AGRONOMY
From dairy farming to artisanal cheese : the inspiring journey of Christine Leonard , sixth-generation farmer and founder of The Grater Good LLC
By Ben Ernhart
Correspondant
When Christine Leonard went off to college at the University of Wisconsin-Stout she thought her future career was in education , despite wanting to be a dairy farmer like the generations of family members before her .
“ When I went off to school it kind of felt like dairy farming wasn ’ t going to be something I ’ d be able to do , so education was the track I was on ,” she said .
However , the sixth generation dairy farmer from Norwood quickly realized that a career where the majority of your time is spent inside was not for her .
Interested in a career in food , she switched her major to Food Technology with an emphasis in communication , hoping that one day she ’ d have a job helping the public gain a better understanding of the agricultural and scientific processes that go into food making .
“ I switched to food science because I knew what food looked like raw when it left our farm and I knew what it looked like on the processed side when you pick it up at the grocery store , and really wanted to know what happened in between ,” Leonard said .
Upon graduation , Leonard begged her parents , Amy and Tim , to let her come back home and work on the family ’ s 200 acre dairy farm . Her parents weren ’ t too keen on that idea ; however , and urged her to do something else , explaining that small dairy farms were beginning to be a thing of the past , the profit margins were simply too small for the amount of work that is required .
So after graduation , Christine took a job at Redhead Creamery in Brooten , where she worked as an assistant cheesemaker for a year before eventually convincing her parents to let her come home to the farm in 2018 . She knew that she would have to find a niche to supplement her income , and originally thought that would be onfarm processing , but the startup costs and barrier to entry was simply too high .
Then in 2019 , Christine got an idea . She thought it would be fun to make custom cheese platters for family and friends . She posted one of the platters she created on her Instagram account , and a commenter asked if she could buy one from her .
Christine said she made about $ 6 off that first cheese platter , but her custom cheese platters quickly gained popularity , prompting her to install a commercial kitchen at the farm and start her own business , The Grater Good LLC .
Today , The Grater Good creates custom cheese platters and charcuterie boards sourced from small farms and creameries throughout the Midwest , but primarily those located in Minnesota , Iowa , and Wisconsin . Christine also operates in an educator role as well , offering private cheese classes at wineries , breweries , coffee shops , and people ’ s homes .
Despite her business ’ s success , Christine ’ s full time job is still as a dairy farmer , managing the farm ’ s 45 registered Holsteins with her mom and dad . High input costs are among the toughest challenges small dairy farms face today , but luckily the Leonards are able to manage costs by utilizing a plethora of goods and services offered by Mid-County .
“ It makes it fast and simple to get all our supplies from one local source ,” said Tim .
From seed and fertilizer to chemicals and agronomy services , the Leonards take full advantage of Mid-County ’ s offerings .
“ There ’ s new technology and new science coming out all the time about growing crops , and to have somebody like Mid-County to consult with that has knowledge of all facets of the crops we ’ re growing really helps us make the most of the acres we have ,” said Christine .
More information about The Grater Good ’ s cheese platters and private cheese classes is available on its website at https :// thegratergoodmn . com .
Submitted Photo Examples of The Grater Goods cheese platters .
Photo by Ben Ernhart Chrisitine along with your parents Amy and Tim Leonard at the family farm .
Photo by Marie Claire Photography Christine showing how the cheese cutting process takes place .
Submitted Photo Examples of The Grater Goods cheese boxes .
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