| WHO: | Redhead Creamery | ||
| BUSINESS TYPE: | Farmstead Cheese and Whey Spirits | ||
| SIGNATURE PRODUCTS: | Artisanal Cheeses and Spirits, Cheese Store, Restaurant and Bar | ||
| WHERE:
SOCIALS: WEBSITE: |
Brooten, MN |
By Michelle M. Sharp, Founder and Content Creator of Meet the Minnesota Makers
16 year old Alise Sjostrom told her parents that she planned to return to the family farm to make cheese from their herd’s milk. “I’m child number three 
of four,” reflects Alise. “For seven years I was the youngest child in our home. For five years, I was the oldest in our home. For most of the time, I was in the middle. Being in the middle gave me a unique perspective to see just how hard my parents worked. I admired what they were doing. I wanted to be a part of what they were building.”
Setting Her Course
After a custom course of study at the University of Minnesota, training at the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese, and experience working in retail and marketing for other US-based cheesemakers, she returned to Brooten, Minnesota to found Redhead Creamery at Jer-Lindy Farms.
Jer-Lindy Farms still raises and milks their own cows in a welcoming farmstead alongside a pond. The size of the herd has grown since Alise and her three similarly red-headed sisters were children 
there. The cows now enjoy on-demand milking privileges thanks to the four milking robots that are available 24/7. Their open stalls are kept fresh thanks to the relentless efforts of the sweeper bot that vacuums up whatever the cows may leave on the barn floor.
Building a Destination
A two minute walk from the barn welcomes visitors into the Redhead Creamery cheese shop, restaurant, and bar. With viewing windows into both the cheesemaking room and the distillery, guests may watch the hyperlocal milk at work that is the foundation of Redhead’s award-winning cheeses and new whey-based spirits. An eye-catching mural highlighting all the steps that flow together to make Redhead’s cheeses and spirits possible is the backdrop for the dining area. “When you visit you can see how everything is being made and you can meet the people who are doing it. Stop for lunch. Enjoy a cocktail on our patio. Play some board games with your kids. We have people spend three or four hours here on a visit,” states Alise. “It’s pretty amazing to be a gathering space for locals and a destination for people in Fargo, St. Cloud, and the Twin Cities.”
The food menu includes flavorful pan fried curds (all of which are gluten free), soup, salads, and burgers made with their own Jer-Lindy Farms beef. The drink menu features their CheeseStillery Spirits with the signature Azro Araga available both in tasting flights and in a variety of sweet, spicy, and savory cocktails. This family-friendly space invites visitors to learn about the behind-the-scenes through dairy farm tours every Saturday. The farm store includes lots of local favorites and custom cheese boxes for you to enjoy at home (or send as a gift!).
Creating Signature Cheeses
While eager to return to the farm, Alise knew that she didn’t want her day to be dictated by milking schedules. She loves her animals. She really loves what their milk allows her to create. “I love 
food. My mom loves food. She’s really good at just making food taste good. I’ve always been attracted to that,” shares Alise. “Also, I just have always really liked cheese.”
Alise’s favorite cheese is the French-style Munster that may be unfamiliar to some local palates. She’s used to that. At age eight she once baffled a radio host covering a dairy show where she was showing a calf when she told him that munster (the American smooth-melting cheese with its characteristic yellow edge) was her favorite. “He literally had no idea what I was talking about, but I’ve always been that way,” laughs Alise. “People always thought that I had this weird quirk about being obsessed with dairy. I love promoting what our family-owned dairy farms do here in Minnesota.”
These days her educational challenge is inviting people to see how diversely delicious Minnesota cheese is. Some visitors may be most comfortable with cheddar and mozzarella as their base. “I try to help people realize that you don’t have to eat cheese in a certain way. Just try the food. Whatever pairing works for your palette is the right one,” says Alise. “Having people come out to our farm and see our process helps them to try something new. We build their trust. They know that anything that we carry in our store, whether or not we made it, is going to be good.”
Redhead Creamery currently produces 14 varieties of artisan cheese in addition to a drinkable yogurt and bottling cream line milk. Alise is the head cheesemaker and her husband Lucas is the head distiller. “Lucas and I make a good team,” smiles Alise. “I’ve always been fascinated with how things are made. I always want to
learn more or figure out what’s not working, how to make things better. Lucas is very good at writing, researching grants, and sorting through the regulations we need to follow.” Alise’s parents, Jerry and Linda Jennissen, are active partners in the business as well. “Our staff meetings get a little harried at times. We all know at the end of the day that we just want what’s best for the farm, our employees, our customers, and our community.”
Gluten Free Goodness
The farmstead is a full family experience. Alise, Lucas and their three children live in Alise’s childhood home with her parents just around the corner by the pond. Working as a family means that everyone has a role in keeping the operation flowing. It also means that you adapt your business to fit the needs of your family. “I have six family members, including two of my children, who have celiac disease. Everything that comes from our deep fryer is gluten free,” explains Alise. “We’ve had guests almost be in tears because they get to have something that’s been off limits for them since their diagnosis. It’s so cool to make that connection and help them feel a little normal. I know how hard it is when you don’t feel that way.”
Find Your Cheese
Find Redhead Creamery cheese in the specialty cheese section of Coops, Kowalski’s, Lund’s & Byerly’s, and other specialty grocers. Order for delivery in their 
westward route (loops through Fargo) or eastward (loops through the Twin Cities metro area). Follow @redheadcreamery for FB, Insta, TikTok.
Make a plan to attend Curd Fest 2026 or stop by one weekend for a farm tour. Visit https://redheadcreamery.com for restaurant, distillery, and cheese shop hours as well as upcoming events.
Redhead Creamery is a presenter at the April 2026 Alexandria-Road Trip Taste Makers Class at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
Visit meettheminnesotamakers.com or follow @meettheminnesotamakers on Facebook and Instagram as well as Ambit and LinkedIn to discover the small business owners that make Minnesota an amazing place to be! Meet the Minnesota Makers is a news site that connects you to the local food, farms, artists and artisans that make Minnesota thrive.
