World's Largest Family Owned Butter Creamery is Growing in Central Wisconsin


Grassland Dairy Products, Inc., the largest family owned butter creamery in the world, is doubling milk plant capacity to churn more butter and dairy products, located in the heart of Central Wisconsin.

Producing one third of the world's butter, Grassland currently processes more than 4.8 million pounds of milk per day to churn out more than 280,000 pounds of butter daily - the equivalent to 70 semi-truck loads of butter a day. With added capacity the plant is now poised to run 8 million pounds of milk through the plant using three ultra-modern continuous churns each producing 50,000 pounds of butter per hour.

Award-winning butter starts with the high quality milk supplied daily by the more than 850 patron dairy producers and churned into butter under the artful craft of esteemed buttermakers as part of company's team of 500 employees.

"We have a 12-bay intake and can unload 12 trucks of milk at one time and each truck contains about 50,000 pounds of milk," says Grassland Vice President Trevor Wuethrich. "Before unloading, all milk undergoes rigorous quality tests to ensure meets and exceeds standards. That milk is then stored in 50,000 gallon silos and kept at 44 degrees Fahrenheit until it's used. Once that milk is churned into butter and placed in its proper packaging, it is stored in our 60,000 square foot cold warehouse and ready for semi-trucks to take it all over the country."

Among the companies most recognized butter brands consumers will find in the dairy aisle bearing the creamery's name is Grassland, along with other marketed brands, including Fall Creek, Golden Goodness and Country Cream.

"Grassland packages 100 different butter brands," says Wuethrich. "About 90 of those brands being retail brands, and you'll see all throughout the United States different brands of butter, and likely most of them come from our butter plant."

In addition to complete milk and cream processing capabilities to produce an array of butter and dairy products, Grassland recently installed two state-of-the-art milk driers allowing the plant to dry 28,000 pounds of powder per hour or 4.7 million pounds weekly. The milk driers allow Grassland to get the most value from patron milk by drying down the milk into a powder used as a food and beverage ingredient.

Plans are also being thought out to install a lactose dryer to make a high quality edible powder for the food industry. The new lactose dryer would create 25 new jobs in the area.

Grassland produces an enticing menu of award-winning butter products for dining, cooking, baking and confectionary creations delivering unmatched quality and pure flavor every time. For more information, visit www.grassland.com .

06.21.2012