In days gone by every little town in Minnesota had its own creamery, a cooperative of dairy farmers to transport and sell their product.
A set of circumstances -- the economic situation following World War I, butter substitutes gaining popularity, and the entry of butter imported from Denmark -- saw milk prices falling at an alarming rate. Farmers had to band together to save their farms.
Creameries are unassuming boxy buildings with an unmistakable look. This one, which came about in 1919, is in Mazeppa.
Most of the old creameries have disappeared from the landscape and the buildings that remain sit empty.
I love that Mazeppa has found a new use for the building, and they have even saved the old advertising sign for Mazeppa butter.
The land in this area was occupied by Sioux Indians when the town was settled and I suppose that's where their butter logo came from. Mazeppa was named after the poem of the same name by the British poet Lord Byron, but I think the Indian maiden probably sold more butter than Lord Byron's face would have.
I'm lucky enough to live near enough to an old creamery to buy my dairy products. The cream is twice as thick and the milk and cheese cheaper and fresher than the grocery store. If I go early in the morning, there are a few farmers sitting at the dairy bar eating donuts and shooting the breeze.
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Wonderful shot of the vintage building and so glad you are near to the old creamery to get fresh products! ~ Great post!
ReplyDeleteHappy Week to you,
artmusedog and carol
www.acreativeharbor.com
Cynthia. I am jealous of this opportunity I can't buy these products at farmers only in the big supermarkets but they are not healthy. But we must rely on these products..I love your post.
ReplyDeleteOh you are so lucky, that sounds idyllic. Even in the land of Dairy (New Zealand) we can't buy products like that easily - well not near me anyway.
ReplyDeleteUp in Pryor, Oklahoma there is a dairy that sells all all sorts of products. I've had their whole milk and it tastes like liquid ice cream.
ReplyDeleteI wish we had a dairy close by...you used to be able to buy butter off the milk truck...haven't seen one of those in ages. Butter is $4.57 at the stores I wonder if the farmer is getting more for his cream or if transportation cost are way up:(
ReplyDeleteWonderful building and post. Made me think of another Mazeppa: http://youtu.be/gFRSawe33sA?t=57s
ReplyDeleteALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
=^..^= . <3 . >< } } (°>
What a lovely building!
ReplyDeleteYou are undeed fortunate to buy products like that. No such thing down here ..
ReplyDeleteWow, such an impressive building and I love the logo.
ReplyDeleteI is great you can buy the products so close by, nice story about the building.
ReplyDeleteI hate that so many of the good things have disappeared...like all the textile plants in our area. I remember the milk man stopping by early in the morning to pick up the empty bottles and leave fresh milk.
ReplyDeleteI really love that building. It looks like it has a lot of personality :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they left the sign over the door despite the new use of the building!
ReplyDeleteI like the old building and the sign too. You are fortunate to live near a creamery and benefit from some tasty dairy products. x
ReplyDeleteI like all dairy products. You've got great location in that sense. Although dairy products are pretty much available in the groceries, I think it's kind of different when you buy it from such place like creamery. The logo with the Indian girl is eye catching, and I think it's nice hinting a product to an old settlers. It's interesting.
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