The Consolidated Badger Cooperative has its roots in the desire of Shawano County, Wisconsin farmers to produce and market cheese as a cooperative endeavor. Spearheaded by Shawano County agent George F. Baumeister and the Perfect Seed Circle, a committee was formed in October 1929 to develop a program. (The Perfect Seed Circle had been organized in 1917 to promote better crop production techniques and persuade farmers to use improved seed varieties developed at the University of Wisconsin. During the next twelve years, the Circle evolved into an organization of local community leaders, businessmen, and farmers.) At the time of the 1929 meeting, milk prices were low. There were numerous farms and over 100 cheese factories in Shawano County, together producing too much milk and cheese, but each too small to make a profit. Circle members asked Baumeister to study the situation. He responded by planning for a single large dairy cooperative.
A prospectus and articles of incorporation of the proposed cooperative were drafted and the plan approved at a meeting of farmers and cheesemakers on November 27, 1929, although some cheesemakers opposed the idea. The articles were signed by Dr. O.F. Partridge, T.A. Loken, O.B. Hagen, Otto Kroening, and Albert Klebesadel on December 4, 1929. However, the articles were not approved by the committee, and several additional meetings and conferences were held. In the spring of 1930, University of Wisconsin agricultural experts conducted a survey of farms and cheese factories, to build cooperation among all interested groups. In the fall, a number of local meetings were held to assess the level of community support for a cooperative. Baumeister and local attorney Matt Wallrich eventually were able to secure a 50,000 dollar grant from the Federal Farm Board, and to persuade enough farmers to sign five-year contracts for milk deliveries to permit the cooperative to begin operations.
In April 1931, the cooperative opened its first plant at Mattoon, Wisconsin. Plants at Shawano and Eland and others merged with Badger Cooperative (as it was then known) in its first few months of operation. The onset of the Depression hurt the cooperative, but its treasurer arranged for sufficient cash from the First Wisconsin National Bank in Milwaukee to redeem all milk checks and pay farmers. Wallrich was able to enforce all of the farmers' contracts as well, and by the time the contracts had expired, the cooperative was firmly established.
The cooperative expanded its operations under the leadership of general manager Frank Stone (1931-1935) and salesman and general manager George Rupple (1936-1969), eventually becoming the largest operating cooperative in Wisconsin. In 1931, Rupple secured the first Chicago Grade A cream permit issued to a northern Wisconsin dairy, opening that market to the cooperative. In 1933, CBC built a condensery and began producing evaporated milk, which eventually became the cornerstone of the cooperative's marketing program. Cans of Badger evaporated milk were shipped all over the world during World War II. During the 1930s, CBC formed Appleton Milk Products Cooperative and Outagamie Milk and Produce Company to produce evaporated milk, butter, and whey. In 1938, the cooperative was a co-founder of Tri-County Breeders Cooperative (later Midwest Breeders Cooperative), also managed by Rupple, who held both jobs until his death in 1969. Rupple was succeeded as general manager by Neil McBeath (1970-1974) and Archie Smith (from 1975).
Following World War II, CBC built plants in Appleton and Wittenberg, but employee strikes in 1947 and 1949 hampered operations. In 1951, CBC originated its Morning Glory Division, bottling, producing, using, and marketing milk, ice cream, and cultured dairy products. The Morning Glory line grew to become the most visible part of CBC's public image. By 1981, the Morning Glory plant at DePere used 171 million pounds of milk, or about 14 percent of CBC's total production, and produced 1.7 million gallons of ice cream for total sales of 45.5 million dollars, 19 percent of CBC's total sales.
Over the years, 68 cooperatives and non-cooperative plants in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan have been combined into Consolidated Badger Cooperative. Major mergers occurred in 1962 and 1963 when Medford Cooperative Creamery and the Hub Dairy Cooperative, Marshfield, joined CBC. A large cheese plant was constructed in Green Bay in 1980. During the mid-1960s, CBC joined the Central Milk Producers Cooperative to market milk in the Chicago area.
The cooperative celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1981, at which time 2200 families in 11 districts were owners-members of the cooperative, governed by a board of directors. During 1981, the cooperative marketed 1.17 billion pounds of milk and had sales of over 212 million dollars for member-owners. Six plants, including the largest cooperative milk bottling plant in Wisconsin, produce a full line of dairy products.
At the 1985 annual meeting, Consolidated Badger Cooperative members approved “Morning Glory Farms” as the cooperative's new name.
For additional information, consult the 50th anniversary and history folders located in Box 1 of Green Bay Mss 104.
