Calling all cheese lovers!

I was born and raised in Michigan and I consider myself to be a cheese enthusiast, so how am I only just hearing of this now? Tell me I’m not the only one who had no idea we actually have cheese caves here.

Why is that so important? Well, maybe it’s not. I just think it’s cool! I love caves and I love cheese, why not explore both at the same time?

I guess when I think of cheese caves I think of some rustic farm where the same family has been producing certified-local cheese in the same province of Italy generation after generation. They do have strict cheese industry laws there, you know!

You may have even seen those recent viral TikTok videos explaining the giant government cheese surplus stored away in caves outside of Springfield, Missouri. As someone who used to live in Springfield I can tell confirm yes, the cheese reserves at the Springfield Underground complex are real.

So, What’s the Deal With Michigan’s Cheese Cave?

Up in northern Michigan in Leelanau County you’ll find Leelanau Cheese, an award-winning producer of fine cheeses most notably their raclette.

Yes! Raclette as in that ooey-gooey melty cheese that’s notoriously very stinky yet oh so delicious.

Leelanau Cheese says they use a natural cave ageing process similar to those in Europe:

The cheese cave is a structure developed to imitate the style and function of traditional aging caves in Europe. It is specifically designed to monitor and maintain optimal temperature and humidity conditions for the maturation of our cheese.  In this environment, the wheels of cheese will develop flavor while aging.

The creamery is located in Suttons Bay and open to all visitors Monday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., closed Sundays. See how the cheese is made, catch the “exciting process of curd hooping” around 10 and 2 o’clock on Tuesdays!

The Cheese Cave in Leelanau County

UPPER PENINSULA — The winners of the 2024 Upper Peninsula History Awards have been announced ahead of the annual Upper Peninsula History Conference on June 22.

At the 75th annual conference, the Historical Society of Michigan will present three awards to recognize individuals and organizations that have made contributions to the preservation of U.P. history.

The Historical Society of Michigan History Hero Award was established in 2017 to recognize individuals who have made contributions to preserving history not just in the Upper Peninsula but across the state.

Phil Porter of Cheboygan is receiving the award this year for his contributions to the Mackinac State Historic Parks.

Porter worked with Mackinac State Historic Parks for 49 years, serving as a tour guide at Fort Mackinac, curator of collections and other positions, before eventually becoming the director of the parks. He retired in 2020.

More: Phil Porter to retire from Mackinac State Historic Parks

The next individual award is the Charles Follow award, named after an Escanaba schoolteacher who established multiple historical societies to promote U.P. history preservation.

The Charles Follow Award will be presented to Diedre Stevens of Sault Ste. Marie for her volunteer work at the Chippewa County Historical Society.

In her work, Stevens has helped create searchable databases and physical collections of local newspapers going back decades. She has cataloged the historical society’s photographs and other research materials for years and has contributed to the creation of several articles, books and other materials in the city.

Visitors to Sault Ste. Marie might also recognize her as the narrator for the history of the Soo Locks at the Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours company.

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More: The quest for Lake Superior shipwrecks

The Superior Award, established in 2006, is meant to recognize organizations that have played a role in preservation. This year, the award is going to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Society.

The society formed in 1978. The group maintains the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, which is home to the oldest operating lighthouse on Lake Superior. The museum is also home to Great Lakes shipwreck artifacts and the group searches the Great Lakes each year for undiscovered wrecks.

The society also helps support other historical organizations, such as the old U.S. Weather Bureau building in Soo Locks Park, and has contributed to video documentaries in collaboration with the National Geographic Society and the Discovery Channel.

The awards will be handed out at the 75th annual Upper Peninsula History Conference, which takes place June 21-23 at the Historical Society of Michigan. The event will feature a keynote presentation about Michigan’s first female chief of staff Mary Hadrich and more, including a history of the Soo Locks and the impact Jesuits had on the development of the Upper Peninsula.

The weekend long event will feature presentations, content sessions, educational workshops, an exhibit hall and more.

For more information, visit hsmichigan.org.

— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com

Michigan ranked in the bottom half of the country in terms of childhood well-being and education, according to data from the 2024 Kids Count Data Book, a nationwide analysis of childhood-related data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The state report placed Michigan 41st in education and 34th in overall well-being.

The report used a collection of nationwide data from the 2021-2022 school year and ranked every state in health, education, economic well-being, and community.

Key Findings

The report found that in Michigan,

• 56% of children aged 3 and 4 were not enrolled in preschool.
• 72% of fourth-graders scored below proficient in reading, and 75% of eighth-graders scored below proficient in math.
• 20% of Michigan high school students were not graduating on time, including 32% of Black students, 25% of Latino students, and 26% of multiracial students
• 40% of students were chronically absent, with 63% of Black, 50% of American Indian, and 46% of Latino children being chronically absent
• Child and teen deaths per 100,000 increased to 28 from 22 in 2019. 
• 9.2% of babies were low-weight in 2021.
• 35% of those aged 10-17 were overweight.
• 7% of teens (33,000) weren’t in school or working.
• 18% of children lived in poverty, including 39% of Black children and 24% of Latino children.
• 25% of children lived in households spending 30% or more of pretax income on housing costs, including 43% of Black children

Anne Kuhnen is the Kids Count Policy Director for Michigan. She said there are economic and racial disparities that create gaps. “For example, the fourth-grade reading scores that (declined) during the pandemic really exacerbated both racial and economic disparities,” she said. “The greatest declines we’re seeing among Black and multi-racial children as well as children who are economically disadvantaged, so you can see how those factors contribute to each other and make the overall declines a lot worse.”
Still, she emphasized the problems started long before the pandemic. She suggested funding programs like the State Opportunity Index could be key to addressing gaps and drop-offs. “We need to make sure that we have that funding available so that schools can both address academic needs, literacy and numeracy instruction as well as provide for non-instructional needs,” Kuhnen said.