Maytag Dairy Farms

Maytag Dairy Farms is a blue cheese manufacturer based in Newton, Iowa. It is known for its product Maytag Blue Cheese.

Maytag Dairy Farms logo

View of the Maytag Dairy Farms from the visitor center

History

Maytag Dairy Farms was established in 1941 by brothers Frederick Louis Maytag II and Robert Maytag. The business dates back to 1919, when their father, Elmer Henry Maytag, purchased a single cow to provide milk for his family.^[1] He soon began to develop a small herd of Holstein-Friesian cows that would supply milk to his community. He won a number of blue ribbons at livestock shows across the United States. The offspring from his herd began to attract buyers from around the world.

Upon Elmer Henry Maytag's death in 1940, his sons took over the farm, and Fred assumed his father's role as President of the Maytag Appliance Corporation.^[2] The company pursued his idea of creating an American blue cheese made from cow's milk. Fred collaborated with Iowa State University dairy researchers to pioneer the first American blue cheese to compete with classic European cheeses. This includes Roquefort cheese, which is made from sheep's milk. A year later, the cheese plant and caves were completed, and the first wheels of Maytag Blue Cheese were formed in October 1941. The milk from Maytag's Iowa Holsteins results in a cheese whose flavor resembles that of European blue cheeses. The cheese was advertised and sold via a paper catalog. In addition to their blue cheese, Maytag Dairy Farms also produces white cheddar and cheese spreads for their catalog business.

Fred's son, Fritz Maytag, assumed leadership in 1962 and led the small company for the next 50 years. Fritz now serves as chairman emeritus and as a director of the company, along with his brother Ken Maytag and sister Martha Maytag.

Present day

The cheese is made by hand in a small cheese plant, which was constructed 80 years ago in E.H.’s milking barn. The prize-winning herd is no longer present, but the physical barn remains. The company uses fresh milk from neighboring dairy farmers. Its hand-formed wheels are aged for approximately six months.

Maytag Dairy Farms was family-owned until 2019, when Midwest Growth Partners, a private equity fund manager, acquired it.^[2] In July 2022, AgCertain Industries purchased Maytag Dairy farms from Midwest Growth Partners.^[3]

See also

• List of dairy product companies in the United States