This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Suzanne Fanning, chief marketing officer for Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.
She discusses top takeaways from the group’s 2026 Wisconsin Cheese Trends Report, which tracks changes in consumer preferences and highlights how businesses are marketing their dairy products.
“People are so interested in sustainability, and that’s also something that’s going to extend into our food,” Fanning said, adding “you finish making a great product, but then what happens with everything else that you used?”
She noted some cheesemakers are using whey byproducts to create alcoholic drinks like vodka and gin. At the same time, the state’s Center for Dairy Research is looking at making “bioplastics,” natural colors and prebiotics with whey.
Meanwhile, consumers are increasingly concerned with the healthiness of the products they’re buying, Fanning noted. She said this trend toward “wellness” considerations is impacting the dairy industry as well.
“Everybody’s saying, eat more protein, eat more protein … and cheese is such a great source of protein,” she said. “One ounce of parmesan has 11 grams of protein, so … with everyone trying so hard to pack as much protein as they can into their diet, cheese is just such a wonderful source of that.”
Fanning also stresses the importance of authenticity to Wisconsin’s cheese industry. She added cheesemakers in the state are keeping an eye on this and other trends, adding some are experimenting with new types of products to match consumer demand.
“When you look at Wisconsin cheese, you can see exactly where it came from,” she said. “You know the farmers, you know the cheesemakers, you understand the process … there’s something to that fabulous authenticity.”
Listen to the podcast below, sponsored by UW-Madison:
