FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — Growing up, Betsy Kelley never thought she would work alongside her entire family.
“I’ve been here since the beginning, working with my mom and a couple of my sisters," she said. "It’s always fun. There’s always days where you’re working with family.“
Karen Kelley, owner of Kelley Country Creamery, never thought all five of her children would come back to work at the creamery and on the farm.
"The initial part of this whole business and the dairy farm was not that our children were going to be included," she said. "That was something they decided on their own. It brings tears to my eyes. It’s a very exciting thing. I never thought in one million years that they would all be here because they all have different interests and had to go try those first, but they tried them all and then came back.”
Although the creamery just celebrated their eleventh year of serving scoops, the Kelley legacy goes back much further than that.
“The Kelley family has been on the farm for 160 years," said Karen. "My husband is the fifth-generation and my son is taking over as the sixth generation.“
Winning awards and attracting customers from all over the country, the Kelley Country Creamery is the best ice cream, in the middle of nowhere, the family says.
“They can see the cows outside that produce the milk," said Betsy. "They can come back here and watch the ice cream being made, and it’s just a unique place that a lot of places they buy and mix, but here it’s just top to bottom that they can see everything through.“
Mother and daughter might disagree on which flavor reigns supreme.
“People get angry with me," said Karen. "But I’ve always felt that you have to have a good vanilla.“
“Cookie butter delight," said Betsy. "It’s a cookie butter ice cream with chocolate flakes, graham crackers and a caramel swirl.“
But they can agree that it’s the customers that really makes Kelley Country Creamery the best.
“When I see them on the porch, sharing their ice cream talking about different flavors, that is probably just the best thing about running a business," said Karen.
Kelley Country Creamery is open every day during the summer from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. They will be closed on July 4th.
