Antigo CheeseMaker

Erin Radtke
Sartori Cheese, Antigo
Certified Master: Open-class Hard Cheese, Parmesan

Growing up three doors down from the Sartori Cheese plant in Antigo, Erin Radtke never thought she would work there, much less earn Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker status in two of the company’s flagship cheeses. But once in the door, her curiosity made it irresistible.

“I’m inquisitive,” said Radtke. “I’m always trying to understand the whys behind everything and how I’m affecting things.”

That need to understand has been a hallmark of Radtke’s 22 years at Sartori Cheese. As she moved from wheel production to drain table operation, sanitation backup, and relief operator, Radtke was always on the hunt to find out more. When she got to cheesemaking, she found her niche.

“I loved the combination of the art and science behind cheesemaking,” Radtke said. “I wanted to know what the impact was, for example, if I didn’t cut the cheese at the right time, the effect of temperature on the milk, and how that would affect the composition of the cheese.”

Over the years, Radtke’s mentors encouraged her drive to dig deeper, created an atmosphere that welcomed her questions, and encouraged her to become a Master. For example, cheesemaker Joel Pagel taught her how to operate the vats when she started out.

“He never got frustrated, even though I came in every day asking why we were doing it like this, how do I troubleshoot it, how do I fix it,” said Radtke. “He was really impactful.”

Larry Steckbauer, a now-retired Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, showed her the cheese at different stages of the aging process and helped Radtke develop an eye for cheese development. Working alongside Mike Matucheski, another retired Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, also proved formative. The two worked on developing new cheese types and experimented with different soaks and rubs for BellaVitano®, one of the cheeses, along with Asiago, that Radtke earned Master certification in.

Ultimately, the Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker® program gave her even more of the knowledge she craves.

“You get a lot of the background and the science behind the cheese,” said Radtke. “In the plant, you make adjustments and see the results, but you don’t understand the science of it until you dig into those courses at CDR.”

It’s also not lost on Radtke that she is the fifth woman to become a Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker.

“It feels like a huge accomplishment. When I started in 2004, there were a lot of times that I was the only woman doing the same work as the guys,” said Radtke, "but it was important to me.”

She also sees the impact the program has beyond the vat and her own plant.

“The Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker® program is about quality and consistency,” said Radtke. “That’s huge for the industry in Wisconsin because we have super high-quality milk, and we make the best cheese we can from that.”