Organic Handling in Practice: Cedar Grove Cheese

Cedar Grove Cheese has been making cheese in Wisconsin since 1878. Owner Bob Wills pursued organic certification out of concern for farmers’ health and a belief in better practices for animals, people, and the environment. In this case study, Bob and general manager Debbie Byrne walk through how Cedar Grove maintains organic integrity across a facility that handles both conventional and organic milk, from antibiotic testing at intake to clearly labeled storage tanks. They explain their QR-code-based traceability system, which links every block of cheese back to the farms whose milk went into it. Debby also covers what to expect during a USDA NOP inspection, how mock recalls work, and the documentation habits that keep audits on track.