| Prior to the American Civil War, little (if any) cheese was manufactured commercially in Michigan. Most cheese production took place on the family farm for home use with limited neighborhood sales. In 1866, with the encouragement of the State Board of Agriculture, several Lenawee County farmers began the commercial production of "Soft Michigan" cheese. The commercial success of these cheeses helped shape business and political careers in southeast Michigan. "Soft Michigan" cheese production transformed the practice of agriculture by increasing the roles of technology and science and the involvement of government in the food supply.;The shift in production of cheese in Michigan from 1825 to 1925 provides a window to analyze the intersection of agriculture, government, technology, science, and education. By the end of the first quarter of the twentieth century, cheese production would follow an industrial model, under publicly mandated inspection and regulation.;Under the leadership of Michigan Agricultural College, science and technology was applied to food production ensuring that only the best dairy products were made into cheese. Through regulation and promotion of business models and public health, progressive politics and cheese production would become linked. Science, technology, education, government regulation, and capital created the conditions that forced dairy production away from small commercial factories to large industrialized plants. |
