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 continues to this day. The views expressed are solely mine and I hope you enjoy these journeys through time.
Tony Zgraggen came to Wisconsin as an exchange student from the ETH Zurich, where he had studied agricultural sciences. Originally from the Canton Uri, Tony began as a farmer with 70 cows. Today he is the owner of the Alp and Dell store in Monroe, which offers 150 different cheeses. Since 1980 he has also been an active member of the New Glarus yodel club.
Joerg Oberschmied: You grew up in Switzerland and studied at the ETH Zürich. Tell us what made you become a cheesemaker.
Tony Zgraggen: It was an opportunity! Life is full of opportunities, if you don’t go after them, somebody else will! My love for cheese started in my teenager years! I was allowed to tag along with my dad to buy cheese for our large family. Occasionally I got a taste before we made our way home with as many as five or six wheels of cheese at a time. Many years later, when Esther and I farmed in New Glarus, we bought cheese back from the cheese factory that processed our milk. We cut and packed cheese at the cheese factory and then labeled the cheese at the farmhouse, sometime until midnight. Saturday mornings at 4 AM, Esther went with the cheese to the farmers market in Madison. We did this for 5 years, until we sold the cows in 1996. Thirteen years later we had the opportunity to buy the Alp & Dell Cheese Store, located in the Emmi Roth Cheese factory in Monroe. At the age of 55 and with the economy in a recession, it was a risky endeavor.
JO: Aside from your parents, which Person(s) had the greatest influence on your development in Switzerland?
TZ: I am the seventh of eight kids in our family. Therefore, my older siblings had a big influence. They were able to do things that I couldn’t do yet. I always followed my older brothers and learned a lot from them as well as from my parents on our small farm. Later I had a number of teachers that saw potential in me and encouraged me. This started in first grade, with a catholic nun.
JO: What brought you to America and in particular to Wisconsin?
TZ: Studying agriculture at the ETH required practical experience by working on different farms. I found an exchange program, and I was accepted as an exchange student to the University of Wisconsin in Madison. At the Agricultural Department at the UW in 1978, I worked under the guidance of Professor Earl Gritton. Professor Gritton did research in developing new soybean and pea varieties. I liked the exchange very much and signed up again. At my second student exchange in 1979, I spent the summer on a dairy farm in Mt Horeb. Professor Wickert and the Crave brothers introduced me to dairy farming the American way. That was a live changing experience.
JO: What makes Green County (WI) cheese so special?
TZ: The mineral rich soils on the rolling hills are the foundation of the cow’s diet. A clean water shed is another fundamental necessity to produce outstanding milk. The diet of the cow is rich and natural. The traditional Swiss cheese making knowhow came with immigration more than 150 years ago and kept coming for another century. Green County was called the “Napa Valley of Cheese” by some travel writers a few years ago. We have more cheese factories then communities. Today’s cheese makers are well educated, we have many master cheese makers that turn the farm fresh milk into green county gold.
JO: You are also an accomplished yodeler. What attracted you to yodeling?
TZ: Growing up, the radio was only turned on for news or traditional Swiss Folklore music. My folks didn’t have a TV in the home until I turned 20. The exposure to other types of music was almost nonexistent. At the age of 16 I started working on my parent’s farm on Saturdays and Sundays to collect the milk at the local farm coop. 48 dairy farmers delivered the milk in cans in the morning and evening. My job was to weigh the milk, write it down and cool the milk properly. At the same time, town people could purchase raw milk. Washing bulk tanks and milk cans was an enjoyable time for me. With farmers and customers gone and no radio, I was alone and could practice my singing and yodeling. The large bulk tank gave me a more powerful echo than the mountains Franz Stadelmann and Ruedy Ryman, two extraordinary Yodelers in Switzerland were my idols. I practiced their songs while working at the coop all the time. After coming to America, I joined the New Glarus Jodlerklub in 1980. I love singing and yodeling with the group or by myself. The Yodel has helped me tremendously in tough times. Today, I am proud to say that the Yodel is like God for me. On a busy morning, I may rush out my home without thinking to take the Lord or the Yodel with me. But then when I need them, the Lord or the Yodel is always present.
JO: What are the main differences between keeping Swiss traditions alive in Switzerland and in America?
TZ: Traditions in Switzerland are present at all times. I grew up with them, they were our lifestyle. And as we speak many different dialects, we understand each other. The communication helps us tremendously. Here in America, I have to find people with similar traditions. I have to find the “right people” to be involved. The loss of the Swiss dialect in our area in America is for example a big hurdle to overcome, to keep traditional Swiss Yodel songs alive. We are only two Swiss speaking members in the Yodel Club. I always translate the songs. We have great musicians and singers in our group. So don’t misunderstand me, please, but when we sing a song and 90 % of the members don’t understand what we sing about, the emotions are not there to bring the song alive.
JO: What do you see as the greatest global challenges for the Cheese Industry ahead?
TZ: The zero-carbon emission idea in food production will create the biggest challenge to continue traditional cheese making. The idea of getting rid of all animals on the farms is floating around. That of course would stop milk production, the biggest component in cheese. Trying to realize this would bring the biggest change in food production in over 200 years. This is a scary thought for me. Agriculture and a lot of food production the way we know it would basically vanish. Vegan cheese products and bacterial produced cheeses are starting to enter the market. The production of these products is not at zero carbon emission levels and about 20% more costly than traditional cheese production. For many parts of the world these products are less affordable for the consumers. This is all dependent on how fast elected people all over the world want to implement these life changing ideas to slow global warming. I believe global warming is a reality. However, what the true reasons are and how we can help to slow it down needs a lot more honest research. How do the black top roads and parking lots, the concrete and the black top shingled roofs increase temperatures? How many square miles of natural grass land was buried under black top in the last century and the effect on temperatures it creates? We can only hope changes will be done gradually, without creating a wave of poverty and death around the globe.
JO: What do you value most about Switzerland and what do you value most about the United States?
TZ: The education system in Switzerland is simply outstanding and definitely one of the best on planet earth. Just thinking our small country with about eight million people is involved in seven percent of all new research and development in the world. That starts with a solid school system and the apprentice programs in all professions, with a possibility to continue education to become a master craft person. Our education system and the precision of production are the backbone on a good lifestyle as well. The freedom to produce and the tremendous possibilities to do what feels best for you are some of the best values in America. But the bigger the possibilities are, the bigger the risk of failing will be. They go hand in hand.
JO: What advice would you give a young person starting out today and wishing to emigrate to America?
TZ: A lot depends on what you plan on doing in America. If you plan to work for a Swiss company in the States, the environment is about the only thing that will change. But if you plan on becoming a business owner, I recommend getting a great education in Switzerland and being ready to work hard. Vacation time and benefits for the work force are not as good in America. There is no free lunch in this opportunity rich country!
JO: Tony Zgraggen, thank you for taking the time to share these stories with our readers.
You can stop by the Alp and Dell store at 657 2nd Street in Monroe (WI), or visit their website.
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