Modesto area ranks second for cheese nationally. Who could possibly have topped us?
Modesto ranked second among Best Cities for Cheese Lovers in a new national survey.
Only Chicago scored higher in the latest survey by LawnStarter, released Jan. 19. The online company is mainly in the yard care business but also weighs in on other topics.
The Modesto area placed first in two of the criteria: the number of cheese plants and the number of awards at the 2019 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.
Modesto did not score so well on consumer access to the products: It ranked 34th for average price per pound and 12th for the number of cheese-tasting classes.
Chicago’s win was aided by second-place finishes for both award-winning cheeses and the number of farmers markets offering this food.
San Francisco was third in the overall rankings of 181 cities, followed by Jersey City, N.J., and New York City.
LawnStarter has ranked cities on topics as diverse as dog walking, remote work, golfing and philanthropy. The cheese survey pairs nicely with one last May that put Stanislaus second among wine counties in California, after Napa.
Stanislaus is not best known for its high-end wines or cheeses, but it does excel in lower-priced contest categories, where value matters to the judges.
“Wisconsin might produce the most cheese of any state,” LawnStarter said in its latest news release, “but one Central California city’s winning strategy is quality over quantity. Modesto, located 92 miles east of San Francisco, took the top spot in our quality category, helping the city rise to second place overall.”
Two of the criteria — number of cheese plants and awards — are based on the entire county where the city is located. The others are within city limits.
LawnStarter does not claim to do scientific surveys. The cheese methodology, for example, included the number of fondue restaurants per square mile, and a similar metric for places that serve up mac-and-cheese. Just how many of each are in Modesto was not disclosed.
Stanislaus is among the nation’s top cheese counties by volume. Cheese was the main use of the $737 million worth of milk that its farmers sold in 2020, the county Agricultural Commissioner reported. Plants here also turn out yogurt, ice cream, butter, sour cream, powders and other items, as well as milk in cartons and jugs.
These cow milk cheese plants operate in Stanislaus County, as listed by the California Milk Advisory Board:
Dairy Farmers of America, Turlock, part of a national cooperative. Its local plant produces mozzarella and provolone.
Fiscalini Farmstead, west of Modesto, cheddar. “Farmstead” means the milk is from cows right on the property.
Karoun Dairies, Turlock, several types of Mediterranean cheese.
Oakdale Cheese & Specialties, gouda and a few other types.
Rizo-Lopez Foods, Modesto, several types of Mexican and Central American cheese under the Don Francisco brand.
Saputo Cheese USA, Newman, part of a global company. The local plant does mozzarella and provolone under the Stella brand.
Valley Oak Dairy, Oakdale, cheddar, asiago and a few other types.
The county also produces goat cheese, including Nicolau Farms. And the cow milk list does not include Hilmar Cheese, just past the Merced County line. It is the world’s largest cheese plant and gets much of its milk from Stanislaus County dairy farms.
