Born in 1933 from a cooperative of Amish and Mennonite farmers, Phillips Lancaster County Cheese Company has remained rooted in Pennsylvania Dutch farm country. After Jack and Mae Phillips bought the plant in 1973, the Weinhold family carried the business into its third generation under Jess Weinhold, with an exclusively wholesale operation supplying cheese to food retailers and restaurants.
Goot EssaFounded in 2001 by six Amish dairy-farming families, Goot Essa makes small-batch farmhouse cheese in rural Pennsylvania. The family-run creamery works directly with nearby farm suppliers and uses traditional, handcrafted methods to turn fresh milk into cave-aged European-style cheeses. Its mission remains closely tied to keeping family farms in operation and supporting Pennsylvania dairy farmers.HOWARD, PA
John F. Martin & Sons, IncFrom a Lancaster County farm stand to a fourth-generation family business, John F. Martin & Sons makes meat and cheese products for grocery stores, restaurants, delis and private-label markets. Founded by John F. Martin and his five sons in 1961, the Stevens company now operates an 83,000-square-foot processing and packaging plant alongside a 190,000-square-foot bacon facility in Womelsdorf. Its Pennsylvania Dutch roots remain visible in traditional offerings such as naturally wood-smoked bacon and ham, while the family continues to lead the business.STEVENS, PA
Wos-WitStill owned and operated by the Zukovich family, Wos-Wit makes Pennsylvania Dutch foods in small batches using authentic German-heritage recipes and cooking methods. The business began in the 1940s when John and Dorothy Kresge canned surplus vegetables from their Carbon County farm, and it now produces 82 varieties from a 24,000-square-foot processing plant on an 84-acre farm near Tamaqua. Wos-Wit continues to use the original recipes and ingredients sourced from farms, orchards and vineyards.RUSH TOWNSHIP, PA
Pennland PureBuilt by a cooperative of 300 dairy farms across Lancaster County and Western Maryland, Pennland Pure turns locally sourced milk into cheese at its Hancock, Maryland facility. The company pairs the farmers’ focus on animal care and land stewardship with modern production and packaging, while drawing on longstanding cheesemaking traditions. Its cheeses have earned repeated recognition from the American Cheese Society, the U.S. Cheese Competition, and other dairy competitions.HANCOCK, MD