Nordic Creamery to turn fair milk into cheese to benefit youth dairy farmers

It’s possible this has never been done before in Wisconsin.

Milk from cows at the La Crosse and Monroe county fairs is getting turned into cheese by Nordic Creamery in Westby.

After that, youth farm groups will be able to sell the cheese as a money raiser.

Nordic’s Al Bekkum figured it was just the right thing to do after buyers for milk from both fairs couldn’t be found.

“I think we can do this and use it to help promote the dairy industry a little bit, that’s suffering so bad,” Bekkum said.

Normally the milk from cows at the fairs would have gone to a different buyer. But, partly because of the state of the dairy industry, that wasn’t available this year.

So Bekkum figured out a different way and it seemed like the right way.

“We just didn’t want to buy the milk and not try to give a little bit back,” he said.

Milk from the fairs will be turned into cheese curds and cheddar cheese.

Nordic Creamery is donating all the cheesemaking production costs. Dwyer Milk Transport in Tomah is donating all the milk hauling. Belmark Labels in Depere is donating all the labels.
Cheese curds will be on sale this weekend at the Monroe County Fair. Cheddar from both fairs will be aged and sold later.