Producers Series: Sassy Cow Creamery

Welcome to the first of many in our Producers Series, where we detail all the great Wisconsin producers who supply our delicious, local ingredients year round.

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photo courtesy of Sassy Cow Creamery

information gathered by Alicia Hamilton, server at Graze; complied by Samantha Egelhoff

Sassy Cow Creamery is a 3rd generation Columbus, Wisconsin family-owned dairy farm, founded in 1946 and run today by two brothers, James and Robert Baerwolf, and their families. At the core of their operation is the belief that all decisions should be made with the cows’ best interests at heart, and it shows in all of their dairy products.

Currently, they run two separate farms, a conventional herd and an organic herd, as well as their creamery with a built-in dairy store, where they are able to offer ice cream, butter, half-n-half, and cream all created from the leftover butterfat from milk production.

Their conventional herd began as 50 cows in the 1990s, growing recently to over 400. They are housed in a sand-bedded freestall barn and are allowed to pasture in good weather. Antibiotics are only used when an individual health problem arises, but the milk is kept out of production during this treatment period, and only until the milk is tested completely free of antibiotics, will it be used again. The pastures the conventional herd feeds on are treated with a few herbicides to stop weed growth.

The organic herd was begun in 2000 as the demand for organic dairy started to rise. Today they have 100 organically raised cows, their diet consisting mainly of grass from organic pastures. Sassy Cow uses no antibiotics on their organic herd, or any herbicides or commercial fertilizers on the cows’ feeding pastures.

photo courtesy of Sassy Cow Creamery

Both herds are never treated with bovine growth hormone (rBGH), and are treated with the same love and compassion they have extended to all their cows since the beginning. Each of their cows’ milk is tested monthly for quality, leading Sassy Cow to have “100% confidence in all of the milk [they] produce, organic or traditional.” They are happy to be able to supply milk for you and your family, whichever kind you prefer, from cows that are treated with the utmost respect.

Here at L’Etoile and Graze, the milk we use is from Sassy Cow Creamery, as well as our cream, half-n-half and delicious cheese curds. We are proud to work with them. Thank you for supporting local farmers!

Visit their wonderfully informative website or their Facebook page for updates, photos and more!