Maytag Dairy Farms is one of my favorite places in Newton. I love Maytag Blue Cheese, but they also have wonderful people that work there.
When you walk through the door, you are always greeted with a smiling face and warm welcome. And then, you’re asked if you’d like to sample the many varieties of cheeses available. They’ll share ideas with you on how to use the cheeses and also have many recipe cards available for you to take using Maytag Blue. But, if you’ve never tried blue cheese, or if you don’t think you like blue cheese, then you should really try the Maytag Blue; because it is not like any other you’ll try. Personally, I didn’t think I liked blue cheese; but boy was I wrong.
Myrna Ver Ploeg, president of Maytag Dairy Farms, suggested I try their cheese on a cracker and drizzle it with just a little bit of honey. BAM!!! I’ve been hooked ever since; and now am a true lover of Maytag Blue Cheese and eat it straight on the cracker and lots of other ways. They certainly know what good customer service is at Maytag Dairy Farms.
Now, more about that cheese! Maytag Blue Cheese continues to be handcrafted on the family farm in the rolling hills of central Iowa. The story of this wonderful cheese starts, not surprisingly, with a herd of prizewinning dairy cows. In 1919, E.H. Maytag, the grandson of German immigrants, established a herd of Holsteins that by the 1930s had garnered farm in competitions across the country.
In 1940, his son, Fred Maytag, heard about a new process for blue cheese being developed at Iowa State University; which for those that aren’t from Iowa reading this, is nearby in Ames. Fred applied that process to the milk of his Grand Champion Holstein herd, and in 1941, the first wheels of Maytag Blue Cheese were put into their caves for aging. As with all natural foods, the geography, climate, and terrain all impact the flavor of cheese. A taste of Maytag Blue is a taste of this place — the grass, the sunlight and the seasons.
Maytag Dairy Farms is still owned and operated by the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of E.H. Maytag. His legacy is the pleasure and joy taken from good food shared with people you cherish, and they are proud to be a part of it.
But, blue cheese isn’t the only thing produced at Maytag Dairy Farms. Did you know they grow and sell their own popcorn right on the farm? It isn’t microwave popcorn, that’s for sure. And this year they have even grown pumpkins.
If you would like to experience Maytag Dairy Farms first hand, you’re in luck! On Saturday, they are having their annual Harvest Party from 1 to 4 p.m. You’ll have an opportunity to pick your own popcorn and take it home, enjoy some of their favorite blue cheese and popcorn recipes and other refreshments, take a surrey wagon ride pulled by Percheron horses down to the plant and take a tour, and much more. Of course, you can buy as much cheese as you like before you leave!
Take a quick trip just north of Newton and visit Maytag Dairy Farms. You'll be glad you did. If you would like more information on Maytag Dairy Farms, check out its website at www.maytagdairyfarms.com.