Bob and Karyn Schauf welcome visitors to their Indianhead Holsteins spread in northwest Wisconsin, 1659 101/2 St. in Barron, where they breed and milk some 250 head of dairy cattle. The barn entrance is a shrine to the original Blackrose. More info at 715-537-9376 or www.indianheadholsteins.com.
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Barron is best known for its Turkey Store, a sprawling, belching turkey-processing plan at 34 N. Seventh St. that dominates the tiny downtown. Hormel bought the factory two years ago and redubbed it the Jennie-O Turkey Store; an outlet shop offers discount processed turkey. The plant is also at the center of an interesting cultural experiment: it employs a few hundred Somali immigrants, who’ve settled in the Barron area.
The area around Barron is home to several bison farms. Gary Workman has about 50 head of grass-fed, hormone-free bison on his Snow Bound Bison farm, 1482 17th St.; he butchers them into burgers, steaks, roasts, brats, hot dogs, and ribs. The meat is lean and should be cooked at a lower temperature than beef; Workman says bison has a richer flavor, most apparent in the roasts. Call 715-537-3386.
Seventeen miles northwest as the blackfly flies is the party town of Hayward, where the local waters have given up no less than five world-record muskies. The four-and-a-half story walk-through muskie at the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, 10360 Hall of Fame Dr., and the giant leaping fish that surround it shrink visitors to bait. The museum’s open seven days a week from April 15 to November 1; hours vary. Admission is $6 for adults, $2.50 to $3.50 for kids; 715-634-4440.
