Brooten Dairy Farm Bringing Cheese Plant to Central Minnesota [VIDEO]
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BROOTEN -- A dairy farm in Central Minnesota is showing that Wisconsin isn't the only state that can produce cheese.
Jerry and Linda Jennissen, of Jer-Lindy Farms, have been milking cows for 30 years on their family farm, and now are in the process of building a cheese plant.
Alise Sjostrom is the daughter of Jerry and Linda. She says it's been fun to hear the neighborhood talk about the coming of the cheese plant.
"It's been fun to hear our neighbors say our neighborhood needs something like this."
Alise, along with her husband Lucas, moved back to Minnesota in 2012 after spending time in Vermont working for a cheese plant. It's been Alise's dream to start a cheese plant back home and thanks to help from her family started the Redhead Creamery.
With help from the University of Minnesota's cheese plant, they have begun learning how to make cheese in preparation of the plant.
However the planning for a cheese plant isn't as easy in Minnesota says Lucas.
"The up and down of Minnesota is there haven't been many cheese plants made, so there is a lot of opportunity but a lack of expertise in building cheese plants."
Cost of the cheese plant is about 300,000-400,000 dollars. The farm has raised the money thanks to donations from local businesses and 35,000 alone from their "Kickstarter" fundraiser.
Jer-Lindy Farms hope to have the cheese plant built by early Spring. Once completed people can purchase cheese from the plant or in small town grocery stores.