Hinterland working on renovations to dairy line

DONNELLSON - Locally-made cheese may be absent from your nearest grocer as Hinterland Dairy pauses production to complete renovations to their on-farm creamery.
The creamery has delayed production in January to allow for routine maintenance on their cheese plant, as well as install additional equipment. An HTST (High Temperature Short Time) Pasteurizer will allow for milk to be pasteurized more efficiently and a second cheese vat will add capacity to the plant.
Shannon Wellman, cheesemaker, states “cheddar cheesemaking is a very labor-intensive process, the new equipment will make this more efficient, as well as pave the way for adding new products to our processing capabilities.”
She indicated plans were to resume making cheese and ice cream in February. “Our community has been incredibly supportive from the beginning. We are excited to better serve them and our great local retailers.”
The Krogmeiers have been milking cows on their dairy near Donnellson for many years, and began making cheese with the addition of Hinterland Dairy in 2019. Their products have grown to include fresh cheese curds, Quark, aged cheddars and premium ice cream. This expansion project will allow more of the milk from their dairy farm to be processed on farm and delivered directly to consumers, creating a more sustainable future for their farm. Their products can be found at their on-farm store, open April-December, at local grocers and restaurants, and at farmers’ markets.