Mazeppa Farmers Organized Creamery to Boost Skidding Dairy Prices in 1919 

Submitted by the 
Mazeppa Historical Society 

MAZEPPA FARMERS 
COOPERATIVE DAIRY 
ASSOCIATION 
Mazeppa, Minnesota 

Organized to provide farmers in the 
Mazeppa area with a satisfactory outlet for 
their milk, the Mazeppa Farmers 
Cooperative Dairy Association dates back 
to Dec. 15, 1919. 

Dairy farmers were having tough sledding 
at that time. War-inflated prices and land 
values had been punctured. Wholesale but- 
ter prices had hit the 76-cent mark earlier 
but by the last of 1919 it was becoming 
apparent prices would get worse before they 
would start improving. 

The Minnesota Legislature had estab- 
lished a state department of agriculture ear- 
lier in 1919. The law creating the depart- 
ment contained a mandate to the commis- 
sioner of agriculture to promote coopera- 
tion. It was figured this would be a means 
of finding a solution to the economic prob- 
lems facing farmers in the period following 
World War 1. 

Mazeppa farmers could see the handwrit- 
ing on the wall. It spelled out this message: 
"Organize your own coop or face trouble" 

Prices were enough of a problem but 
another worry - imported butter - was nag- 
ging dairymen that fateful year. Much of 
thi was high quality Danish butter and it 
put a further sag in the price structure. 
Butter substitutes were making headway in 
the battle for the housewife's dollar, too. 

It was against this backdrop of troubled 
times that the Mazeppa farmers discussed 
the proposal to organize a creamery and 
cheese factory of their own. A small receiv- 
ing station owned by E.G. Hammer of 
Zumbrota already was in existence in 
Mazeppa. Most of the discussion that day 
centered around a proposal to buy the 
Hammer station. 

With a majority of the farmers present 
favorable toward a suggestion to buy the 
Hammer station, officers and directors were 
named that day. Tom Baker was elected 
pre ident, with Fred Busse, Jr., as secretary 
and Paul Krinke as treasurer. Other direc- 
tors were F H. Lohman, John Goodman, 
Earl Judd, Henry Windhorst, Fred Reitman, 
and Peter Hertzig, Jr. On Dec. 22, the direc- 
tors met to select a favorable site for a 
creamery. Finally, discussing simmered 
down to the point where it was decided to 
buyout Mr. Hammer and take over opera- 
tions on Jan. I, 1920. 

Mr. Hammer met with the board of direc- 
tors on Dec. 30 and agreed to sell his plant 
for $3,508, the price included the building, 
land and machinery in addition to whatever 
supplies were on hand. 

Matters were moving along briskly by 
now 2'.Dd on Jan. 17, 1921, the next meeting 
was held with a large number of sharehold- 
ers present. The bylaws and articles were 
read and adopted. John Thiele, who later 
was to serve many years as treasurer for the 
organization, purchased the buttermilk for the
coming year at a price of $6.55 for every thousand
pounds.  Charles Funk was to be paid 5 cents for
every cake of ice "deliver on our sled" and the request
was made that "all shareholders haul their share of ice 
free of charge."

A.H. Biersdorf was hired as the manager 
. and on May 17, 1920, Percy Sheldon was 
added to the payroll as a helper at a salary 
of $100 monthly. Approval of a motion to 
drill a new well also was made at that time. 
A notation in the board's minutes for Dec. 
22, 1920, stated that cream would be pur- 
chased on Mondays and Thursdays of each 
week if brought before 11 a.m. Sweet 
cream would receive 5 cents more than 
cream rated No.1. 
The first annual meeting was held Jan. 8, 
1921, with Tom Baker being returned as 
president. Other directors were FH. 
Lohman, Albert Schraeder, John Goodman, 
Henry Windhorst, Fred Reitman, Paul 
Krinke, Nye Rich and John Thiele. Fred 
Busse continued to serve as secretary with 
John Goodman being elected vice presi- 
dent. 
The minutes show that a machine was pur- 
chased on May 7, 1921, with which to put 
up butter in pound prints. The secretary 
was instructed to go over to Louis Phillips' 
printing plant and have tickets made. These 
were to be taken to the bank and picked up 
by patrons while wishing to exchange them 
for butter. 
At a meeting held Feb. 18, 1922, Henry 
Windhorst was elected president, John 
Goodman. iDe 'dent, and Carl 
Budensiek', secretary. Other directors were 
Nye Rich, Eugene Tri, Ed Loken, Will 
Gruhlke, Matt Marx and Carl Betcher. Mr. 
Goodman was instructed to handle sales of 
feed, flour and coal on cream days. 
By 1933, the volume of milk had climbed 
to the point where carloads of butter were 
being shipped out. 
By the fall of 1924, the directors began 
looking for a new buttermaker and manag- 
er. Tom Baker was asked to come to the 
creamery to grade cream "to satisfy the 
patrons," as the secretary worded it. Each 
board member was receiving $8 a year for 
his services, with the secretary receiving 
$15 monthly. 
At a meeting held Feb. 21, 1925, the direc- 
tors balloted on the selection of a manager. 
Guy Jadwin was named manager after 
receiving five votes to Biersdorf's four. 
The latter later accepted a position as man- 
ager of Zumbro Falls Creamery. 
That same year the directors began to dis- 
cuss plans for a new creamery but no action 
was to be taken for several years. On July 
31, 1926, the directors voted to buy the lot 
on which the present creamery is located, a 
livery barn having been on that site for 
many years. That same year Joe Larson 
was named board chairman and John 
Tiedeman was elected director. 
John Rolland was elected president at the 
meeting in February, 1927, and Fred 
Busse's salary as secretary was set at $25 
monthly. The treasurer, John Thiele, was to 
be paid $50 annually. Fred Brossback was 
elected to the board and George Grossback 
was hired as a helper at $70 monthly. 

Casper Dahle of West Concord was hired 
as manager March 1, 1932, replacing Guy 
Jadwin. His helper was to be Lee LeVan, 
who now is operating a lumber yard at 
Douglas. W.F Judd became secretary that 
year. 
The volume of work was increasing
steadily at that time and so a second helper 
Eldred Kuehn of Mazeppa, was hired 
salary of $30 monthly. 
On July 28, 1934 fire broke out in 
creamery and destroyed the ice house' 
addition to to causing substantial damage 
to the roof of the building. Meeting Aug. 
1934, with the insurance adjuster, the directors
 decided the sum of $1,565 was a fair 
price for the damage suffered, exclusive 
damage of the butter. John Thiele Was
named that day to supervise the job 
repairing the creamery roof. 
The fire spurred the directors into making
plans for a new creamery. A committee 
assigned to inspect six creameries and t 
ones at Saratoga and Utica turned over the 
blueprints for possible use by the Mazeppa
board. Charles Grover, Zumbrota architect
was asked to appear before the board a 
present his plans for a new building on A 
25,1934. 

A final figure on the fire damage was 
at $1,616.72. 
Eugene Hoffman was elected to the board
at a meeting held Feb. 16, 1935. William
Gruhlke was elected secretary and a 
ing was called to finance construction 
the building. Albert Krinke, the board 
chairman, was appointed to contact 
Zumbrota lawyer on getting bonds printed
John Thiele was asked to see a neighboring
land owner about buying extra land next to
the present creamery. 

Meeting April 20, 1935, the board accepted 
C.L. Grover's plans for the building.  Art  
Fisher was the low bidder on tile an 
Bernard Darcy got the contract for the gravel. 

The board voted to increase its indebtedness
 from $7,000 to $12,000. The 0 
warehouse was sold for $100 and the original 
creamery building went to Bern 
Darcy, who still uses it for machinery storage. 

A short-lived attempt to get into the 
cheese manufacturing end began Oct. 23, 
1941, when the board approved the pur- 
chase of special equipment. Russell Rossi 
was hired as cheese maker and cheese was 
made for several months. Later it was voted 
to discontinue manufacturing of cheese. 
On Feb. 14, 1942, Casper Dahle resigned 
as manager and Eldred Kuehn began 15 
years as manager of the Mazeppa plant. He 
resigned in 1957 and was succeeded by 
Hans P. Larsen, who became manager Oct. 
15, 1957. 
A native of Benson Minn., Mr. Larsen 
was reared on a dairy farm operated by his 
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hans Larsen, Sr. The 
Larsens had a milk operating operation on 
their farm and in 1920 began delivering 
milk to Benson homes. The youngster was 
kept busy delivering milk while attending 
school but in 1937 when expensive pasteur- 
izing equipment became necessary if the 
dairy was to stay in business, his father sold 
out to the Benson Co-operative Creamery. 
Young Larsen went to work for the Benson 
plant Oct. 16, 1937, delivering milk until 
Feb. 14, 1940, when the National Guard 
unit to which he belonged was absorbed 
into the regular U.S. Army. It was the start 
of five years of Army service for Mr. 
Larsen, who spent three years overseas with 
an anti-aircraft battery. Fourteen months 
were spent in Iceland, and then the battery 
was sent to Scotland. 


After intensive training, the unit landed in 
France five days after D-Day and fought the 
victorious allies as they pushed steadily into 
France and Germany. 
After being discharged in 1945, Mr. 
Larsen returned to Benson and resumed 

employment at the creamery. He was 
employed as a milk and cream hauler and 
then later went to work inside the creamery 
where he received a variety of experience. 
On Nov. 1, 1949, he took his first job as 
manager of a creamery when he accepted a 
position at Kerkhoven, Minn. Later, after 

five years at Kerkhoven, he accepted 
employment at Madison and Winnebago, 
Minn., and on Oct. 15, 1957, came to 
Mazeppa and took over management of the 
Mazeppa plant. 
Mr. Larsen is married to the' former 
Mildred Foley of St. Joseph, Mo., the mar- 
riage taking place Aug. 31, 1946. They are 
the parents of four children: David, 13; 
Marie, 11; Debby, 7; and Dean, 2. They are 
members of the Mazeppa Methodist 
Church. Mr. Larsen is a member of the 
American Legion. 
Present board members are Donald 
Gruhlke, president; Laverne Windhorst, 
vice president; Allwin Arndt, secretary- 
treasurer. The directors are Willous 
Heitman, Donald Lemmerman, Haven Judd 
and Gaylord Betcher. Betty Ann Schafer is 
the bookkeeper. Mr. Judd succeeded 
Melvin Kish, who had resigned. He is the 
son of an early board member. 
The firm's income and expense statement 
shows a total income of $696,466.02 in 
1961, with patrons being paid a total of 
$490,668.49 for premium milk, $64,758.52 
for No.1 milk, and $49,151.07 for No.2 
milk. A total of 19,330,443 pounds of milk 
were produced in that period with the value 
of butter shipped being $483,047.02. In 
addition, butter was sold locally amounting 
to $15,326.19, and patrons purchased 
$11 ,594.48 of butter.  
 
Sale of skimmilk is a major item. 

Skimmilk sold to an Owatonna firm bring- 
ing $170,165.23. Buttermilk sales totaled 
$5,790.48, whole milk sales and milk han- 
dling income $807.23. Other income, 
including sales of ice cream, cheese and 
feed, were $7,936.34. 
Total current assets are figured at 
$164,995.82. ' 
The Mazeppa Farmers' Co-operative 
Dairy Association ranks as one of the more 
successful creameries in Minnesota. It is 
proud of the numerous prizes its high qual- 
ity butter has achieved in state-wide compe- 
tition during recent years.