Wisconsin’s Westby, ‘Little Creamery
That Could,’ marks 100th anniversary
By Patrick Duffey, writer-editor
USDA Rural Development
any parents have read the “Little Engine That
Could” story to their children, but this might
be called a tale of the “Little Creamery That
Could.” Today’s small community business in
the southwestern Wisconsin village of Westby,
Wis., was started in 1903. Few thought surviving grandchildren
five generations later would still live to see it and
enjoy its dairy products, which would eventually be differentiated
as “farmer-certified rBGH-free.”
In many ways, little Westby Cooperative Creamery strives
amidst some of the nation’s major dairy cooperatives operating
in Wisconsin’s Dairyland. This year, Westby is celebrating
its 100th anniversary. The small community amidst
scenic rolling hills unscathed by glacial flows of 10,000 years
ago is located just west of the state’s capital at Madison.
On Oct. 31, 1903, 300 Vernon County dairy farmers paid
$10 each for a capital stock certificate and filed articles of incorporation
to form the cooperative. The typical farmer then had
about 10 cows. Small farms dotted the landscape. Local farmers
brought cream by horse-drawn wagons to the factory, which
was built for $1,225 on a parcel of land that cost $400.
In 1927, the Main Street factory was built and still stands,
albeit with subsequent remodeling and additions. That first
year, the cream from Vernon County dairy farms was made
into 67,524 pounds of butter.
Demise of milk cans
Although the first generation is gone, several second and
third-generation patrons still recall the early days. Carla
Olson, 83, of Westby is a second-generation patron. “Cows
were milked by hand and milk was separated from cream
with a hand-cranked separator,” she says.
Her father-in-law, Arne Olson, traveled with his brother
from Norway in 1893 by steamship, settled in the Westby
area and helped build the original creamery building. In
those days, many made their own cheese and butter at the
farm, she recalled.
In time, Model T cars and trucks replaced the wagons and
later came even larger trucks that hauled the metal cans,
which contained 100 pounds of milk. The old standby cans
gave way to bulk tanks at the farms by 1969.
Today, Vernon County has only 600 surviving dairy farmers,
and the milk feeding the cooperative comes from 120
members in a half dozen surrounding counties. Westby operates
with a staff of 37.
As a farmer-owned cooperative, the Westby Cooperative
Creamery takes pride in the traditions started a century
ago. Its hard cheeses are handcrafted in open vats by
qualified cheesemakers, not machines. And its pure and
natural butter recipe hasn’t changed in 100 years.
Its main products are cottage cheese, sour cream, butter
and a variety of cheeses made from about a third of the milk
the cooperative receives. The balance is sold to other dairy
processors.
Westby label is born
When Tom Gronemus took over as manager in 1992,
Westby had lost a major market. For many years it made
and sold bulk cottage cheese to Dean Foods. But that
relationship ended in 1992.
The creamery was making 500-pound barrel cheese
for Borden and 68-pound packs of butter for the federal
government. “We didn’t even have a label or logo,” he
recalls. His 30 years with the cooperative makes him personally
familiar with the most recent third of its history.
When Gronemus moved into management, he and the
board jumped into marketing and developed the “Westby”
label. They recruited a sales force, created and tried new
products and now have developed a distribution system to
deliver fresh products direct to the stores.
Fresh cheese curds have become a specialty. “During the
summer, we sell 30,000 to 40,000 pounds of them and our
local dairy store at the creamery is a popular stop for local
customers and travelers,” Gronemus says. “We emphasize
high-quality dairy products made with milk from small
dairy farms.
“All of our milk is farmer-certified rBGH-free, which also
appeals to many people. Our dairy farmers believe hormones
used to enhance milk production stress their cows and thereby
decrease the quality and wholesomeness of the milk.”
Official ‘Packers’ Cheese’
Steve Holte, who milks 50 cows near Westby, heads the
board of seven directors as it embarks on its journey into the
cooperative’s second century. The newest feather in the
cooperative’s cap is the contract it signed last summer to provide
the Official Cheese of the Green Bay Packers, home of
the “Cheeseheads.”
Manager Gronemus says the cooperative is “thrilled about
the new partnership. We started off with a new product line
with the ‘Official Cheese Curds of the Green Bay Packers’
and expanded the line during
the season.”
When ABC’s Monday
Night Football traveled to
Lambeau Field last November,
Westby capitalized on the
opportunity, commissioning
cheese carvings of ABC’s John
Madden and Al Michaels.
Fans got a taste of the new
products when the curds
reached most Wisconsin grocery
stores last fall. Westby’s
products can also be ordered
online at www.westbycreamery.
com.
The creamery launched the
first of its many centennial
celebrations this spring with
the “World’s Largest Office
Party,” sponsored by a
LaCrosse area radio station. It
attracted nearly 5,000 party
goers who witnessed the
creamery’s cheese curd toss
and sampled products.
Cheese carvings of the local
radio personalities were made
from young cheddar cheese
and later used in promotions at local grocery stores.
Curd Mobile debuts
The official birthday party, dubbed ‘The Ultimate
Cheesehead Challenge,’ was conducted in mid-May as part
of the community’s annual Norwegian Syttende Mai celebration.
In addition to celebrity appearances from Green
Bay Packer Mark Tauscher and legendary farm broadcaster
Orion Samuelson, the observance marked the long-anticipated
debut of the Westby Cooperative Creamery Curd
Mobile. Time ran out before Gronemus could train anyone
else, so he was busy adding batter and frying curds for the
long line of eager customers.
It proved to be a popular place to promote the cooperative’s
array of products, and a profit center. “It far surpassed
my expectations in terms of sales and interest,” he said.
Westby promotes the freshness of its dairy products. “Our
butter, for instance, is made from fresh cream only a few
hours old,” Gronemus proudly proclaims. The cooperative
claims this freshness gives its products a special flavor.
So what’s ahead for this “little creamery that could?” If its
performance in the past 100 years is any barometer, Westby
will be digging deeper into its market with new and better
products for its customers, and reminding existing and new
members that when you’re part of a cooperative, great things
can be accomplished.
