Born in 1836 in Canton Berne, Switzerland, where he learned cheese making, Nickolaus Gerber immigrated to New York and founded that state's first Limburger cheese factory. After hearing reports of successful dairy cattle-raising in Green County, Wisconsin, he moved to this area. In 1868 he established the first Limburger cheese factory in Green County on the Albrecht Baebler farm in Section 33, Town of New Glarus. A year later, he started the first Swiss cheese factory on the Dietrich Freitag farm in Section 1, Town of Washington. Credited with forming the cooperative farmer-factory system, he operated six such factories in the area. His success was attributed to his knowledge of cheese making combined with his expertise in cheese marketing. After 130 years, Green County's Limburger cheese factory remained the last operating in the United States. His early efforts helped bring recognition to this area as a major Swiss cheese marketing and distribution center, and he is also remembered as one of the founders of Green County Cheese Days.