Twelve Wisconsinite artisan cheesemakers are featured in a new 2011 calendar produced by Wisconsin Cheese Originals – posing with their cheesy goods just out there for everyone and their dogs to see. It’s some seriously gratuitous dairy.

Answering the desperate prayers of Wisconsin artisan cheese enthusiasts who often need to know what the current date is, the calendar will set one back $19.95. It features gorgeous photos and handy cheesemaker profiles. It goes on sale Wednesday.

A slice of the calendar sales will help fund the annual $2,500 Wisconsin Licensed Cheesemaker Scholarship, which is available to any Wisconsinite going after their cheesemaker license. Did you know they have cheesemaker licenses? They totally do.

All of this awesome cheese porn basically flies in the face of last year’s $250,000 rebranding of Wisconsin, which included the $50,000 logo/slogan combo we love to hate. Sure, a calendar of bodacious artisan cheesemakers isn’t exactly the same as cheeseheads-n-Miller Lite. But it’s definitely promoting cheese rather than, say, kayaking and skydiving, or whatever else Travel Wisconsin is trying to tout to potential tourists.

See also, Cheese Fest 2011!