When Clarence and Mabel Ropp bought 130 acres north of Normal in 1929, their income came from the milk produced by their herd of Jersey cows. In 1985, their son, Ray, bought out his parents and brother, Gordon, and later added a new commodity to the operation: cheese.
Today, Ropp Farms is one of just a handful of Illinois farms to produce cheese, and Ropp Jersey Cheese is the farm’s major source of income.
“We’re the only one in Illinois that produces the milk, processes the cheese and retails it all at the same location,” Ray Ropp said.
The farm — which also grows corn, soybeans and hay — is owned by Ropp; his wife, Carol; their son, Ken; and Ken’s wife, Becky. It has since expanded to 430 acres and is home to 65 Jersey cows and 55 calves. The cows produce about 1,600 pounds of milk a day.
Ken Ropp was at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., six years ago, when he saw a cheese processing plant contained within a 53-foot semi-trailer.
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