Welcome to the History Blog featuring the connections between Switzerland and the Midwest. I am Joerg Oberschmied, Deputy Consul General in Chicago. My interest in history started at an early age and I hope you enjoy these journeys through time. The views and opinions expressed below are solely those of the respondent and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author.
Adrian Buff’s father Heinz Buff founded Grison Dairy Farm in 1997, when he and his wife Vroni bought an existing dairy farm in Douglas County, Missouri. The farm produces most of their own forage and commercial fertilizer hasn’t been used in over 18 years. The Buff family believes the most economical and environmentally friendly way to produce milk is to allow the cows to graze on pastures. In 2014, over a hundred solar panels were placed on the barn roofs, which produce all the electricity needed for the farm.
Joerg Oberschmied: You grew up in the Canton Grisons, tell us about it:
Adrian Buff: I was 7 at the time we left Switzerland. Most of my memories of Switzerland are of going back in the summer to visit my grandmother and godmother. I also spent a lot of time in Grisons during my apprenticeship and the following two years. I would visit my grandmother in Davos and hitting the slopes during the ski season.
JO: Aside from your parents, which person had the greatest influence on your development in Switzerland?
AB: My “Lehrmeister” (i.e., Apprenticeship teacher) Markus Stirnimann (Napf Chäsi) and former employer Christian Jaun (Bergkäserei Marbach). My Lehrmeister showed me not only how to make cheese, but he gave me the confidence to pursue my dreams of owning my own company. He envisioned a future where I would one day process the milk from my dad’s dairy farm in Missouri. Markus was always supportive of and encouraging to me. Christian was a wonderful mentor who invested time sharing his leadership skills with me. We worked in a very large industrial setting. I learned a lot there. I remember during my apprenticeship we had a group from Kansas come for a tour of the plant. The company had previously hosted a tour which was a disaster because the driver spoke only German and Italian and no English. They had asked if someone spoke German to which they had responded that the driver does. As he spoke no English he wasn’t able to translate to the group. When I was hired, I was able to speak both German and English to welcome visitors and show them our operation.
JO: What brought you to America and in particular, to Missouri?
AB: My parents had been dairy farmers in Switzerland for 8 years but the increasingly stringent rules and regulations in the industry were making it very hard for them to have a sustainable business. For example, they were forced to build a new barn as the current barn was too dark and small. However, they were unable to place the new barn next to the house as planned because the house was right next to the church and that would ruin the view of the town. So, my parents came to the U.S. and bought a dairy farm in Ava, Missouri when I was 7 years old, and I grew up on the farm. Today the dairy farm has over 100 Holstein and Brown Swiss cows. Pasture management has increased the quality and quantity of grass for grazing, and that investment obviously shows in the cheeses we make. The dairy farm is still owned and managed by my father. Looking back, I’m glad I completed my apprenticeship and military service in Switzerland. I gained valuable experience working there, but I’m very glad to call the U.S. ‘home’ now.
JO: What Cheeses do you produce and what makes them unique?
AB: The most popular cheeses that I make are Ozark Mutschli, Grisontaler, Säntis and Raclette of the Ozarks. I believe the most unique is our seasonal cheese Säntis. It is modeled after the Appenzeller. The Appenzeller cheese makers wouldn’t share with me their secret herb mixture, so I made my own. Being in Southern Missouri I decided to use a beer wash for the cheese. Säntis has very complex flavors that are yeasty, malty, and nutty. Due to its seasonal nature, the early batches are milder, and as the year goes on, the cheese gets sharper. It sells out very quickly.
JO: What are the main differences between Cheesemaking in Europe and in the USA?
AB: In the U.S. as a farmstead operation, we are working with smaller cheese vats, making more of a specialty product, and selling it as a niche product, whereas in Switzerland, the companies I worked for were already established and quite large by Swiss standards. For example, I processed 31,594 liters of milk last year. Napf Chäsi processed 5.5 million liters and Bergkäserie Marbach 23 million liters of milk. That said, what is considered large in Switzerland is dwarfed by milk production in the U.S. I am lucky that here in the U.S. I have a co-op taking all excess milk that I don’t use. That allows me to focus on specialty products which are in far greater demand in higher end restaurants and retail stores as niche products. By comparison, at the time I was at Napf Chäsi all incoming milk had to be processed so we were producing lots of Emmentaler. We did make some specialty products like soft cheeses, but the primary focus was producing Emmentaler and Napf Bergkäse for fondue mixes. At Bergkäserei Marbach most milk was processed into Switzerland Swiss a type square formatted rind-less Swiss cheese or a low-fat cheese for the German export.
JO: What do you see as the greatest challenges ahead for entrepreneurs in America?
AB: Trying to increase sales is a constant challenge for me. To get the proper certification to be able to sell in bigger chain stores while maintaining the one-on-one relationships with store managers is time-consuming and yet very necessary. Also, as the company grows it will be hard to shift from wearing all the caps, as I do today, to delegating more of the tasks to employees in the future. I mostly self-distribute, but I do have a few distributors in the Midwest region that cover Chicago and St. Louis markets.
JO: What do you value the most about Switzerland and what do you value most about the United States?
AB: From Switzerland I really value the work ethic instilled in me at a very young age as well as the traditions of Swiss cheesemaking. It definitely helps to have been trained in Switzerland. As for the US, it was very easy to start my company. I have my EFZ (Eidgenössisches Fähigkeitszeugnis, i.e. the Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training) but in Switzerland, I would have needed to go to Fachschule I and II (i.e. college of higher education) to fully own and manage my company. Lastly, in the U.S. there are more opportunities for small cheese producers to enter and remain in the market. In Switzerland, the market is full of excellent cheesemakers and it can be difficult to distinguish yourself. With our specialty cheeses, we stand out in the Midwest market.
JO: What advice would you give a young person wishing to become a cheesemaker like yourself?
AB: It takes a long time to build and sustain a company. Be clear about why you want to get into this industry. If it is to ‘save the farm,’ think twice. You are adding two more jobs (making and selling cheese) on top of a huge job already (dairy). Production is one thing, but selling is even more important. Don’t underestimate the amount of time, effort and money it takes to promote and sell everything you make – initially and repeatedly. Talk to people in the business – their experience will help you make the decision if this is a good career for you to pursue. You will never be unemployed – there is plenty of demand in this industry. I fell into this and enjoy it so much. I love making cheese and being on the farm with the cows and the calves. The diversity of what I do is what keeps me motivated. No two days are the same. Go for it! It is a very enjoyable and rewarding career.
JO: Adrian Buff, thank you for taking the time to share these stories with our readers.
For a fondue using his cheeses, Adrian recommends 50 percent Ozark Mutschli, 30 percent Säntis and 20 percent Grisontaler. For a raclette, try his Raclette of the Ozarks. To learn more about Grison Dairy, its products and the Buff family, you can visit their website here. You can find Grison Dairy products in several states.
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