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Wait, There Are Actually Cheese Caves In Michigan?

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Wait, There Are Actually Cheese Caves In Michigan?


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?

cheese cave michigan

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cheese cave – Canva

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 suttons bay

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Leelanau Cheese – Google Maps

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!

Read More: This Michigan Town May Be Furthest Away From Any Great Lake

The Cheese Cave in Leelanau County

Cancer Causing Chemicals Found In 37 Popular Food Items

Check the list below for food items and their total phthalates per serving according to a study from Consumer Reports.

Gallery Credit: Jessica Poxson

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Michigan State Police rule out suspect in Electric Forest baby death investigation

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Michigan State Police rule out suspect in Electric Forest baby death investigation


Michigan State Police (MSP) detectives shared some more information Friday about their investigation of the infant death at this year’s Electric Forest music festival in Rothbury.

Troopers recently received a tip about a Muskegon woman who was said to have information about the incident, but after interviewing her and completing other necessary investigative steps, MSP said they ruled her out as a suspect.

A restroom vending company employee at the festival found the body of a neonate, a newborn infant who is four weeks old or younger, in a portable restroom in the festival camping area on June 28, according to troopers.

The festival is hosted at the Double JJ Resort, which was locked down to anyone entering the following day as police surrounded the scene.

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Troopers are asking for tips from the public at michigan.gov/michtip.



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Harmful algal blooms reported on 2 large West Michigan lakes

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Harmful algal blooms reported on 2 large West Michigan lakes


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Harmful algal blooms have been reported on two notable lakes in West Michigan: Gun Lake and Muskegon Lake.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy says cyanobacteria was reported on Muskegon Lake July 3, but no tests have confirmed it.

The Barry-Eaton District Health Department says a harmful algal bloom was confirmed Thursday on Gun Lake. The lake remains open, but the BEDHD is encouraging visitors to use caution and avoid water that has “visible algae.”

Visitors are encouraged to avoid any contact with water that appears bright green, blue-green, brown or red or has “floating mats of scum.”

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Pets should also avoid the water. If they come into contact with the algae, pets should be rinsed off as soon as possible with clean, fresh water.

Exposure to algae can cause a rash or irritation to the skin, eyes, nose and throat. It can also cause stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever and trouble breathing.

“If you become sick, contact your healthcare provider. Seek medical care right away if you have trouble breathing, severe vomiting, or other serious symptoms,” the BEDHD said in a statement. “If your pet was exposed, rinse them well with clean water and do not let them lick their fur until they have been washed. Contact your veterinarian right away if your pet has vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, trouble walking, excessive drooling, shaking, or seizures.”

Harmful algal blooms are powered by the sudden growth of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. Cyanobacteria occur naturally in lakes, rivers and ponds but is often boosted by a sudden excess of nutrients, often caused by fertilizer runoff from farms or failed septic systems.

They can last for several days and sometimes even months. The water will look “scummy” or like “spilled paint or pea soup.” They are typically found in the summer and fall — usually peaking in August or September and dying off by the end of October.

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You can report a suspected harmful algal bloom to EGLE at AlgaeBloom@Michigan.gov or 1.800.662.9278.



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How two Michigan stamping plants power Stellantis turnaround plan

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How two Michigan stamping plants power Stellantis turnaround plan


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Warren — Hulking metal presses line one wall of Stellantis NV’s cavernous stamping plant here, punching out the raw shapes of Jeep doors, Dodge hoods and Ram tailgates in rapid succession.

Nearby, swinging yellow robots continue the tightly choreographed work, gluing and pressing and welding smaller components to the sheet metal that eventually will start to resemble the shape of a truck or SUV.

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Seven miles north, in Sterling Heights, Stellantis operates an even larger stamping plant — the biggest in the world, at 2.7 million square feet — that does much of the same work, churning out various shapes of steel and aluminum 24 hours a day.

Together, these lesser-known links in the manufacturing supply chain support all of Stellantis’ big North American assembly plants — from next-door Warren Truck Assembly Plant, where the Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV is built, to facilities in Windsor and Mexico that make minivans and pickups.

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Inside Stellantis’ Huge Detroit Stamping Plants

The Detroit News recently got a rare look inside the automaker’s Sterling and Warren stamping plants, which are key to the company’s turnaround plan.

The Metro Detroit stamping plants, the automaker’s only two such facilities in the United States, have at times struggled in recent years, facing major job cuts and worker morale issues amid slowing sales and shifting production plans. But under Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa, the facilities are expected to cram in more workload — and add staff — as Stellantis begins a new five-year strategic turnaround plan, which includes a heavy focus on its most profitable North American market.

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The carmaker’s goal: grow sales by more than a third to 1.9 million annually by 2030 as it launches 23 vehicles, including 11 all-new models. The company also is directing billions of dollars of investment into its U.S. manufacturing footprint due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

“Stamping has never really been viewed as the sexy side of automotive manufacturing, we’re relatively invisible,” said Ed Daniels Jr., vice president of North America injection and stamping operations. “Because when you look at the commercials and advertisements, it’s always a beautiful Ram rolling off the assembly line or climbing the side of a mountain.

“But we’re the inception of that vehicle,” he said. “This is where raw materials are turned into commodities and parts.”

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The Detroit News recently got a rare look inside the two plants that combined employ about 3,000 people. The automaker wanted to show off a newly-installed blanking press at Warren Stamping and other machinery like a high-speed transfer press and a robot that spots flaws in the metal.

Hiring expected

The blanking press unspools long coils of metal and chops them up into pieces that can then be shaped into roofs, fenders and floor pans. Stellantis shipped the massive machine to Warren from its idled Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois last year.

After upgrades to the machine, executives said it’s able to produce as many as 120,000 metal blanks per week. It will save Stellantis money since the plant will no longer need to pay a supplier to break down the coils before the metal arrives there.

The blanker addition is a big deal for the plant and signals that the company wants to bring more work in-house and invest in the facility over the coming years, said Romaine McKinney III, president of United Auto Workers Local 869, which represents workers at the factory.

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The plant has already brought back all of its laid-off UAW workers, and McKinney said he anticipates more hiring to get underway if sales grow and new Stellantis vehicles come to market.

In another corner of the Warren facility, one of the fastest press lines in the world — known internally as the Hellcat — pushes as many as 15 pieces of metal through per minute. Dies that weigh up to 50 tons apiece squish the material into the shapes of doors and hoods before robotic arms snatch them out and place them on conveyor belts. Midway through a shift, workers can reconfigure the machine to make a different component, a process that takes just five minutes.

Robots check for quality

Curtis Booth, who manages Warren Stamping, said manual processes inside the plant have become increasingly automated, and safer, over the last couple decades, even as the automaker’s two stamping factories still utilize some presses that were installed in the 1960s.

The latest high-tech addition is the Automated Body Inspection System, or ABIS. It’s a camera system mounted on a robot that automatically checks the quality of components and flags anything in need of repair.

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Auto plants of all kinds are increasingly turning to these types of camera systems, infused with artificial intelligence, to catch flaws in sheet metal and other components before they are shipped. Booth said worker visual inspections are still used. But in some cases the human eye has too much subjectivity, and the ABIS removes the guesswork.

Greg Bauer, who manages Sterling Stamping, said his plant has added staff over the past year, and expects to continue hiring as more work is assigned to the facility. There is no space at the plant to add more presses, but officials have figured out how to increase efficiency — quickly toggling back and forth between making doors for a Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Charger on on a single machine, for example.

“We want to bring high-volume parts into the plant, and we want to maximize the capacity of the equipment,” Daniels said.

lramseth@detroitnews.com

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