Features

In Alma, everybody says “cheese”

Written by Kristin Hodges. Posted on Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

Times of Change

Both Ferguson and Kahle were around for the changes in plant ownership over the years, though they agreed not too much changed. Some managers let them joke and mess around more than others, but it was all good experience.

Kahle remembers when things came to a halt at the plant around Christmastime in 1999. The plant closed due to management problems, and it remained closed for four years.

Kahle had no choice but to retire from his cheese-making days – but it wasn’t easy. The cheese-making was “something to do” during the day, and without his beloved Alma cheese, he barely ate any of the dairy product.

The community also wasn’t the same without the creamery. A Hiawatha bank was responsible for the plant at the time, and the bank owners paid Ferguson and Kahle to maintain the building inside and out in case there were any buyers. Both said they just didn’t want to see the place get run-down. And neither did the community.

“Basically it’s been in Alma for like, well I’d say forever,” Kahle said. “There’s a lot of people that really support the plant. A lot of people always asked me about it. Everybody was pretty much anxious to get it back. When something’s been in the community that long, you hope to God nothing ever happens, but you’re not sure.”

A few years later, the community got their wish. Bernie Hansen, Shon’s father and previous owner, bought the plant at auction, and he reinstated the cheese-makers.

“I was anxious to come back,” Ferguson said. “The community really needed the business, so I thought I might come back and give it another shot.”

Shon said the plant was back to making cheese in April 2004.

While Ferguson and Kahle have been making cheese for a total of 80 years together, they wonder when management will hire someone to train with them.

“Me and Alvin always joke that maybe they should find somebody younger to do this,” Ferguson said. “I say sometimes they think Alvin’s Superman and I’m Batman, and they think we’re going to last forever. I hope eventually that they do train some people to keep it going.”