Contact: Karen Brasher  

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State has reached capacity for shipping holiday cheese.

With two weeks remaining for ordering of MSU cheese for holiday shipping, a software system failure brought ordering to a halt. While still working to restore the customized system, pending orders have now placed shipping at full capacity. The MAFES Sales Store has suspended holiday shipping orders. It is anticipated that online sales will resume in January 2022.

“We extend a heartfelt apology to our loyal customer base. Mississippi State University cheese has long been a holiday tradition, and this situation is disappointing to all of us at Mississippi State,” said Keith Coble, vice president for the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine and MAFES interim director. “We expect to be back online in the new year, providing our signature farm-fresh dairy products to our long-distance customers.”

The 15,000-plus orders already placed will be delivered as expected.

For now, cheese is still available for purchase locally. The MAFES Sales Store on the MSU campus in Starkville has cheese available for purchase in store. Individuals wishing to gift MSU cheese are encouraged to purchase in store and ship through available shipping carriers. Those wishing to purchase large orders for pickup exceeding 30 products are asked to provide a 24-hour notice by calling 662-325-2338 or by email at msucheese@mafes.msstate.edu.

Cheese production at Mississippi State University is a time-honored tradition celebrated for 83 years. The MAFES Custer Dairy Processing Plant annually produces 50,000 three-pound balls of Edam cheese, in addition to cheddar, jalapeno, Vallagret and cheese spreads.

In addition to the MAFES Sales Store, MSU cheese is available for in-store purchase at the Bulldog Shop in Meridian.

MSU is Mississippi's leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.