Meeting in the Milkhouse

MELROSE, Wis. — When it came to family and farming decisions, the Hart family collaborated in their milkhouse before putting the milkers on their 40 cows in Jackson County. Those family moments are what Max Hart thought about when naming his own farm-to-table store.

“We always had a flat-top bulk tank in the milkhouse,” Hart said. “After we’d get the milkers ready, we always spent 5- or 10-minutes leaning on the bulk tank and talking. Family and farming decisions didn’t get made at the kitchen table; they got made in the milkhouse, leaning on the bulk tank.”

Last year, when Hart made the decision to bring his store to life in Melrose, it made sense to tie it back to his dairy farm roots.

The Milkhouse Market opened its doors in 2024 and hopes to be a fixture in the Melrose community for years to come. The Milkhouse Market specializes in Wisconsin-made products, with a focus on cheese, beer and beef. In keeping with its name, the store includes a flat-top bulk tank where some of the merchandise is displayed.

Hart grew up milking cows on the family farm, but in 2011, life changed when his father passed away in a motorcycle accident.

“I was in college when my dad passed,” Hart said. “We ended up selling the cows and the farm sat there for a couple of years.”

It took four years to bring cows back to the barn, but in a slightly different way. Hart and his mother farm together, raising and finishing a herd of 25 Angus for beef production. Meat from the Hart family farm is available for purchase at the Milkhouse Market, in addition to cheeses from creameries around the state.

“I wanted to find a marketplace for our beef,” Hart said. “But, our biggest goal was to provide another retail spot for Melrose. It’s a small town, and 20 years ago there was a lot going on in town. But as the farmers went out of business, some of the businesses went out with them.”

Hart has created a Wisconsin-focused space for locals or passersby alike.

“Wisconsin makes some of the best products out there,” Hart said. “All of the cheese is from Wisconsin. Everything in here is from Wisconsin, with the exception of the national beer products we carry.”

Included in the Wisconsin products are cheeses from Nasonville Dairy, Lynn Dairy & Lynn Proteins Inc., Henning Wisconsin Cheese and others, beer from Hillsboro Brewing Company and some national brands, as well as wine from Creekside Winery LLC. Hart’s beef is also available, with hamburgers, steaks, beef sticks and other products.

“I have a variety of cheeses,” Hart said. “I have the mild cheddars and Swisses, but I have a lot from Nasonville. They have a lot of unique different varieties of cheeses. We want to cater to both markets, people who just want regular cheese, and people who might have a party and want to have some fancier cheeses on their plate.”

Hart said he knows his story is in the infancy of becoming a staple of the community, but it is something that he continues to strive for. He said setting competitive prices is part of that process.

“My goal is to push as much cheese as possible,” Hart said. “We’re not a huge mover of cheese in comparison to other stores. But I know when I go up to a creamery and I’m picking up 100 pounds of cheese, that’s 1,000 pounds of milk that are off the market and I know the farmers whose milk went into making it.”

The Milkhouse Market operates four days a week, Thursday through Sunday, with varying hours, and also offers online ordering with shipping available. Along with Hart, the store has two part-time employees and a team of volunteers.

“Nothing happens here without the help of my family and friends,” Hart said. I have some that will drive up to Nasonville for me to pick up product and they won’t take any money for it. Without people like that, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

The strong community that supports him demonstrates the community he hopes to continue to build in Melrose Hart said. Along with beef farming, and the store, Hart also works at the local bank as an ag and commercial loan officer, in addition to serving on the Jackson County board.

“I enjoy being part of this community,” Hart said. “I hope it brings a little spark back to Melrose. I’m a newer business, and it takes some time to develop. Hopefully when people think about wanting to get cheese or meat, they want to come to my place.”

Hart said he sees his store, and others like it, as a way to bring in more people to their community.

“You want to see your town do well,” Hart said. “Our town hasn’t grown by population or houses, and you want it to be a desirable place to live. To do that, you have to have businesses, and a variety of businesses. There are other small businesses like Cookies & Cream Cafe where they make phenomenal cookies, and hopefully after a couple of years of being here, people will come to Melrose and want to shop here, or maybe move and build a house here.”