The City is preparing a new Master Plan, a state-mandated process that outlines a long-term vision for land use and development in our city. We are kicking off the process with a community workshop to share our ideas, and we would love to hear from you- your voice matters!
PINCONNING, MI (The Cheese Capital of Michigan) – This June, Pinconning Cheese Company and Wilson’s Cheese Shoppe, both on N. Mable Street in Pinconning, are celebrating National Cheese Day on Wednesday, June 4, and the annual Pinconning CheeseTown Festival on June 13-14.
To celebrate National Cheese Day, Pinconning Cheese and Wilson’s will feature 10% off all Pinconning Cheeses on the website from June 4 – 11. (Code: cheeseday) Both are sponsors of the annual Pinconning CheeseTown Races on Saturday, June 14, and will provide cheese to the runners in the race. The companies will celebrate the annual Pinconning CheeseTown Festival on the weekend of June 13-14 by participating in the parade and the annual Mac-N-Cheese contest. (The past two years, Pinconning Cheese has won and Wilson’s has come in 2nd.) Wilson’s Cheese Shoppe will once again be selling its delicious famous grilled cheese sandwiches on cheese bread on the festival ground at the city park on Saturday, 6/14/2025 and will have a booth filled with cheese snacks of various kinds, hot dogs, and treats. The companies will be coming out with yellow and white Super Aged Cheddars, one of which is a 20-year-old.
“People come from all around the state for this fun festival, and depending on the weather, we usually see between 1000 and 2000 people throughout the day. Numbers tend to pick up most in the evening on Saturday when the races are over and the band starts playing. Most hang around for the fireworks,” says Brian Saha. “National Cheese Day and the
Pinconning CheeseTown Festival is a part of the Pinconning heritage, and we’re happy to be a part of it. The fest seems to grow each year and brings good recognition to the surrounding communities. We’re a family operation and are proud to be part of the community. Many people who travel north venture off I-75 to travel down historic M-13 (old US-23) and visit our store and comment how their parents used to come here – it’s a great family tradition.”
Pinconning Cheese Company makes over 30 varieties of cheeses, plus many different flavors of cheese spreads. The most popular, of course, is Squeaky Mild Pinconnin,g and the most exotic is a 16-year-old super sharp Pinconning Cheese, and all can be shipped anywhere in the contiguous USA. This year’s festival features the annual Mac N Cheese Cookoff, CheeseTown Challenge Race (5k, 2k, little Meece’s), vendor booths, inflatables, a parade, live music, fireworks, a petting zoo, cornhole tournament, and more.”
Pinconning Cheese is based on a formula created by Dan Horn (Inez Wilson & Marie Bennett, Father) in 1915, who had settled in the Pinconning area and whose daughter Inez Wilson marketed her father’s Pinconning style cheese creation at the Horn Cheese Factory & Market, then later opened Wilson’s Cheese Shoppe in 1939 to expand products and markets for this delicious cheese. Inez was the catalyst to market Pinconning Cheese and our town, and can be credited with lobbying the State of Michigan to designate Pinconning as the “Cheese Capital of Michigan”! The Pinconning Cheese Company started out in 1948 as the Bennett Cheese Store and was owned by Harry and Marie (Horn) Bennett. Both establishments carry on the family tradition of marketing the Pinconning favorites to Michigander’s and
worldwide via online sales at PinconningCheese.Com & WilsonCheese.Com.
The family-owned business tradition continues to be passed along with the Saha Family, lifetime residents of Pinconning, as the second-generation family members Brett & Maggie Saha and Ryan & Brooke Kleinhans, now assists parents Brian & Debby in running the businesses.
* Pinconning Cheese style was created by Dan Horn, who immigrated here in 1915 and began making his new formula of cheese. Dan Horn is the father of Inez (Horn) Wilson, who managed the Horn Cheese Plant and adjacent Horn Grocery Market and then built a new retail store in 1939, Wilson’s Cheese Shoppe, to market the family cheese products across the street from the Horn Cheese Plant.
* Pinconning is designated “The Cheese Capital of Michigan” because it’s home to the famous Pinconning brand of cheese – the best cheese in Michigan.
* Pinconning Cheese is a variation of Colby-style cheese. It is semi-hard with an open texture, which allows it to age well from Squeaky Mild to Super Sharp. Original formula Pinconning Cheese, as sold here, is produced using our special formula directly from Dan Horn’s recipe.
* The aging process is what gives Pinconning cheese its special and unique flavor.
* Pinconning Cheese Company cheese is all-natural, Gluten-rBGH-Antibiotic free, and the milk is from grass-fed cows.
* 1940s – 50s saw expanded sales of Pinconning Cheese beyond the local loyal fan base through radio coverage, roadside signage, and local celebrity endorsements.
* 1960s – Pinconning was officially named “Cheese Capital of Michigan” by the State of Michigan.
* Present day – Pinconning Cheese Company & Wilson’s Cheese Shoppe is a family-run business, and its most popular product is Pinconning Cheese, cut off the wheel and paper wrapped up the old-fashioned way.
* Wilson’s Cheese Shoppe & Pinconning Cheese Company features homemade fudge, Michigan made meats and jerky, smoked fish, pickled items and a wide array of specialty condiments, gifts, craft beers, Michigan Made Wine and Spirits and novelty candies for the kids!
* Folklore says that cheese making is an ancient craft that predates recorded history – some speculate that cheese making began somewhere around 8000 BC shortly after animals were domesticated.
* Archeological digs have found evidence of cheese around the world including strainers coated in milk-fat molecules in Kuyavia, Poland dated around 5500 BC. It is also depicted in murals in Egypt dated at 2000 BC.
* An artifact of preserved cheese in Xinjiang, China is believed to be more than 3,000 years old.
* The seven types of cheese are: Fresh, Aged fresh, Soft white rind, Semi-soft, Hard Blue, and Flavor added.
* The most popular types of cheeses of today like gouda, cheddar, Colby, parmesan, and camembert, all came in vogue during or after the Middle Ages.
* There are more than 2000 varieties of cheese available worldwide.
* The first cheese factory was established in Switzerland in 1815. However, successful mass production began in 1851 in the United States.
* Contrary to popular belief, eaten in moderate quantities, cheese is an excellent source of protein, calcium, and phosphorus.
* Cheese can be produced using a variety of milk, including cow, buffalo, goat, horse, and even camel.
* 20 million metric tons of cheese are produced worldwide each yea,r and production is increasing with growing demand.
* Approximately 10 pounds of milk is required to make one pound of cheese.
* Cheese is kept for a period of time before it’s ready to eat. Some varieties of cheese, like blue cheese, gorgonzola, and brie are exposed to mold which helps them age properly.
* Some varieties of cheese, like mozzarella, cheddar, Colby, Swiss, and American, help prevent tooth decay. It promotes the flow of saliva, which leads tothe elimination of sugar and acids from the mouth. Another benefit associated with cheese is that it helps protect tooth enamel and has an antibacterial effect. If consumed in moderate quantities, cheese has various health benefits. Cheesemaking has been around for nearly 4,000 years, according to the International Dairy
Foods Association.
* As a country, the U.S. produces the most cheese in the world annually.
* U.S. per capita cheese consumption is about 34 pounds per person—that’s more than one full ton of cheese during the average lifetime. The French eat the most cheese, putting away an average of 57 pounds per person a year.
* Cheddar and Colby cheese is not naturally yellow. The bright orange cheddar cheese we all know and love is not a natural result of its curdled milk components. All cheese is naturally white, off-white, or golden yellow (dependent on the milk). To get the orange color of cheddarand Colby cheese, Annatto seed (all natural yellow coloring effect) abstract is added during the production process.
* The state that produces the most cheese is Wisconsin. More than two and a half billion pounds of cheese are made in Wisconsin every year. The next top producer is California.
* The most popular cheese recipe in America is Mac and Cheese.
* One of the biggest and heaviest cheeses ever created was 32 feet long and weighed 57,518 pounds! A Canadian cheese maker used 540,000 pounds of milk to make this record-breaking cheddar cheese.
The City of Pinconning will hold a public hearing on the proposed Clean Water Project Plan for the purpose of receiving comments from interested persons.
The hearing will be held at 5:30p.m. on Wednesday, April 30th, 2025 at the Pinconning City Hall located at 208 Manitou St, Pinconning, MI 48650.
The purpose of the proposed project is to make improvements to the wastewater collection and treatment system as identified in the City Asset Management Plan. Deficiencies in the collection system include excess infiltration, cracked sewer pipes, outdated lift station pumps, outdated electrical control panels. Improvements proposed at the wastewater treatment facility will upgrade critical systems and processes, including upgrades to clarifiers, disinfection/sludge management, grit removal, headworks, alarm system, chemical systems, and building.
Impacts of the proposed project will be providing more reliable wastewater collection and treatment reducing the potential for future compliance issues and public health risks. Short term construction related impacts include increased noise and dust that will be temporary in nature during construction of the improvements.
The estimated cost to the users for the proposed project will be dependent upon final Project Scope, Project Costs, potential Grants and or Principal Forgiveness awards.
Copies of the plan detailing the proposed project are available for inspection at the Pinconning City Hall located at 208 Manitou St, Pinconning, MI 48650.
Written comments received before the meeting record is closed on Wednesday, April 30th, 2025 will be included in the final project planning document. Written comments should be sent to the City of Pinconning. The City of Pinconning mailing address is 208 S Manitou St, P.O. Box 628, Pinconning, Michigan 48650.
Michigan Rural Water recently did a rate study in the city to look at our water/sewer rates. They
suggested several changes to these rates. These suggestions were presented to the city
council for approval and passed, therefore, residents see a significant increase in the amounts
due to their utility bills. As residents began to receive their bills, city staff and council members
realized there was a problem with the approved rates. After reaching out to Michigan
Rural Water for clarification, they stated the city staff and council were given incorrect figures.
Rates have now been clarified, and residents who have already paid their bill in person or online
will see credit on their account.
Residents who have not yet paid can call city hall or come in for the correct adjusted amount due, reflecting a new corrected total, which will be subtracted from the existing bill. We thank all residents who were diligent in communicating with city staff and who gave administrators time to investigate and solve the problem before making assumptions.
We appreciate feedback and try to do our best to help each and every one of you!
DDA Board is Thursday, 2/6/25, at 3:30 pm at the Pinconning City Hall
DDA Board Meet Holiday change: Thursday, 1/2/25, 3:30 pm at the Pinconning City Hall
