Before American artisan cheese became a movement, Maytag Dairy Farms was already proving that world-class cheese could be made close to home. Founded on a family farm in Newton, Iowa, Maytag helped shape the future of American cheesemaking with a blue cheese unlike anything made in the country before.
The story began in 1919, when Elmer Henry (E.H.) Maytag purchased a Holstein-Friesian cow to provide fresh milk for his family. What started as a small farmstead effort grew into an award-winning herd recognized at livestock shows across the country. After E.H. Maytag passed away in 1940, his sons Frederick and Robert looked for new ways to showcase the exceptional milk produced by their cows.
Inspired by the bold, complex flavors of European blue cheeses, Frederick Maytag returned home with a vision: create an American blue cheese using cow’s milk rather than the traditional sheep’s milk used in famous varieties like Roquefort. Working alongside researchers at Iowa State University, the Maytag brothers developed a recipe that blended European-inspired cheesemaking with American innovation.
In 1941, the first wheels of Maytag Blue Cheese were produced, marking the beginning of a new chapter in American cheese history. Aged in caves and crafted with careful attention to quality, the cheese quickly gained recognition for its rich flavor, creamy texture, and distinctive blue veining.
Maytag also helped pioneer a new way for specialty foods to reach consumers. Through mail-order catalogs, customers across the country could discover and enjoy handcrafted cheese delivered straight to their homes—a concept that helped introduce American shoppers to specialty foods long before online ordering became the norm.
By the 1950s, Maytag Blue Cheese had become a household favorite and a celebrated symbol of American craftsmanship. Nearly a century later, the cheesemakers at Maytag Dairy Farms continue using time-honored techniques, creating each wheel with the same dedication to quality and tradition that started it all.