Info Click Icon
|
The Tip is 'Before you click' Our goal is to help you find the Made in the USA products that you're looking for. We have two ways to directly and efficiently connect you with Made in America products: Links to Retailers You will be directed to stores and products made in the USA. If you can't find the specific made In USA item you're searching for on the results page, try refining your search using the retailers search function. We strive to ensure these links connect you to retailers offering a variety of proudly made USA products however, we do not guarantee the accuracy of these links or the Made In USA search function at that destination. Links to Manufacturers We also directly connect you to manufacturers of made in US products. Some of these do not offer an online store but do provide information for authorized retailers of their products. We aim to connect you with manufacturers that make at least one USA made product. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of these companies or the advertising of these manufacturers but do try to ensure that products found through our site are those proudly made in America. We have verified the made in America claim for companies listed on www.madeinamericasecrets.com by examining their website, history, and when possible their products. We have thousands of Made in America products ranging from all types of American Clothing including fabric made in the USA to American made bicycles. Buying Tip Continued - Read more on Made in America Products by Sweet Grass Dairy Despite its recent arrival, Sweet Grass Dairy's roots stretch back for generations. The Wehner family has been dairy farmers in Western New York since immigrating from Germany. When he left home for the University of Georgia in the early 1970s, Al Wehner didn't imagine he'd continue that tradition. A winter free of blizzards and ice storms began to change his mind. After meeting his future wife, Desiree, his move south became permanent. For nearly 20 years, the Wehners followed the familiar path of conventional dairy farmers. They ran a farm with more than a thousand of cows, milked three times a day, made silage, and normally had to cull at least 30 percent of their herd every year. Often, due to the demands of farm work, there was so much employee turnover from season to season they would issue 100 to 200 W-2 forms in a single year. By the early 1990s, the 80-hour work weeks and years without an adequate vacation were piling up. A seemingly innocuous seminar at a conference in Wisconsin changed their lives. The Wehners Chart a New Course It seemed like a simple concept, New Zealand-style rotational grazing. This system emphasizes a style of grazing where herds are regularly and strategically moved from one pasture to another within a 24-hour time frame. Additionally, rotational grazing relies on irrigation systems that provide a continual water source. This combination maximizes the quality and quantity of each paddock while providing an even amount of grazing throughout the pastures so both the farm and the animals remain in peak health. Making these changes required the Wehners' to re-invent every piece of their operation. Resisting the bigger is better mantra that dominated the U.S. agricultural landscape, they downsized their herd, purchased irrigation equipment, took their cows out of the concrete barns, and placed them on lush Georgia pasture for upwards of 22 hours a day. Their new philosophy boiled down to letting cow be cows. What seemed like common sense to the Wehners, mystified many. Peers predicted openly that they'd be out of business within a year. Nearly two decades later, the Wehners are still going strong. Sweet Grass Dairy is Founded Call them dreamers. Call them crazy. But, don't call them easily satisfied. As the last of their three kids prepared to leave home, Al and Desiree went in search of a new challenge. Desiree found one in California. After enrolling in a cheese-making class at Cal Poly University, she fell in love with goat cheese. Desiree returned to Georgia with a new mission. For an entire year, she made cheese nearly every day. Her creations filled a row of aging refrigerators lining the family's back porch. When friends or family visited, Desiree's two high-school age sons begged friends and family to take armfuls of cheese home with them. Desiree's vision and unwavering commitment led to the founding of Sweet Grass Dairy in 2000. Its mission to show people a better way to make food began with a herd of 11 dairy goats and grass-based jersey cow's milk from the family's own herd. It didn't take long before cheese lovers across the nation took notice. Sweet Grass Dairy Begins To Take Off After just two years, with demand exploding, the Wehners knew they needed help. They turned to their daughter Jessica and their newly minted son-in-law, Jeremy Little. Growing up in Toledo, Ohio Jeremy never thought he'd end up south of the Mason-Dixon line. A life-long South Georgian, Jessica never saw herself staying close to home. He wanted to be a chef. She was looking forward to a career in marketing. Both believed that big city lights were beckoning. A casual conversation over a holiday dinner, transformed their thinking. Realizing that something special was taking root in Thomasville, within two weeks of their chat, Jeremy and Jessica returned to Thomasville for good. She managed sales and marketing while he took over learning how to run the day-to-day cheese-making operation. Cheeses quickly went from selling out of local markets to flying off retailers' shelves across the Southeast. Chefs from all over Florida and Georgia featured the cheeses on their menus. The newly formed team ramped up production and started a small-size distribution business. The Littles Take The Reins In 2005, the Littles purchased Sweet Grass Dairy and began writing their own story. Since the Littles took over, Sweet Grass Dairy has doubled its production, expanded its cheese-making operation, been featured in countless cook books, added an off-site retail store, and pushed its distribution business into almost 40 states. Despite the success, the Littles know that Sweet Grass Dairy's success now, and in the future, is owed to its humble beginnings - 11 goats and a commitment to a better way. |
|