Klemish Creamery

On any given afternoon in rural New Auburn, the driveway at Klemish Creamery becomes a crossroads. Neighbors wander in on foot. Kids roll up on scooters. Families arrive on UTVs. Cyclists pedal all the way from Eau Claire. Antique cars rumble in during Chetek’s Fourth of July festivities, and once in a while, a nursing home shuttle unloads residents eager for a taste of farmstead ice cream.

“We love seeing grandparents bring their grandchildren and share stories about the farms they grew up on,” said Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative member Dixie Klemish, who owns and operates the creamery with her husband, Randy. “People spend hours at our picnic tables just enjoying the view.”

That view is pure Wisconsin: rolling bluffs, grazing cows, tractors moving through fields, and the hum of a fifth-generation dairy farm that has been part of the landscape since 1889. The first Klemish family members arrived from Bohemia back in the 1880s, living with relatives down the road while they built the farm that still stands today. Randy represents the fourth generation, and their son Joe—who now owns the dairy herd with his wife, Trista—is the fifth.

The creamery is the newest chapter in the family’s long story.

Old Traditions to New Venture

For decades, the farm operated like many small dairies across Wisconsin: milking cows, shipping milk, and weathering the shifting economics of agriculture. But the idea of adding value on the farm lingered in the background.

“We’d considered many different product diversification ideas over the years,” Klemish said. “But jumping into something new with the investment and time commitment involved was always a drawback.”

Still, one thing was clear: this farm had always been a dairy farm, and Joe was committed to continuing that tradition. Processing their own dairy products seemed like the most natural evolution.

The turning point came when Klemish learned about the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance Grant. “When we received that grant in June 2021, it gave us a boost of confidence and the funds for needed equipment,” Klemish said. “The operation took off from there.”

After two years of planning, construction, and navigating regulatory requirements, Klemish Creamery opened in November 2022.

Small-Batch

Everything about the creamery is intentionally small-scale. Their milk is vat pasteurized—heated slowly at a lower temperature for 30 minutes—a method that preserves the milk’s natural character. They don’t homogenize, either.

“I believe the lower temperature pasteurization and the fact that we don’t homogenize keeps our milk in a more natural state and makes a difference in our products,” Klemish said.

Inside the creamery’s commercial kitchen, nearly every inclusion is made from scratch: caramel, fudge, brownies, cookie dough, crisp toppings, toasted nuts, and fruit ripples. Apples are peeled and roasted. Cider is boiled down into syrup. Nuts are buttered and toasted. Fruit is cooked into concentrated ribbons of flavor.

The result is a lineup of small-batch, farmstead ice creams that customers rave about.

“We strive for real flavor to complement the creamy texture in our ice cream,” Klemish said. “People can taste the difference.”

Big Flavor

The creamery currently produces more than 30 rotating flavors year-round, with over 40 when seasonal offerings are included. Butter Brickle, made with homemade toffee, is a customer favorite. Red Raspberry Cheesecake is another top seller.

But the most challenging flavor to perfect was their Country Style Vanilla. “We tested and tweaked over a dozen formulas before we were satisfied,” Klemish said.

The most rewarding flavor? Their seasonal Caramel Apple Crisp.

“We peel local apples and roast them. We make crisp crumbs with apple butter. We boil down apple cider from The Glass Orchard in Eau Claire into a syrup,” Klemish said. “It’s a flavor customers wait for each fall.”

For now, the creamery focuses on ice cream products—pints, single-serve cups, ice cream sandwiches, chocolate-coated bars, and their wildly popular raspberry cheesecake bars. But thanks to a second Dairy Business Innovation Alliance grant in 2024, cheese production will begin soon.

Farm Visit

The creamery operates on a self-serve model, accepting cash, checks, Venmo, and credit cards. Visitors can enjoy outdoor seating, yard games, and the company of three friendly goats who love treats and attention.

The experience changes with the time of day. Cows graze in the pasture between milkings. Feed is mixed outside the barn. It’s a rare chance to see a small dairy farm in action.

“We hope customers appreciate the dairying tradition our small farm continues,” Klemish said. “So many families have a farm like ours in their history.”

Co-op Relationship

The creamery’s success is supported by long-standing community partnerships—including one that stretches back decades.

“Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative has been a big help in planning our electrical needs and upgrading service during our initial construction and our recent expansion,” Klemish said.

Randy and Dixie have been CVEC members since 1983, but the family’s connection likely dates back to the earliest days of rural electrification.

When CVEC chose Klemish Creamery ice cream as the giveaway at their annual meeting, the family was honored. “We’ve greatly appreciated the friendly staff at CVEC taking an interest and showing support for our small business,” Klemish said.

Dairy Month

June Dairy Month holds special meaning for the family.

“When Wisconsin proclaimed the first June Dairy Month in 1940, there were about 200,000 farms,” Klemish said. “Knowing we now have fewer than 6,000 dairy farms makes it a little bittersweet.”

Still, the month remains a source of pride. “It’s gratifying and encouraging to have a month dedicated to recognizing the work and contribution of dairy farmers,” Klemish said.

Family Behind the Creamery

The creamery is a true family operation.

• Dixie initiated the idea, applied for grants, learned regulatory requirements, pasteurizes milk, handles orders and bookkeeping, makes base mixes, and still does much of the ice cream making and packaging.
• Randy cleans equipment, delivers orders, and helps make ice cream.
• Joe holds the bulk weigher and sampler license, runs the cream separator, delivers orders, handles repairs, milks the cows, and manages crops.
• Trista and Gauge help with events and mobile sales.
• Jaimie occasionally milks for Joe and handles ingredient shopping.
• Vanessa and her husband, Jared, offer regulatory and marketing insight from their own CSA farm and meat processing business, Siverling Centennial Farms in Bloomer.

Five part-time employees also assist with production.

Looking Ahead

The family plans to expand their seating area and on-farm activities, continue growing their retail and restaurant partnerships, and launch their first cheeses in the coming months.

Through it all, their mission remains simple: honor the past, serve the community, and make dairy products that reflect the care of a family that has worked this land for more than 135 years.

“We’re proud to be part of Wisconsin’s dairy tradition,” Klemish said. “And we’re grateful to share our farm with the people who visit.”—Klemish family photo courtesy of Sam Berlin Photography. All other photos courtesy of Klemish Creamery.

Klemish Creamery is located at 22474 52nd Street, New Auburn, WI 54757. The self-serve store is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Call 715-642-1589 for more information.