Dairy Diary

Originally published in Volume One, June 30, 2016

Let me begin with a confession: I’m kind of obsessed with breakfast food. When McDonald’s announced plans to offer its breakfast menu all day, I was delighted. Breakfast, with its perfect balance of sweet and savory options, is easily my favorite meal of the day. So when I first heard about the phenomenon of all-you-can-eat dairy breakfasts in Wisconsin, my mouth began to water as visions of buttery biscuits and whipped cream-topped waffles danced in my head. In the month of June (Dairy Month), nearly every county in Wisconsin hosts one; many take place on actual working farms. Since I’m not native to this area, I decided it was probably necessary to go to several in order to fully understand how this tradition began and what makes it so special. Such is my dedication to all things deliciously dairy.

First, a bit of history: According to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Wisconsinites started celebrating June as the official dairy month in the early ’60s, and the first public farm breakfast took place in 1970 at Howlis Farms in Jefferson County. It was organized by the local 4-H Club, and 155 people feasted on scrambled eggs, sausage, strawberry ice cream sundaes, and something called “Tuesday morning cake.” The purpose then was the same as it is now: to bring communities together to celebrate the output of Wisconsin’s dairy industry and meet some of the hard-working people without whom we would not have earned the title of America’s Dairyland.

This year, more than 70 breakfasts took place, each with a unique menu. If you live in this state, you should consider it part of your civic duty as a Cheesehead to go to at least one per summer. The four breakfasts I attended are all within 80 miles of the Chippewa Valley, so this roundup might be useful as you start planning your itiner-dairy for next June.

23rd Annual Dunn County Dairy Breakfast

With a meal usually held on the first Saturday in June, Dunn County sets the bar high with a great kickoff to dairy breakfast season. This year, it was hosted by Val-O-Mo Farm, operated by the Weinzirl family. I was worried that severe storms the night before might hurt the turnout, but Dunn County breakfast-goers are resilient folk and they’re not about to let a little mud deter them. The main attraction: a 44-waffle iron assembly line manned by two brave souls who rotate effortlessly from machine to machine with jugs of batter, ensuring that each and every one is cooked to golden perfection. Pro-tip: Forgo the artificially flavored fruit syrups and top your waffle with freshly whipped cream. Prior to entering the magical waffle tent, you can snack on squeaky curds doled out by volunteers. Is it a little weird to eat cheese curds at 8am? Nah. While standing in line, I chatted with Erik Hendrickson, who brought his family from Menomonie. Hendrickson, who grew up on a farm in Shullsburg, said they’ve been coming for the past 15 years to the Dunn County breakfast. “It’s great for kids who live in a city to get a little taste of farm life,” Hendrickson said. I also met Ken and Sharon Wolf, whose family farm, Sunnyview Dairy, hosted the breakfast back in 2006.

Other Highlights

The heavenly curds battered and fried by Dean Hines of Ellsworth Creamery. Hines told me that, as of about two hours into the breakfast, the 160 pounds of curds they had brought were almost gone, so they had to send someone to get another 80 pounds. Cheese curd crisis averted!

After breakfast, I explored the farm and learned a bit about what goes on in the various barns (though I admit I skipped the tour stop labeled “Manure Lagoon”). Before leaving, I hit the bake sale and scored some cherry chocolate chip cupcakes. All in all, a productive and educational morning.

Eau Claire County Breakfast in the Valley

The popular dairy breakfast known as Breakfast in the Valley celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, but the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce has been organizing small-scale dairy breakfasts annually since the mid-1950s, says CEO and President Bob McCoy. In an attempt to involve (and feed) more people, the Chamber came up with a new concept in 1996. Since then, the breakfast has continued to grow; this year there were 3,350 attendees, the first 2,700 of whom received commemorative coffee mugs.

Last year, I made the mistake of showing up toward the end and did not get a mug, so this year I made sure to get an early start (very early – it began at 5am!). The menu included eggs (scrambled with ham, cheese, onions, and mushrooms), muffins, fruit, sliced cheese, and of course, cheese curds. However, the signature dessert is the real star: cornflakes, strawberries, and Culver’s vanilla frozen custard. McCoy can’t recall who came up with the dish, but he says it is as old as the dairy breakfast itself.

To pull off a successful breakfast, Emily Lindholm, who handles special projects for the Chamber, relies on 300 Chamber members to volunteer their time. Planning begins six to seven months in advance, and it kicks into high gear in May. “The amount of community businesses that sponsor this event to help make it possible is amazing to see,” Lindholm says. “We’re also appreciative of everyone who takes the time to come out to enjoy the breakfast; it’s important to recognize how essential the agriculture industry is to our local economy.”

While the event is at the Eau Claire County Expo Center, not on a farm, there is always a tent with a cow and some other farm animals inside for those looking for a more authentic atmosphere.

36th Annual Trempealeau County on the Farm Dairy Breakfast

For this breakfast, I was joined by three foodie friends from Chicago who were in dire need of some dairy. They flew into La Crosse and met me in the parking lot of the Galesville Elementary School where we boarded a tractor-pulled wagon, which took us half a mile down the road to Arctic View Farms. Located on 2,500 acres, the farm has been owned and operated by the Halderson family since its construction in 1953. They started with 20 milking cows and now have 1,000, all of them milked three times a day.

We arrived hungry and the line was long. Upon receiving our plates, we got some devastating news: the fried cheese curds had run out around 10am. There was no secret stockpile, not even for members of the press or those who had gotten up at 5am to fly in from Chicago. Fortunately, we were still able to stuff ourselves with pancakes and sausage. We also witnessed the coronation of the 2016 Trempealeau County Dairy Ambassador, Miranda Stegerwald, who will travel around the county, gaining experience in agricultural advocacy and public relations during her reign.

After eating in the machine storage shed, we paid a visit to the 28-stall rotary parlor to watch the cows being milked and then stopped to admire the handiwork of a chainsaw carver carefully creating wood sculptures. As a keepsake, we were each given a recipe book compiled by one of the breakfast’s sponsors, the Gundersen Tri-County Rehabiliation Department. Unsurprisingly, most of the recipes feature a lot of dairy and sound hearty enough to satisfy a farmer’s appetite. I personally can’t wait to make a beef stroganoff sandwich and double-cheesy muffins.

32nd Annual Taylor County Town & Country Dairy Breakfast

Still craving cheese curds, my Chicago posse stuck around for my final breakfast excursion the next day, which was in Medford, a little over 30 miles north of Marshfield. The event once took place on an actual farm, but for the past five years, it’s been at the Taylor County State Fairgrounds, which has ample seating and parking (making it less of a logistical nightmare for the planning committee). This year, Kreklau Farms provided the food and educational materials, which included a presentation about their history and the sometimes harsh realities of farm life. Mary Rudolph, a Medford native who estimates that she’s been attending the breakfast for about 20 years, said she most looks forward to “seeing all her neighbors” as well as those she doesn’t see as often. Her grandkids were among the many volunteers, working at various food stations and selling raffle tickets.

After feasting on a ham-and-cheese omelet (well, it was called an omelet, but was more like scrambled eggs), a biscuit, sausage, and – you guessed it – cheese curds, I set off to interview some of the people working behind the scenes. Dairy Committee Member Kathy Jochimsen told me that the recipe for the omelet was a secret, but she did share how many pounds of eggs it takes to feed 2,200 people: 840! She also revealed why the biscuits tasted so familiar – Hardee’s, one of their sponsors, provided the recipe and four volunteers were at the nearby high school baking them in large batches.

Final Thoughts

Dairy breakfasts are not really about the food – they are more about camaraderie. Nearly everyone I spoke with, when asked why they come back year after year, echoed this sentiment. Bringing people together to acknowledge the very communal, not to mention difficult, labor that is required to sustain a farm is at the heart of this Wisconsin culinary custom. Come for the curds, but stay for the conversation – you will undoubtedly leave feeling full in more ways than one.