Wegmans, Cornell Aiding Better Cheddar Production

Wegmans and Cornell University have joined forces on an initiative that will ramp up cheddar cheese production at three locations in New York and create a program for training artisan cheesemakers from all over the Empire State.

The alliance, additional details of which will be revealed on June 26 at a press event at Wegmans Pittsford, N.Y., location, will give an immediate boost to cheese facilities in Corfu, Adams and New York City. Further, the long-term partnership between Rochester-based Wegmans and the dairy specialists at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will provide new opportunities for New York’s emerging cheese artisans, greater support for artisanal cheesemakers of all sizes, and increased economic opportunity for dairy farmers and new high-quality products for consumers.

The event will also feature cheesemakers from across the state, among them Yancey's Fancy (Corfu), Great Lakes (Adams) and Beecher's (New York City), along with some wine and beer producers who will suggest appropriate pairings.

“This strategic partnership with Wegmans will help us deliver on agriculturally based economic development for New York,” College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean Kathryn Boor, told a Cornell publication. “We have been looking for the right opportunity to partner, and we concurred that by taking on this project together we could have a significant impact on artisan cheese production in the state.”