A slice of America’s Dairyland

HIXTON, Wis. — Halfway through America’s Dairyland on Interstate 94, travelers can partake in a slice of Wisconsin’s most famous product at Hixton Cheese & Village Market.

Owned by Christine Dixon, Hixton Cheese and Village Market will turn 3 years old this April. The market specializes in cheeses from Marieke Gouda, Nassonville Dairy, Lynn Dairy, Nordic Creamery, American Milk Producers Inc. and Westby Cooperative Creamery, as well as local meat and honey, gourmet popcorn, milk and syrups.

Dixon was born into the dairy industry. She grew up as the youngest of four to Bob and Virginia Yeskie. The Yeskie family milked around 50 cows and she and her brother, Tim, were responsible for chores as her two older brothers, Greg and Dennis, had already moved on from the farm.

“I definitely learned my work ethic on the farm,” Dixon said. “Now that I’m older, I feel proud to support farmers because my dad was one. That’s how we grew up and the farm is the reason we turned out to be the people we are.”

After spending time in Carson City, Nevada, Dixon moved back and eventually took a job at Foremost Farms USA near Marshfield. There she learned about the process of making cheese.

Her experience at Foremost, and later the AMPI plant in Blair, showed her how loyal customers can be, she said. With those plants closing their onsite stores, and locals unable to get their cheese the same way they used to, Dixon had the idea to start her own store.

“I saw the reaction from those customers when those two closed the retail stores,” Dixon said. “The fact that they couldn’t go to their own hometown plant to get cheese anymore hurt some people.”

In the fall of 2021, Dixon was diagnosed with breast cancer. A diagnosis that could have put the brakes on her idea actually accelerated the process. Dixon underwent surgery early in January 2022. Just a few months later, Hixton Cheese & Village Market opened, and within the first few months, Dixon had her second surgery. Since the surgeries and treatment, Dixon has been in remission.

“When I was going through the cancer, I had the ‘What if you’re not here tomorrow’ kind of attitude,” Dixon said. “I jumped into this without much thought of what happens if it doesn’t work, or what happens if it does.”

Dixon’s oldest brother, Greg, and his wife, Beth, came home to help her and her dad while she went through the first surgery. Greg, who is fighting his own battle with cancer, inspired Dixon to keep following her dream.

Dixon rented the building neighboring Sampson Heating & Air Conditioning, owned by Dan, Gina and Chris Pogreba, in downtown Hixton a few minutes from the interstate. The Pogreba family helped Dixon get her store off the ground in those early days. 

“(Dan, Gina and Chris ) had just put up a new building around the same time we were opening,” Dixon said. “They had decided to do an open house and asked me to join them. We must have had 300 people in here in those three hours. I can’t say thank you enough for what they’ve done.”

Knowing she was going to be limited in the first few months, Dixon surrounded herself with  friends.

“I hand-picked a couple of girls to work with me here,” Dixon said. “Lorie Johnson, Genell Severson and Julie Peterson all have dairy backgrounds, and they all grew up here. They’re my three main girls. They’re all such great employees and that has helped make us as successful as we have been. Ruth Lindberg helped design the store and spent a lot of time here before the opening. She was instrumental in getting it ready to open in April.”

Friendly faces, a local product and a billboard on I-94 have drawn in passersby from all over the world.

“I’ve met so many different people,” Dixon said. “I got a visit and a card from a scout with the Boston Red Sox, we had a singer stop in on his way through to perform in the Twin Cities and he left us with a CD of his beautiful music, and most recently, Brett Favre’s neighbor. I’ve also met people from Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Norway, Canada and Mexico. I’ve reconnected with relatives and old neighbors and classmates.”

Connection to the community she grew up in continues to play a vital role in how Dixon runs Hixton Cheese & Village Market.

“I’m proud to have a business in downtown Hixton,” Dixon said. “It helps put us on the map a little bit and I like the idea of keeping our main street buzzing. It reminds me of my childhood.”

Dixon believes she found the right product.

“With our location, right off the interstate and surrounded by great creameries and cheese producers, I’m very happy that I can support people from our area, and farmers like my dad,” Dixon said.