Maytag Dairy Farms

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Maytag Dairy Farms is a manufacturer of blue cheese, as well as other dairy products. It is based in Newton, Iowa, United States.

Maytag Dairy Farms was established in 1941 by Frederick Louis Maytag II and his brother 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. Therefore, 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. The cheese plant and caves were completed a year later, and the first wheels of Maytag Blue Cheese were formed in October 1941. The milk from Maytag's Iowa Holsteins results in a rich, creamy cheese resembling European blue cheeses' flavors. The cheese was sold by 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 a director, along with his brother Ken Maytag and sister Martha Maytag.

The cheese is made by hand in a small cheese plant, of 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 their neighbor dairy farmers. Its hand-formed wheels are aged for approximately six months.

Maytag Dairy Farms was family-owned until 2019 when it was acquired by Midwest Growth Partners, a private equity fund manager.^[3] In July 2022, AgCertain Industries purchased Maytag Dairy farms from Midwest Growth Partners.^[4]

• List of dairy product companies in the United States

• Maytag Dairy Farms
• Little Big Cheese: Maytag's Growing Niche Market, story on NPR (January 4, 2005)