For five generations, dairy farming has been a way of life for Abby Brandner’s family. Now, Abby and her father, Joe Tomandl, are building on that legacy with Grazier’s Daughter, a new Wisconsin cheese brand creating specialty cheeses from milk produced on their family’s grassfed organic dairy farms.
Fourth- and fifth-generation dairy farmers and University of Wisconsin–River Falls graduates, Joe and Abby share a commitment to pasture-based farming, environmental stewardship, and preserving opportunities for future generations.
The Tomandl family operates three certified organic, grass-based dairy farms in north-central Wisconsin, each milking approximately 170 cows. Grazeland LLC, owned by Joe and Christy Tomandl, provides shared management and services for the farms and markets their milk.
Grazier’s Daughter emerged from an opportunity to create something new with that milk, with Abby taking the lead in developing the business. “How is my generation going to take the torch?” Abby remembers asking herself. “What am I going to do to take our farm forward?” Starting a cheese brand became her answer.
Cheese That Reflects the Land
At the heart of Grazier’s Daughter is a commitment to producing cheese that reflects the family’s grazing traditions. The cows graze on pasture during the growing season, producing milk whose flavor and color reflect their changing diets. These seasonal variations carry through to the cheese, giving each batch a distinctive connection to the land.
For Abby, that’s part of what makes Grazier’s Daughter special. The brand celebrates the natural differences that come with working alongside the seasons rather than seeking absolute uniformity. It’s also about strengthening the connection between farmers and consumers. Abby wants people to understand where their food comes from and to experience the satisfaction of purchasing something made directly from a family farm, whether at a farmers market or a neighborhood cheese shop.
Building a New Cheese Business with FFI
While Abby and Joe brought generations of dairy farming expertise to their new venture, bringing a specialty cheese brand to market required navigating new territory, from product development and processing to packaging, distribution, and retail sales.
Grazier’s Daughter first connected with the Food Finance Institute through the 2025 FFI Fellows Program and also participated in the Operations & Supply Chain for Food & Farm Businesses workshop and the 2025 Food Finance Forum & Expo. Abby subsequently contracted with FFI Farm Finance Specialist Anna Thomas for individualized assistance with launching the business.
The business offers something meaningful: an opportunity to carry the family’s farming legacy into its next generation.
Working alongside Abby and Joe, FFI helped project manage the launch, providing support with financial projections, funding preparation, product development and research, branding, production and packaging decisions, and supply chain logistics.
The engagement included detailed work on product economics, sales strategy, inventory management, distribution, and the operating systems needed to support the new business. FFI also connected Grazier’s Daughter with cheesemakers, distributors, and specialty cheese buyers in Wisconsin and across the country.
“The connections we got from FFI were very instrumental in building that foundation,” Abby says.
Through the Fellows Program, Abby also gained a deeper understanding of the financial tools required to build a sustainable food business, including balance sheets, recordkeeping, financial projections, and the importance of understanding business finances when making decisions and planning for growth.
Beyond technical assistance, Abby credits FFI Farm Finance Specialist Anna Thomas and Innovative Finance Expert Tera Johnson as important mentors throughout the process, offering expertise, encouragement, and ongoing support as she navigates the challenges of entrepreneurship.
From Family Milk to Retail Shelves
In July 2026, Grazier’s Daughter officially launched with three cheeses made entirely from milk produced on the family’s farms:
- Abby Lane, a creamy Havarti-style cheese
- Sun Freckled, a flavorful washed rind cheese
- and Heyday, an earthy bloomy rind cheese
The cheeses have already reached specialty retail shelves, including Fromagination in Madison, Milk Merchant in Wausau and Homegrown Farmstand in Depere.
For Abby and Joe, seeing their family’s milk transformed into finished cheese was a milestone in itself. Bringing those products to market marked another significant step in turning their idea into a functioning business.
Now, Grazier’s Daughter is focused on refining its distribution, expanding its retail relationships, and continuing to develop the operational systems needed for growth.
The launch demonstrates how Wisconsin agricultural entrepreneurs can create new opportunities by adding value to products they already know how to produce.
For Grazier’s Daughter, FFI complemented generations of dairy farming expertise with specialized financial guidance, industry connections, and practical support through the challenges of launching a consumer cheese brand.
And for Abby, the business offers something even more meaningful: an opportunity to carry her family’s farming legacy into its next generation.
