Guernsey Difference

TAMMY FRITSCH GREW UP IN 4-H showing Holstein cattle and she passed her love of cattle on to her daughter. “We had the opportunity to show cattle but we had to pick a breed and she chose the Guernsey,” Tammy said. Breanna had friends who had a variety of breeds, and Breanna liked the Guernsey’s temperament. “At age 9, she pointed out a Guernsey at a cattle show, saying ‘I want one of those.’”

The first challenge was finding a Guernsey to buy because Holstein is the dominant breed in Northeast Wisconsin dairy herds while more are found in Western Wisconsin. “We wanted to help the breed because it was kind of a dying breed at the time,” Tammy explains. Guernsey cattle were originally bred on the Isle of Guernsey located in the English Channel, known for its mild climate, beautiful scenery as well as being home to the breed of cattle. The milk has a golden-yellow tinge due and a high content of β-carotene. The milk also has a high butterfat content of 5 percent and a high protein content of 4.2 percent. Guernsey cattle have been bred in the U.S. since the mid-1800s.

The Fritsch family had herds near Sherwood and Highland, south of Madison, but decided they wanted to bring their show heifers to a facility they owned,” she explains. “My brother-in-law, Duane Peterson, who is a retired master cheese maker, said ‘When are you going to bring those cows home so we can make some cheese?’

Building a micro dairy at equine boarding facility at W1872 County Road UU, near Freedom took two-and-a-half years, but Two Guernsey Girls Creamery made it a reality.

“We started with five cows; I had 19 licenses and permits and had taken the necessary training with my brother-in-law to get my Wisconsin cheesemakers license.” Tammy remembers of their start up process. The dairy is currently milking 13 cows and is sending about 1,800 gallons of milk a month to their facility. Of that total, 1,080 gallons are used to make cheese and the rest is sold as fluid milk in retail and delivery outlets throughout the region. Two Guernsey Girls Creamery has some expansion plans for 2024, including seeking grants to expand their facility and continue product development, and farm events and programming for the public.

Read about Guernsey milk, the A2A2 protein gene and unique pasteurization process on ediblenew.com.

Two Guernsey Girls Creamery currently is milking 13 Guernsey cows.

“We won first place at the Wisconsin State Fairs Fluid Milk Competition last year with our chocolate milk,” she said. "So, our chocolate milk is the best chocolate milk in Wisconsin and we placed second with our white milk. So that was a pretty cool distinction for us being in business just two years.” Milk and several other products, including house-made farmstead-cheese are available at their on the farm store.

Two Guernsey Girls Creamery products are also available from other outlets including Woldt Farms near Brillion, Roskom Meats near Freedom, Bushman Homestead near Sheboygan or on-line from Farmfresh Xpress which serves customers from Green Bay, Door County, and the Fox Valley south to Milwaukee.

The public is invited to “Friday Night on the Farm” in the summer from 5-9 p.m. with live music, barn tours and milking demonstrations, and, weather permitting, a pasture walk on the farm. The first Friday Night on the Farm is scheduled for June 7 which will coincide with June Dairy Month.