The Genius of Missouri Cheese

by Emma Alexander

Nathan Hemme grew up on his family’s traditional dairy farm, but he felt pressure on their farm to grow and prosper.

Working with his parents, sister and three brothers to manage and maintain a herd of dairy cows, they saw an opportunity to create a new market through cheese making. So they opened Hemme Brothers Creamery in 2016.

Located near Sweet Springs, Missouri in Agri-Ready-designated Saline County, Hemme Brothers products are family-made “from crop to cream to curd.”

Nathan and his father David create and market fresh and aged artisanal cheeses using milk from the farm.

His brother, Michael, takes care of the herd of cows and ensures that they produce milk rich in fat and protein to produce rich, flavorful cheeses. The cows are fed grain, hay and grass grown by Nathan’s brother Jon.

Hemme Brothers Creamery’s value-added journey propelled their family farm to success and laid the foundation for its generational sustainability.

Develop the dairy business

Value-added agricultural products contribute $500.4 million annually to the Saline County economy, according to the 2021 Missouri Agriculture and Forestry Economic Contribution Study.

Today, the creamery has expanded and accommodates 10 additional employees. Thoughtful creamery design and careful equipment choices promote food safety and cleanliness. With safety and quality under control, Nathan Hemme intentionally focuses on customer satisfaction.

“We talk to our customers all the time,” he says. “We attend the Overland Park, Kansas and Columbia, Missouri farmers markets every Saturday, where we receive feedback from a total of 12,000 to 18,000 customers each week.”

In response to customer demand, Hemme Brothers Creamery product lines offer 10 flavors of cheese curds, seven flavors of cheddar, pizza cheese, dairy feta and Quark, a German cheese spread. They also make fresh, hand-stretched mozzarella every Friday from Memorial Day to Labor Day, which sells out every weekend.

Expand to meet demand

In 2023, Hemme Brothers Creamery received a Show-Me Entrepreneurial Grant for Agricultural Innovation through the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority, housed at the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Hemme Brothers Creamery used its SEGA grant to make more cheese in less time by adding equipment to increase capacity. The creamery’s increased efficiency allows Hemme to add a new pizza cheese production line.

“The SEGA grant was timely for us,” he says. “We wanted to be able to expand our capacity to process all of our own milk. »

Hemme Brothers Creamery can now process the 1.5 million pounds of milk produced on the family farm this year. The equipment expansions made possible by the SEGA grant will support the processing and production of up to 3 million pounds of milk each year as market demand increases.

As the demand for cheese increases, the family is looking to expand their herd of dairy cows to produce more kilos of milk to supply the market.

Change to last

Looking back, Hemme sees a big difference between his upbringing on a traditional family dairy farm and the family business he co-owns today.

“We had some tough times growing up. My parents had no control over the price of milk, very little control over the cost of inputs,” he recalls. “We can now grow our business knowing how much revenue we need to make for every hundred pounds of milk we produce. The biggest difference between then and today lies in the economic sustainability of our family business.

Hemme, his wife and four children live on a farm just north of Emma, ​​Missouri. They enjoy participating in family activities at their church and schools.

Hemme Brothers Creamery is a member of the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Grown in Missouri program. The Hemme family supports Midwest Dairy, a partner of Missouri Farmers Care.

Alexander writes from Olga, Mo.