Westby Creamery Responds To Growing Cottage Cheese Demand

Aug 06, 2026 (Westby, WI)

Cottage cheese continues to gain popularity as more consumers look for high-protein foods and new ways to use this dairy staple. Spectrum News 1 recently visited Westby Cooperative Creamery to report on the cooperative’s efforts to meet that growing demand. Nationwide cottage cheese sales increased 40% between 2022 and 2025, according to the National Milk Producers Federation.

Westby Creamery is nearing completion of a $14 million closed-vat cottage cheese production system. The new equipment is expected to begin operating in late summer and increase annual production by another 6 million to 7 million pounds. Westby Cooperative Creamery Sales and Marketing Manager Emily Bialkowski told Spectrum News 1, “Our customers need more cottage cheese.” The creamery’s current annual production capacity of approximately 13.1 million pounds is already completely sold out.

The enclosed system will also improve the production process for Westby Creamery’s cottage cheese makers. “Cottage cheese is a very labor-intensive process,” Bialkowski said. The new equipment will eliminate several physically demanding steps, including leaning over open stainless-steel vats, lifting heavy items and shoveling product. No jobs will be lost because of the upgrade.

Demand for Westby Creamery cottage cheese remains strong before the new system is even operational. “We have already sold out all the additional capacity,” Bialkowski said. She explained that the project is a long-term investment in the cooperative and its farmer-owners, with opportunities for continued growth beyond the current expansion.

Read the full Spectrum News 1 story to learn more about increasing cottage cheese demand and Westby Cooperative Creamery’s investment in the future of dairy production.