Doubling down on dairy

BOSCOBEL, Wis. — In a small town next to the Wisconsin River, there is an undeniable landmark for those who travel down Elm Street. A cow statue invites potential customers to Udder Brothers’ Creamery, owned by Jason and Miranda Sparrgrove, in Boscobel. Along with the family’s restaurant, Jason also farms with his twin brother, Justin, at Hi-Grove Holsteins.

“I grew up milking cows and we wanted to raise our kids that way,” Jason said. “If you want to farm small-scale, you need to do something else to bring money in. That’s why we opened Udder Brothers’ Creamery in 2017.”

The two brothers opened a small store on the southern end of town. Today, the menu includes ice cream, frozen meats, cheeses and limited sandwich options.

Their original space did not have indoor seating which was a challenge. To diversify, the twins invested in mobile units, purchasing an enclosed trailer that would go to events. That one trailer has evolved into four, one which does farmers markets while the other three rotate as needed.

“We were there (at the original building) for almost three years,” Jason said. “The trailers are great for events. We do tractor pulls, rodeos and now have four of those rigs.”

The desire for indoor seating became more pressing as winters came and went and traffic at the original store slowed considerably. An opportunity on the main thoroughfare in town opened when the local Dairy Queen closed. Jason received a phone call about the potential move to a larger facility with more year-round feasibility in 2022.

“I did a walk-through of the facility,” Jason said. “It was pretty rough, but with our old store, it was more of a summer attraction. … During the winter, we’d have to open only on the weekends because there just wasn’t any foot traffic. Here, we can stay open seven days a week, have a full food menu, and use the drive-through option.”

The move allowed Jason and Miranda to dive into the restaurant scene full time, while continuing to work with Justin and his wife, Justine, on the farm.

The brothers grew up on farms together as their father, Charles Sparrgrove, worked as a herdsman for several dairies across the state. After graduating from high school, the Sparrgrove twins took separate journeys. Justin went to Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, where he played football, and Jason joined the Navy.

“I was working construction with a former Marine, and he had me look into joining the military,” Jason said. “I started researching and found the Navy Seabees, the construction side of the Navy. I knew I didn’t want to be on a boat, and I wanted something that would transfer when I was finished.”

Jason served two tours in Iraq in 2004 and 2005 as a crane operator. As his post-high school chapter was nearing an end, he wanted to get back to Wisconsin as his brother had done during the summer months.

Meanwhile, Justin began working on a dairy farm near Boscobel during his summer breaks from Loras. When the owner of the farm was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the farmer asked if Justin was interested in taking over the farm.

“I was still in the Navy for another month, but we decided to buy the farm together,” Jason said. “We did all the paperwork through a fax machine. We were approved through (Farm Service Agency), bought the cows and started farming. I came home a month after the purchase.”

After farming at the original location, the brothers decided it was time to move to another farm and increase their herd numbers. They purchased their current farm in 2010 and have increased their herd size from 45 to 100.

“We bought the farm we’re on now and built it up,” Jason said. “Now we milk in a double-8 parallel parlor. We added a freestall barn and a few bunker silos and each of us built a house there, about 100 yards apart.”

Through it all, the two have continued to have off-farm jobs. Over the years, Jason worked in different settings, including another tour in Iraq as a civilian contractor. Currently, he farms, drives a bus for the Boscobel School District and operates Udder Brothers’ Creamery along with his wife. Justin works at United Cooperative.

“Some people have family they can arrange a transition with, but we started from scratch,” Jason said. “It’s been an uphill battle with the cost of everything, but that’s why we’ve continued our off-farm jobs. That way we didn’t have to take money from the milk check to survive and pay our personal bills. It adds some stability to the roller coaster of the milk market.”

The Sparrgroves milk twice a day. Jason and Justin work together in the morning, starting at 4:30, and work until each needs to begin their other job.

With the changing seasons, the workload of the farm changes. Jason adds more duties in the winter when Udder Brothers’ Creamery has fewer events, and Justin takes on more during the summer as business for Udder Brothers’ Creamery and its four food trucks increases.

“We always looked for jobs that were flexible enough that we could manage the farm at the same time,” Jason said. “We’ve had to balance things out and work out our schedules together. We try to plan a couple of days ahead, depending on what our kids have going on. And when you’re your own boss, you can be flexible.”

The farm ships milk to Meister Cheese in Muscoda. The cows at Hi-Grove Holsteins have been bred to Angus for the past decade. Replacements are purchased.

In the store, Meister Cheese is available for purchase, along with ice cream from WW Homestead Dairy in Iowa, beef from Driftless Area Direct Beef, pork from Wolf Farms in Lancaster, along with other locally sourced goods.

Driftless Area Direct Beef partners with Udder Brothers’ Creamery to both provide the beef for their burgers, in addition to having frozen meat available for purchase inside the store.

“We get a lot of compliments on our burgers,” Jason said. “Our meat is leaner than most patties, so it adds to the experience of our store.”

Jason’s history on the farm and in the Navy has helped prepare him to run his small business. He said lessons learned throughout his time have laid the foundation of principles that he and his brother rely on to keep the farm running, maintain another job and spend time with their families.

“From my time in the Navy, I learned to take care of things myself,” Jason said. “It forced me to do some things on my own. In the military, there’s no calling in sick. It’s the same as being self-employed. It taught me early on that people are counting on you and you have to show up.”