MONROE — Farm Tours have been a Cheese Days tradition since 1965. This year’s festival will feature ticketed tours showcasing two unique farms in Green County: Wegmueller Farm and Ms. J and Co. Sheep Farm. Three tours will be offered during the festival, and one “sneak peek” tour will be offered a few weeks in advance.
Sheep are milked in Green County. Ms. J and Co. is home to a large flock of Assaf sheep. Guests will be welcomed by Mariana Marques de Almeida, senior animal scientist, breeding advisor, and cheese specialist. The Assaf are a hardy cross between two breeds: Awassi from Israel, and East Friesian from Germany. Characteristics include floppy ears, blunt Roman noses, and high milk production. At Ms. J, guests will see the milking process in a parlor, which is custom-outfitted with smaller-size equipment imported from DeLaval in Spain. The milk is made into artisan cheese. Bonus: mid-September is prime lambing season.
Wegmueller Farm is home to a herd of cows, a flock of chickens, a passel of pigs, and The Brumby — Farmer Dan’s herd of more than 20 horses. The Wegmuellers offer equine experiences and trail rides, and a farm-stay vacation rental. Owners Dan and Ashley can provide a real-world perspective on today’s agricultural industry, along with their background as the fourth generation on this family farm. And it’s really all in the family: Dan’s grandfather, Ernest Wegmueller, was a Farm Tour host back at those first farm tours in 1965, and his parents John and Becky Wegmueller were honored as Cheese Days King and Queen in 2012.
Tour Schedule
Sneak Peek Farm Tour — Sunday, Sept. 8. Bus begins boarding at 2:30 p.m., at the City of Monroe municipal parking lot at intersection of 15th Avenue and 11th Street (east of Grace Lutheran Church). Participants will visit both farms and return to the same location for drop off at 5 p.m.
Farm Tour No. 1 — Friday, Sept. 20. Bus begins boarding at 2:30 p.m., at the City of Monroe municipal parking lot at intersection of 15th Avenue and 11th Street, east of Grace Lutheran Church. Participants will visit both farms, and will return to the same location for drop off at 5 p.m..
Farm Tour No. 2 — Saturday, Sept. 21. Bus begins boarding at 8:30 a.m., at the City of Monroe municipal parking lot at intersection of 15th Avenue and 11th Street (east of Grace Lutheran Church). This tour will not visit the sheep farm. Participants will return to the same location for drop off at 10:30 a.m.
Farm Tour No. 3 — Saturday, Sept. 21. Bus begins boarding at 2:30 p.m., at the City of Monroe municipal parking lot at intersection of 15th Avenue and 11th Street (east of Grace Lutheran Church). Participants will visit both farms and return to the same location for drop off at 5 p.m.
(Note that for Tours 1, 2, and 3 during the festival, parking will not be available in the municipal parking lot near where the buses will board. The Cheese Days Maker’s Market vendors will be set up in the lot.)
Farm Tour tickets are $10 for ages 13 to adult, and $5 for ages 12 and under.
Farm Tour tickets are available in advance for the Sneak Peek Tour and Tours 1 and 2. Buy tickets at the Cheese Days Store (cash, check, card), or online by clicking SHOP on the website cheesedays.com.
Tickets for Tour 3 will only be available during the festival weekend. Twenty-five tickets will be available at the Information Trailer on Friday, Sept. 20 at 10 a.m., and the remainder will be released for sale on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 10 a.m.
Farm Tours involve climbing several steps to board a bus, standing, walking on uneven ground, and flight of stairs at sheep farm.
Special guests will likely join in for some of the tours. Paid tourists might meet up with Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker Jeff Wideman (a partner in the sheep farm), Monroe Dairy Queen Delaney Sweeney (an employee at the sheep farm who also happens to be the 2012 Cheese Days Princess), Alice in Dairyland, and Cheese Days royalty.
Just for fun, Farm Tour participants will receive ballots to vote for their favorite pig at Wegmueller Farm: Professor Paisley, Chonk, Porka, or Dot. When the votes are tallied after the festival, the pig with the most votes will be rewarded with their favorite food — pizza.
Cheese Days thanks longtime festival volunteers Kris Winkler and Lynn Lokken for hosting these guided tours. Transportation will be through Lamers Bus Lines.
The Cheese Days Store (lower level Historic Green County Courthouse, 1016 16th Avenue, Monroe) is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Wednesdays from noon to 3 p.m. Call 608-325-7771 to set up a different time to stop in.
