Pandemic times have added to an endless list of hurdles when it comes to expanding a farm. As a result, some operations are looking to other options to increase cash flow and create room for more family members on the farm. By Hannah Barthels and Tyne Morgan
Kilgus Farmstead (Fairbury, Ill.)
The Kilgus family chose bottled milk as opposed to farmstead cheeses based on market needs in their area. Once the family knew their “what,” they set off on tours of farms around the Midwest to learn the “how.”
After learning their specialty, non-homogenized milk would not perform well on the same shelf as the bigger, well-known brands, Matt Kilgus said they made a market pivot.
“With the non-homogenized, you get that layer of cream on top, and the average consumer thinks it’s bad milk,” he says. “That’s why we found more success in specialty stores.”
Another niche Kilgus found was coffee shops. “I’m fascinated, that just with our small farm, how much milk goes into coffee shops, and what the coffee industry has done for the dairy industry,” he says. “It’s an integral part of our marketing.”
Read more about the Kilgus family.
Redhead Creamery (Brooten, Minn.)
From age 16, Alise Sjostrom knew she wanted to make cheeses, so she structured her college education around that goal. Along with the rest of the supply chain, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a major change for the dairy operation.
“We posted on Facebook about making cheese curd deliveries to the cities, and my phone was pinging with interested people,” Sjostrom says. “People ordered fresh curds and more. So, we started a delivery service.”
Sjostrom says her business will continue to go where consumer demands lead it. She’s found their customer base enjoys traveling to their remote location. “We’ll definitely look at further diversifying under our umbrella of business – getting more people to our farm and creating more experiences for our customers,” she says.
Read more about the Sjostrom family.
Hemme Brothers Creamery (Sweet Springs, Mo.)
The Hemme family was faced with a dilemma – either adapt or call it quits. Four brothers and their dad decided to reinvent their farm.
“Our family started this operation back in 1996,” says Nathan Hemme, one of the brothers. “In 2011, we started thinking, ‘How are we going to be more sustainable in the future?’ So, we started researching cheese.”
The brothers decided to launch their company with high-quality cheddar cheese. It’s the quality factor that is the key ingredient to their success.
“It also has a good story behind it,” Hemme says. “But the story only sells cheese the first time, the quality sells it the second, third and fourth time.”
The Hemme Brothers milk 150 cows today, which is proof growth doesn’t always have to come in adding cows.
Read more about the Hemme brothers.
Photos: Kilgus Farmstead, Redhead Creamery, Columbia Farmers Market
