Farmer Turns to Distilling for Extra Business

Many local farmers are looking to find a different way to make some extra cash these days. From Kelly’s Country Creamery to Meuer Farm – they find a unique idea to draw in consumers. 

Jay Retzer, whose small farm is just east of Fond du Lac, decided to take his admiration for distilled alcohol to another level and worked to get his stilling permit. Retzer says “I guess the federal government doesn’t want us having alcohol brewing with fire issues and explosion issues in our basement. So one thing led to the next and essentially I just kept researching, I started taking some classes, and really felt like this could be a good fit for what we already did on the farm.”

He also tells us when people ask what national brands their product is comparable to, that is doesn’t compare to larger brands. Retzer points out that “we’re not trying to be somebody else, we’re trying to
be us. We want to be unique, we feel like that’s where our market is going to
develop. And so it’s kind of tough because you know who’s out there selling and
doing well, and do you want to capture some of that? Sure, but like I said, we
have some character to our vodka and we’re proud of it.”

Ledgerock Distillery is located along Grandview Road, and is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00am-5:00pm, and Sundays from 12:00pm-4:00pm.