Wisconsin, America’s Dairyland, is one of the top producers of dairy and cheese products within the United States. Our state has nearly 1,200 licensed cheesemakers and creates over 600 different types of cheese, double the number produced in any other state. Wisconsin produces 25% of the nation’s cheese, totaling almost 3.5 billion pounds in 2021.
However, there is one cheesemaker that is often neglected by the public — Lactococcus lactis.
L. lactis is integral to cheesemaking in Wisconsin and to other state food and agricultural industries, and to honor the artistry and innovative legacy of the agricultural and dairy leaders across Wisconsin, Wisconsin should adopt Lactococcus lactis as the state microbe.
Resources
Learn more about L. lactis and the case for its adoption as the official Wisconsin state microbe:
Media coverage
- Wisconsin State Journal July 31, 2025 “Could This Cheesemaking Bacterium Become Wisconsin’s State Microbe?”
- The Badger Herald December 8, 2023 “Cheese-making organism may become state microbe, researchers say“
- City Cast Madison Podcast November 15, 2023 “This Mighty Microbe Could Be Our Next State Symbol“
- National Science Policy Network Blog November 13, 2023 “CaSP Connects Community Around Microbes Using NSPN’s Microgrant“
- The Daily Cardinal October 26, 2023 “The fight for America’s dairyland to title a state microbe“
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery October 10, 2023 “L. lactis: The Unsung Hero of Wisconsin’s World-Famous Cheese“