Angelica Gonzalez works for Marieke, giving out samples, ringing up purchases and generally doing whatever needs to be done. Angelica and Marieke offered me samples of the delicious Gouda and I found it difficult to pick a favorite. Marieke offers 14 different varieties of Gouda. Some have more common ingredients such as black pepper, Italian herb, garlic, garden herb and mustard. However alongside the more familiar flavors are more unique ones such as black and mélange mustard, cumin (it is wonderful), and stinging nettle, which has an unfamiliar texture and a pleasing flavor. The most popular of Marieke’s Gouda is the fenugreek. She teasingly makes me wait to taste this one last. The sweet smell of maple and the creamy, nutty flavor are wonderful. Soon with the help of Nolechek Meats, Marieke will have smoked Gouda. After it is allowed to age, it will be available, that she assures me.

Holland’s Family Cheese was an idea Marieke came up with back in 2004. She made a couple of trips back to Holland to learn the techniques of two cheese makers.

The first women she stayed with milked 10 cows and people were put on a waiting list to get her cheese. At the age of 65, she had decided she wanted to make cheese and now it was in huge demand.

Her next trip to Holland brought Marieke to a dairy that milked 200 cows. They not only created cheese, but also ice cream, yogurt, custard and butter. It was interesting for Marieke to compare the two different sized operations. She took what she learned from her Holland experience and added her own ideas to come up with her cheese recipe.

Obtaining a cheese makers license can be a complicated and frustrating process. Marieke completed 240 hours of apprenticeship as well as several courses in sanitation and other areas of cheese making.

The Pentermans have used some very innovative ideas to conserve time and energy. A special pipeline brings the milk from the dairy directly to the factory. This means the already warm milk demands less energy to heat up to the required temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

After the cheese goes through multiple processes it is pressed into molds using a press the Pentermans ordered from Holland. At this point, the Gouda has the appearance of cottage cheese.


Time to Press the Cheese

Above, Rolf Penterman cuts the cheese curd and places it in the forms. It is then placed on the press and the Gouda begins to take its’ shape.

Martha Herrera also works for the Pentermans and it is at this point where her work begins. Martha helps load the molds with cheese and carries them to the press. The molds range in sizes from small to very large. This is how you get the different sized wheels of cheese. Martha has another big job of coating the cheese. The aging room is 55 degrees Fahrenheit with 80 percent humidity. The cheese is covered with a special coating that forms a rind and protects the cheese. Each wheel is given at least four coats and Martha keeps a close eye out for any missed spots. The Gouda is then placed on pine boards that help remove moisture from the cheese. It is in this room that the cheese sits, lined up on the shelves aging for the desired time.
 
Careful Application

Martha Herrera carefully applies the special cheese coating that the Pentermans use at their factory.
The coating is applied in multiple steps and is preferred over shrink-wrap or wax coating.
 
It’s all in the Brine

Soaking cheese in brine is a very important step in making Marieke’s Gouda at Holland’s Family Cheese.
Rolf Penterman keeps a close eye on the conditions in the brine room to ensure a top quality product.

Cheese making days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The cheese factory has viewing windows into the separate rooms so you can watch each individual process. Marieke reserves Wednesdays for marketing. She knows her product better than anyone else, so it only makes sense that she sells it too. This helps keep costs down and cuts out the middleman.

The Penterman family is no stranger to work. They roll up their sleeves and do what needs to be done. Rolf and his brother, Sander milk 480 cows as well as Rolf working in the cheese factory, but they would be the first ones to say that their help is exceptional. With Angelica helping with the store as well as many other jobs, Martha helping with the cheese forms and coating, and Maria Esperanza Herrera helping with the children, this certainly is a group effort.

Say Cheese

These ladies will help you with everything you need at Holland’s Family Cheese where Marieke’s Gouda is queen. Pictured are (L-R) Angelica Gonzalez, Marieke Penterman (creator of Marieke’s Gouda), and Martha Herrera.

.Marieke would like to eventually try some additional products and is planning on doing tours and an apprenticeship program. You can find Holland’s Family Cheese at N13851 Gorman Avenue. The cheese factory is closed on Sundays. You can reach Marieke with your questions at (715) 669-3060.

After several visits to the Pentermans farm I have learned that the Pentermans are caring people who treat their workers and cows with love and respect. The same way they are so loving and nurturing with their children. My experience with Holland’s Family Cheese has been exceptional. They are so welcoming and gracious. I loved getting to know everyone and eating some great cheese. The Pentermans are bringing something new to Thorp and that is what helps make this community so terrific.
 

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