Wisconsin Cheese and Ice Cream Connects Customers to Local Farms
In partnership with: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Wisconsin is known far and wide as America’s Dairyland, immediately conjuring images of beautiful black and white Holstein cows or the sweet faces of Jerseys. Hard-working Wisconsinites milk their dairy herds at least twice a day, and the milk is shipped to be pasteurized or processed into beloved products like butter, ice cream and cheese. In fact, Wisconsin is home to more than 1,200 licensed cheesemakers who make more than 600 varieties of cheese, plus more than 45 licensed ice cream plants with their own unique stories to tell. Meet two businesses making delicious dairy goods.
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars in Theresa has a family tradition of hand-crafted cheese dating back to 1905, when the first Widmer came to the United States from Switzerland and learned to make cheese as an apprentice. In 1922, he purchased the factory that the Widmers still use and live above today. The family even uses the original batch of bricks that their great-grandfather bought to make their award-winning Brick cheese. The business has grown along with their family, and they now produce 360,000 pounds a year.
See more: Why You Should Visit The Dairy at Wegmueller Farm in Wisconsin
“Using the bricks is tradition, and all of the recipes are still the same,” says Joe Widmer, owner and master cheesemaker. “We make it the old-fashioned way.”
The Widmers source their dairy from three local farmers, and when people visit the factory, they can discover the vats turning milk into cheese in front of them. Customers can also choose from a delicious selection of other award-winning cheeses like Alpine Cheddar and Butterkäse, or their signature Wisconsin colby and aged cheddar.
“I want the customers to enjoy the artisanal, authentic flavor of our cheeses,” Widmer says.
Wisconsin Cheese and Ice Cream is Made By Cheese-Wizzes
Growing up above the cheese factory, like generations before him, showed Widmer how labor-intensive making cheese was.
As he got older and became a master cheesemaker, he now enjoys experimenting with different ingredients while protecting authenticity through their traditions.
“We have quite the legacy because we’ve been here for 103 years and people know about us,” Widmer says. “It’s something to be proud of, being able to make something that makes people smile.”
See more: Wisconsin Cheese Is Sliced to Perfection
Today, the family legacy continues with the next generation of Widmers taking the reins. Widmer’s wife, Penny, and son, Joey, manage the business, plus his daughter, Hannah, is involved in the office. The entire business has more than 20 employees, some of whom have worked with the family since Widmer was in grade school. The family’s cheeses are sold across the country through their online store.
No matter your location, you can visit their online market at widmerscheese.com to learn more about the family business and purchase some of their artisan cheese for yourself.
Kelley Country Creamery
The Kelley farm has been in the family for the past 165 years, but they diversified their business with the addition of a creamery 16 years ago. During those years, the creamery and farm have expanded into an agritourism destination for festivals and farm tours but are now known for their ice cream.
“I’ve always been on the creative side, and I wanted to do something on the farm that would help educate people about where their food comes from and farming in general,” says Karen Kelley, owner of Kelley Country Creamery.
They combine Wisconsin dairy with their family’s original recipe to create more than 250 different flavors of small batches of homemade ice cream on-site.
See more: Unique Agricultural Products Boost Wisconsin’s Diversity
They also create frozen novelties like drumsticks, cookies and ice cream cakes, as well as imaginative seasonal flavors and treats.
“We are not your average ice cream shop where you have your set flavors,” Kelley says. “There’s always something different or new to try, and I think that is what keeps bringing people back.”
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Four of Kelley’s children have gotten involved in the family business either on the farm or with the creamery, so the family will continue to own and operate Kelley Country Creamery for generations to come.
A question the family hears a lot is, why would you build an ice cream shop in the middle of a hayfield? Kelley explained how important it is for farms to diversify and add value to their operations. She also wants visitors to get out into rural Wisconsin to see a working farm and slow down.
“The public is three to four generations removed from ever stepping foot on a farm nowadays, so for them to be able to come and experience this, it is very heartwarming,” Kelley says. “If they can take some bit of information away with them, it was worth it.”
To learn more, visit kelleycountrycreamery.com.