Think back to your favorite small town — the one you love to visit every summer. Your vehicle slows as the ding-ding from the gas station sounds; your old softball coach waves with a smile while holding three ice cream cones; the movie theater sign is missing the “E” in “HERO” and makes do with a backward 3; and the air is so refreshing you wish you could bottle it.
The small towns that make up the backbone of America don’t thrive from generation to generation without good-hearted people who make those communities special places. It takes people like Jason and Miranda Sparrgrove, owners of Udder Brothers Creamery in Boscobel, Wis.
The Sparrgroves chose rural America to raise their young family. “Every morning, the kids can go see the sheep, pet the horses or help milk the cows,” says Jason. “Those are things a lot of their classmates can’t do.”
At the same time, Jason knew their 100-plus-acre dairy operation couldn’t support a large family the same way his parents had raised him, his twin brother Justin and their four siblings.
Off-farm income has been a reality for Jason since he left a five-year service in the Navy in 2008. While working on the railroad, at construction gigs or milking cows, he and Miranda were also working to get their small-scale operation up and running. Then the creamery in the center of Boscobel came along and helped them find success both on and off the farm.
Ice cream might be a featured item on the menu at Udder Brothers, but it’s not their only specialty. The Sparrgroves work with local producers to offer fresh eggs, milk and cheese; choice cuts of beef, pork or lamb; and salsa and fermented products.
Their community engagement includes cooperative commitment. Jason has served on the board of New Horizons Cooperative for three years. “We pride ourselves on customer service at New Horizons,” he says.
When you see the well-known cow out front and the patio full of satisfied customers at Udder Brothers Creamery, it’s clear the Sparrgroves bring that same energy to their community.
