 | | The Crave Brothers: Mark, Thomas, George and Charles
| This family of four brothers operates a dairy farm and produces specialty cheese under the Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics Cheese label. The farm's 50+ employees includes 11 post-high school family members and owners. - Charles Crave – Bookkeeping/Feeding
- Thomas Crave – Crop Production/Maintenance
- Mark Crave – Herd Manager/Personnel Manager
- George Crave – Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics Cheese President
- Debbie Crave – Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics Cheese Vice President
| | Charles Crave is responsible for feeding the livestock on Crave Brothers Farm. Pampering cows
is part of their daily work.
| Established in 1978, brothers Charles, George, Mark and Thomas Crave, and their families, own and operate Crave Brothers Farm. They milk 1,000 cows and raise dry cows and heifers on their rural Wisconsin dairy farm. A significant portion of the herd consists of Registered Holsteins, meaning the cows' genealogy can be traced for many generations. Their pampered cows receive plenty of exercise, fresh air and individualized care. To provide high-quality feed for their cattle, they grow 1,600 acres of corn, alfalfa and soybeans in a sustainable manner. The family emphasizes conservation and sustainable practices, while consideration is given to what is best for the environment, the cows and the consumer. With this in mind, the Craves installed a manure digester. The computer-controlled anaerobic digestion system generates enough electricity to power their farm and cheese factory, plus more than 300 area homes. They use the liquid byproducts as fertilizer on their fields, and the solid byproducts for animal bedding and organic potting soil. "Looking to grow our dairy business and provide opportunities for future generations, we established an on-farm cheese factory in 2002. We wanted to use our own high-quality milk to produce specialty cheeses for the consumer. The milk is piped directly from the dairy farm to the cheese factory within hours of milking for an incredibly flavorful farmstead cheese. With renewable energy, our local community and profitable businesses in mind, we look forward to the next generation of Crave family members playing significant roles in our business enterprises future." Recognized around the globe with many awards, Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics Cheeses (Petit Frère, Les Frères, Fresh Mozzarella, Farmer’s Rope String Cheese, Mascarpone and Oaxaca) are distributed nationally.  Crave Brothers—Dairy Men of the Year—on Wisconsin Dairy News
Since 1970 when World Dairy Expo began honoring one man each year for his contributions to the dairy industry, only nine men from Wisconsin have held that distinction. In 2008 that number will increase by four. We'll talk to Tom and George Crave from Crave Brothers Farm and Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese about the honor being bestowed upon the four brothers. Wisconsin Dairy News, produced by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc. 2009
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