Wisconsin, which proudly calls itself "America's Dairyland" and embraces all things cheese as a whey of life, is not yet ready to become a second-rate cheese power.

California is poised to take over the crown as the nation's top cheese producer as early as next year, but Wisconsin cheese lovers say quality is more important than quantity.

Last year, California made two-point-one (B) billion pounds of cheese, while Wisconsin produced two-point-four (B) billion, according to government statistics.

Given the production trend, it is only a matter of time before California becomes the big cheese of cheesemaking.

When the subject of the title change comes up, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board spokesman Patrick Geoghegan says there are much more important numbers than tonnage. For one thing, Wisconsin has about 600 varieties of cheese, compared with California's 250.

Tourism Department spokesman Jerry Huffman says there are no plans to back down from billing Wisconsin as THE cheese state.

And the state's big cheese, Governor Jim Doyle, has asked the state's commerce and agriculture secretaries to look for ways to help bolster cheese production. Doyle says Wisconsin has to look for new directions and go after niche markets such as organic and specialty cheeses.