
Marieke Penterman is impossible to miss—she’s got the kind of presence that commands a room, much like the gouda she makes. Born and raised on a dairy farm in the Netherlands, she grew up surrounded by cows and the daily rhythm of farm life. But it wasn’t until she landed in Wisconsin with her then-husband, Rolf, that she found her way to cheesemaking.
Craving the signature cheese of her homeland, Penterman rolled up her sleeves and decided to make it herself. She earned her cheesemaking license, trained with Master Cheesemakers in the Netherlands, and by 2006, she was churning out wheels of her own. Just four months later, her very first batch snagged Gold at the US Championship Cheese Contest—proof that she was onto something. Nearly two decades and more than 280 awards later, Marieke Gouda is in a league of its own. And in 2024, Penterman became one of only four women to earn the coveted Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker certification.
We caught up with Penterman to talk about her journey to becoming a Master Cheesemaker, the cheese that earned her a green card, and how to stick to the plan.

Penterman with a variety of aging goudas.
culture (CM): First of all, congratulations on your recent Master Cheesemaker certification—what an accomplishment. I understand you’re one of just four women to earn this title. What does it mean to be part of such a select group?
Marieke Penterman (MP): Oh gosh, I’m just humbled. There are 69 Master Cheesemakers total, and to be one of only four women—it’s an incredible honor. I’m still dazzled by it, to be honest. They called me on December 20th to give me the results, and when she asked how I was doing, I said, “Well, that depends on this phone call!”
CM: What was the certification process like?
MP: It’s a whole ordeal. Here, in Wisconsin, you need a cheesemaker’s license—I was not aware we’re one of the only states in the world to require a cheesemaker’s license. After holding the license for 10 years, you can apply for the Master Cheesemaker program.
I postponed applying for a while. I’m a mom of five, running a growing business, and I’m also still an immigrant—so I have a lot going on. Plus, I always say I’m a lucky cheesemaker, not a scientific one—like a musician who plays music but doesn’t know the notes. But people kept encouraging me, so I ran out of excuses and filled out the application three years ago.
They do an intake interview, review your knowledge, visit your facility, and then present everything to a board—not just anybody can apply to be a Master Cheesemaker. When they reviewed everything, they said letting me in was a no- brainer, which made me feel really good.
Then you have to take courses, have your cheese tested, and pass written and critical thinking exams. They said [the final test] would take about 40 hours—it took me at least 70!
CM: I know you grew up on a dairy farm in the Netherlands before moving to Wisconsin. Did you always know you wanted to work in dairy, or would your younger self be surprised to see you’re a Master Cheesemaker?
MP: No, this was definitely not the plan. But how often does life go as planned, right? I was born a farmer’s daughter—my parents had a 60-cow dairy farm in the east part of the Netherlands—and they passed on their love and passion for cows. My dad and I especially loved the genetics side. Often after milking, when the cows were locked in, we’d try to outsmart each other: “Which cow is this? Who’s her father? Who’s her mother?”
I always wanted to be a vet, but that’s not how it went. And I always knew I was going to live abroad, so when Rolf and his brother found a dairy farm in America, I followed a year later.
I wanted to start my own business, but I didn’t know what. I had $11,300, and my parents gave me another $5,600 nonrefundable investment. Rolf ’s family built a small creamery, and I rented it from them, bought milk from the farm, and started making cheese. On November 22, 2006, I made my first batch of gouda. Four months later, we won our first award for our Foenegreek Gouda. Now we’re approaching 280 national and international awards in 18 years.
CM: It sounds like you hit the ground running with success right out of the gate. Was that when you realized you had something good going, or were the early days more of a struggle?
MP: Oh, it was a roller coaster. We didn’t have much money, and I was wearing so many hats—though at first, I didn’t even know what that meant. One of my cheesemakers asked me, “How many hats do you wear?” and I answered, “A hairnet, a cap?” I learned quickly that it meant responsibilities.
When I started making cheese, it was just me and one team member, Martha. She used to milk cows at our farm and asked me for a job. I said no—twice. But she was so persistent that the third time I said, “OK, you’re hired,” even though I had no idea what she’d do. I didn’t realize how much work it would be.
Now we have a team of 67 people across the dairy farm, creamery, retail, manufacturing, and sales. We cut all our cheese on site, we ship it all, we age it all. And two years ago, we opened our first off-site retail store, about 45 minutes from the farm.

CM: It’s kind of wild—in the best way— that you started with so little and have built something so successful. It’s really impressive. What made you take the leap to start making cheese?
MP: My impulsive nature, probably—not always thinking things through.
We all have our own toolbox, right? Well, I’m missing a lot of tools in my box, but I’m very grateful to have a team that brings the tools we do need to make this idea a success. Without them, it would’ve just stayed an idea.
And maybe a hint of stubbornness, too. Because I had people tell me, “Oh no, you have to make other cheeses.” And I’m like, I don’t enjoy making other cheeses. Why do I have to make other cheeses just to make my gouda profitable? That’s ridiculous. Why can I not just make an income out of what I enjoy? And that’s gouda.
CM: I think of gouda as everybody’s favorite cheese. Was that the case when you started making it 18 years ago?
MP: Gouda in general has grown a lot through the years. But when I started making it, I remember my neighbor, Tom, asked, “What is gouda?” So I had to explain what it was—this was 18 years ago. His next question was, “But Marieke, are there enough Dutch people around who will buy it? Who will eat it?”
I said, “Oh my gosh, Tom. You’re going to eat it, too.” And now? He’s addicted.
CM: What do you think makes your gouda great?
MP: Oh, there are several reasons—but then I would tell all my secrets! We cannot have that!
Seriously, for us, what makes our gouda great is that we have our own milk. We are a farmstead, the milk comes straight from the cows, and we get it as fresh as it can be. If we didn’t have our own cows, the milk would have to come from a different area, and you have to cool it down for transport and heat it up again. So we have minimal temperature and transportation damage.
Also, we have a very dedicated team. We all have our eye on the wheel—we want to make the best gouda possible, not only in the US, but in the world.
CM: Do you have a favorite gouda from your lineup, or does it change every day? I know that can be a tough question, like picking your favorite child.
MP: Oh yes, because they all hold a special meaning. For example, the Foenegreek Gouda was our first award winner. Then, our 6- to 9- month Aged Gouda won Best Cheese at the 2013 US Championship Cheese Contest—not just the best gouda, the best cheese. We beat out cheddars, Colby, parmesan, and more. Because of that, my immigration lawyer applied for the extraordinary ability route, and I got my green card. So, that one is really special to me—my green card cheese.
CM: You use traditional Dutch methods for making your gouda, which comes in many different flavors. Is flavored cheese common in the Netherlands, or are you forging your own path?
MP: Oh, gosh, no. We’re pretty boring in the Netherlands, to be honest. You don’t really see flavored cheeses in supermarkets. Maybe a little cumin here and there, but that’s about it. At farmers’ markets, you might find a few with burning nettle or mustard, but in general, it’s all plain—young to aged— without many additions.
CM: How did you decide to go the flavored cheese route?
MP: One day, I received a fax from a Dutch herb supplier with a list of options, and I couldn’t make a decision—isn’t that sad. So, I basically got 80 or 90 percent of the herbs on that list. It was not a tremendous list—luckily not 300 flavors—but they all looked delicious. I thought, what the heck? I want to make the best gouda, but that doesn’t mean I can’t experiment. Some people make cheddar, Colby, and other varieties—I just make one kind of cheese and then make different flavors of it. It makes it more exciting!
CM: I know you have a lot of women working in your plant, and you’ve said that wasn’t intentional. But how do you think that impacts the work environment?
MP: Oh, I don’t want to discount all the capable, hardworking men out there, but it’s nice to have more diversity. We hire the best candidate, and in our case, the women were the better candidate for the job. They can multitask, they can read a room—but on the other side, we have our downfalls, too. Because we can read a room, that can have its disadvantages.
CM: Do you have any advice for young cheesemakers, especially women, who might want to follow the same path you did?
MP: Stick to the plan. It really is that simple. There were many moments where I was not sure we would
continue, but I always found a way. [It’s good to get advice] from people around you, but remember, they’re not in your shoes. In my toolbox, there’s always a solution. In moments of despair, I allow myself to be a little defiant and “pound on the ground” kind of deal. But after that, I will get up and make it happen because giving up is not an option.
CM: You’ve accomplished so much over the last 18 years, building this incredible brand. What’s next for you and the business? What are your goals for the next phase?
MP: We want to build a future-proof, prominent brand known for its natural ingredients. Our product is very pure, and we want to have a clear message with our cheese—I really want to create gouda with a purpose. I think everybody deserves a piece of really good gouda. So, that’s what we are going for—to make sure everybody can enjoy some good gouda because life is too short.