We at Ogden Glazer + Schaefer literally have a written directive to “geek out.” That may be about legal stuff or other stuff. But be passionate and interested and maybe a tiny bit obsessed. One of those things that I geek out about is geographic indications. So be warned. Geographical indicators are special marks that help indicate that certain places in the world imbibe things that come from that region with unique attributes. Roquefort cheese and blue cheese may have the same basic ingredients and be veined with blue mold, but somehow they just taste different thanks to Roquefort being aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, France.
The United States has generally liked to use the names like Roquefort to describe products made here. The thinking is that they are made with the same stuff in the same way, so why call it something different? But I beg to differ. Why? Because I come from the Driftless Area. And, dang it, we are special! Our geography is unique. During the last ice age, we were spared the force of the glaciers. So we kept fabulous soil, rolling hills, and limestone bluffs. We get all sorts of microclimates that are made for geographical indications.
It is 24,000-square-miles covering western Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northwestern Illinois, and northeastern Iowa bisected by the Mississippi River just begging to be explored by foot and by stomach. And we should stop trying to say we are like something else. Let them try to be like us!
Is this a legal post? Barely. Is it a rant post? Yeah, probably. Is it a cheerleading post telling the world that you really, really should visit our farmers markets and try our cheese? Definitely.
PS from Laura – At the time of this blog posting, Erin will be completing RAGBRAI LIII! The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa bike race takes place from July 18 to July 25, 2026, marking the shortest and 10th-hilliest route in the event’s history at 391.4 miles and 16,027 feet of climb. Go Erin!
