How the Barnyard Estates Will Help Preserve Local Cheese History
The Cheese Counter in Plymouth, Wisconsin gave us some great ideas for the Barnyard Estates.
They say time flies, and this is true. The summer for us has been like the wind, really breezing by, so much that it’s time for another update on the Barnyard Estates Journey.
First, on July 28, 2023, we had a fun road trip to the Cheese Capital of the World, Plymouth, Wisconsin. With four major cheese factories in this location, it is estimated that 10-15% of the nation’s cheese production is processed and sold from Plymouth. If a person wants to learn about cheese, enjoys local history, and a good sandwich, The Cheese Counter; a dairy heritage center in Plymouth, Wisconsin is the place to stop.
How does this visit to Plymouth relate to our community project? We’re glad you asked. Inside the Barnyard Estates, we will have something similar to the Cheese Counter. Right now, we’re calling our heritage center: Discover Pulaski. We’ve been reaching out to local cheese factories like Belgioioso, with the hopes of helping them tell their story of how they settled in Wisconsin and started producing cheese. We believe getting these factories on board with the Barnyard Estates early will be essential to the success of the project. Being on the local board for the Pulaski Area Historical Society has given me a little insight into the small cheese factories that were located on every corner in small rural communities, so in addition to the larger factories, I know that we are also working on the history of our local farmers and how these cheese factories started. Interestingly enough, I recently learned, through a local resident of her grandfather, who was considered to be one of the first milk haulers in the area. (This is another story I am working on.) Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 16, 2023, for a Milk & Cookies Historical Event on the Milk Strikes that are a part of our history. The event is free to the public, and we encourage anyone that has an interest in local agricultural history to be part of this educational event. Cookies, milk and coffee will be provided.
The Cheese Counter gave us some great ideas that we hope to incorporate into the Barnyard Estates plan. As examples: a historical timeline on the wall, old photographs, interactive displays, souvenirs and local products sold within the store (not just cheese). It was an old building that was restored, which included an elevator. If you ever have the opportunity to swing visit the Cheese Counter, I highly recommend it. Meanwhile, if you have connections to any of the local cheese factories and would like to make sure they tell their story, send the right contacts to me or any other Promote Pulaski board member or steering committee member. One thing to keep in mind with this community project is that “local” will take precedence over everything else. Here are photos from our trip.
Bringing awareness of this project is especially crucial, so each week, meetings are held with key individuals that we believe may lead us to “greener pastures”. Within the last couple of weeks, we’ve talked to SLO, which is a farmer co-operative in northeastern Wisconsin founded in 2014, and committed to providing quality farm products that sustain both our family farms and our environment. Our contact, Heather Toman, was excited about the project, and we are looking forward to a tour of the farm in the near future. In business, it is my strategy to make sure that we have the right people on the bus, in the right seats to ensure we get to the final destination. This project is no different. We need to find the right people.
It’s all about building awareness around the project. Last week I also met up and provided details on the project with Joe Wojkiewicz, an owner of two manufacturer facilities in Northeast Wisconsin, Highview Custom Fabricating and NEW Industrial Coatings. Sharing ideas, brainstorming, collaborating and connecting is essential with the Barnyard Estates. If you are a business owner, or know someone who might be interested in this community project, please connect with me. I’d be happy to share the Barnyard Estates mission and ideas with you.
As a committee, and also in discussions with Keller, we realize that it is important the project is done right. We want to make sure that it will work, for the community and for tenants within. This week, Bruce and I met up with Howard Zernicke, who is on the zoning committee for the Village of Pulaski. Howie provided us with his thoughts moving forward. The property that the structure will be located does have limitations, specifically in the area of parking. This we did talk about initially. Some suggestions that Howie had was the possibility of underground parking, and possibly taking the recreational space to a lower level. On Monday, we are meeting virtually with Keller to discuss these challenges once again. Greg and Jeremy, our contacts at Keller believe that spending more time in the planning process will help us save time later on. Which brings me to the committee’s decision to reschedule the Big Barnyard Estates Presentation which is now tentatively set for Tuesday, September 26, 2023. We will confirm this after our meeting tomorrow.
Finally, on Friday, August 11th, we visited Fast Fiberglass, a fiberglass manufacturer located in Sparta, Wisconsin that produces larger-than-life animals and roadside attractions to individuals, businesses and organizations all over the United States. Our intent of this trip was to get ideas for a tourist attraction that could be located on-site at the Barnyard Estates. One of the goals of Promote Pulaski, is to build tourism in Pulaski - bring people to Pulaski on a consistent basis. Ryan Lakowske, the owner of Fast Fiberglass, has a niche business. Our gears really started to turn after Scott provided us with a tour of the facility. Cows are one of their specialities and definitely something that could be an accessory to the project. Whatever route we decide to take, we know Fast Fiberglass has the passion and experience to help us put the finishing touches on our project.
Interested in helping bring the Barnyard Estates project to Pulaski, Wisconsin? Reach out to Tammy or Bruce at 920-822-4450 during the day, or send an email to promotepulaski@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to share the Barnyard Estates project with you or your organization.