Dairy Day-cation: 4 Farmstead Operations in Wisconsin

Nothing says Wisconsin like fresh-made dairy products, and with the states abundance of dairy producers, there’s no shortage of great dairy products to purchase and enjoy. Several farms across the state are diversifying and adding value to their milking operations by crafting dairy products with their own milk.
Many of these creameries offer more than dairy products, and are worth a visit with family and friends for an educational and tasty “day-cation”!
Seehafer Farm Creamery – Marshfield

 
Did you know that 90% of the milk produced in Wisconsin is used for making cheese? Believe it or not, it’s true! One of the reason’s we make award-winning cheese is because we produce great milk. Now a few farmstead creameries are popping up across the state that are taking advantage of our high quality milk and bottling it for consumers.
Located on Highway 97 just north of Marshfield sits Seehafer Acres, a third-generation, 270-cow dairy farm that also bottles some of the milk from its herd of dairy cows in its small farmstead creamery. Get a taste of what true Wisconsin-made milk tastes like and see how they bottle it when you visit the store!
Offering a wide variety of locally made products, you can pick up some cheese, grab an ice cream cone, and take home some milk for your family to enjoy. The Creamery offers whole milk, 2% milk and chocolate milk in 1 and 1/2 gallon containers.
The creamery also offers tours of their facility where you can visit the cows that produce the Seehafer’s milk. The offer a petting zoo, and horse drawn carriage rides through the farm property during the summer, and horse drawn sleigh rides during the winter. Visit their Facebook™ page for a schedule of events.

Holland’s Family Farm – Thorp


Holland’s Family Cheese in Thorp, just off highway 29, gives you the opportunity to learn how to make cheese from award-winning cheesemaker Marieke Penterman, who emigrated from the Netherlands in 2002!
Her small farmstead cheese factory is located within their creamery store just across from the dairy barn. Milk is pumped straight from the cows to the cheese vat where they make Marieke’s signature gouda cheese.
Explore the farm and store and then stop at Café DUTCHess for a hot meal prepared with Marieke’s cheese! Kids can play on the large jumping pad before visiting the learning center that looks into the milking parlor. Visitors can try to hand milk a cow and even visit the calf barn and see a new calf being born.
Located in the center of the state, Holland’s Family Farm is a great place for the whole family to enjoy, explore, and learn!

Nordic Creamery – Westby


Situated in the driftless region of Wisconsin Nordic Creamery is headed by Al Bekkum and his wife Sarah. Sarah takes care of the 40-cow dairy herd, and Al takes care of the creamery where they make cheese and some of the tastiest butter you can get your taste buds around!
Crafting the butter in small batches allows the full flavor of their milk to come through. With flavors like Garlic & Basil, Cinnamon & Sugar, Cultured European Butter, Maple Syrup butter, and even Chocolate butter, you’ll be able to find a variety to satisfy any craving.
The Bekkum’s’ also offer tours upon request, and horse drawn hayrides. There are also plenty of goats and farm animals to keep the little ones busy.
For a scenic daytrip, Nordic Creamery is well worth the visit!

Kelley Country Creamery – Eden

 
Just south of Fond du Lac in the small town of Eden, sits the Kelley family farmstead that has been part of the Kelley family since 1861! Here, Karen and Tim Kelley and their children create premium farmstead ice cream as well as operate the 200-acre dairy farm.
The farmstead can be seen from the creamery, which is just up the road from the Kelley’s dairy. If you time your trip right you can see cows on pasture while enjoying some premium home-made ice cream as you relax in a rocking chair on the front porch of the creamery. In the back of the creamery you can see them making your ice cream behind a window that looks into the production area.
Step through the front door and you’re hit with the sweet smell of fresh-made waffle cones. With flavors such as Karen’s Crazy Cake, Death by Chocolate, and Maple Bacon, you’ll be sure to find a flavor you like!
The Kelley’s achieved national fame in 2013 when they were featured on the national news show, Good Morning America for a segment on the best ice cream in America!
Located just outside of Fond du Lac off of Highway B, this little farmstead creamery is well worth a visit and a very cool treat for your taste buds!

Amy Wallace is the producer of Discover Wisconsin’s America’s Dairyland series. Watch Discover Wisconsin every Saturday morning at 10 on FSN Wisconsin.
About Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board is a nonprofit organization of Wisconsin dairy producers that promotes the consumption of milk, cheese and other dairy products made right here in America’s Dairyland. For more information, visit www.EatWisconsinCheese.com.