Emily Zivney, Ray Zivney and Jeff Zivney at awards ceremony.
Longtime cheese maker and industry leader Ray
Zivney has been chosen by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) as a
Life Member, the association's highest honor.
Zivney was born above the cheese factory operated
by his father, Arthur Zivney, in Alma Center, WI. A cheese maker by the
age of 16, he followed his family to Minonk, IL (1934), where they operated a
butter/powder plant that received milk from 2,000 dairy farms. He
converted the plant to cheese in 1968, beginning with cheddar and Colby.
In the early 1970's Ray pioneered the Baby Swiss Wheel, a mainstay of today's
operation. Ray produced the first U.S. made Danish-style Havarti cheese in
the 1980's. Zivney Baby Swiss earned Best of Class in the 1993 United
States Championship Cheese Contest.
Ray received the honor in April, 2005 during the US
Champions Awards Banquet.
Zivney cheese, made exclusively in Minonk,
Illinois, can be purchased factory-direct at 205 Oak Street, Minonk, Illinois,
8-5 Monday-Friday. Phone orders can be placed by calling 800-732-3068 or
309-432-2533. Minonk IGA also markets Zivney cheese in it's Deli.