Long-running Nebraska dairy farm finds new life

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - A Saunders County farm is celebrating decades of being in the dairy business after pivoting from selling milk to a co-op to creating its own product.

The Konecky family has been outside of Wahoo since the late 1800s and has been milking cows since the 50s. What started as a milking operation, was not looking profitable just several years ago. The Konecky herd, at its largest in the early 2000s, was about 90 cows and growing.

“We didn’t want to have cows anymore. It’s too much work. There was no money in the milk market,” said Melisa Konecky. “It was just a lot of work, no pay. So we kind of started selling cows, getting rid of cows.”

It was a difficult decision to stop the dairy that had been at Beauty View Farms for generations. Konecky said they weren’t making any money sending milk to the co-op.

“We broke the news to grandma,” Konecky said. “We’re like this is there’s just no money in it. There’s not a space for small dairies anymore, really.”

In 2018 Konecky got a call, asking for extra milk. The person on the other line wanted to make cheese.

“Eight months later, I called them back I was like I wonder if they’re still interested because at that time we’re like, you know, I got some milk what’s let’s just see,” Konecky said. “And he’s like, Yeah, we haven’t found any because it’s really hard to find great milk in Nebraska that’s not already sent to a co-op.”

Beauty View Farms now sells their milk to Dutch Girl Creamery. It is turned into cheese, and Konecky has learned how to make that and ice cream.

“I pasteurize it, I make the mix and then UNL dairy plant takes the bags and mix it makes me ice cream and packages it and that sort of stuff,” Konecky said.

Now the small dairy farm is selling its milk, ice cream, sherbet, and some of its own cheese. Konecky said she is thrilled they were able to keep the family farm running.

“My grandma loves it. She thinks this is the best,” Konecky said. “Grandpa would be really surprised, I think because probably when he started they’d be like, ‘You’re nuts.’”

The farm is a family affair. Konecky works there full-time, her family works there part-time, and she brings in a couple of high school girls and a stay-at-home mom to help with the milking.

“We just milk the cows and feed the baby calves. So we have to start the wash. Get all the cows and chase them because they’re wandering around. Then we start milking,” Konecky said.

Soon, Beauty View Farms is planning to open a small self-serve farm store where people can stop by and grab things like cream, cheese, or ice cream.

Konecky estimates that will happen in the next couple of months.

Copyright 2023 KOLN. All rights reserved.