Frederick Pabst, Jr. established Pabst Farms which was known throughout the country for its top breeding programs, best land management practices, and self-sufficient dairy operations.
1869-1958 | Artist: Joseph Allworthy (1892-1991)
Impact & Accomplishments
The second-generation Pabst—Fred, Jr.—briefly ran the “Blue Ribbon” business immediately following his father’s death, but left to establish Pabst Farms, in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, in 1906.
On the 1,500-acre Pabst Farms development, he bred champion Percheron and Hackney horses and established a high-producing Holstein herd, built around All-Americans. Pabst Farms was known throughout the country for its top breeding programs, best land management practices, and self-sufficient dairy operations.
He returned to Pabst Brewing during the period of Prohibition to keep the company afloat as a cheese manufacturer. Once the brewery was allowed to reopen, Kraft took over the cheese company.
Pabst was director of the Holstein-Friesian Association for years. He was honored by the National Dairy Shrine in 1951 and the Saddle & Sirloin Club in 1957.
Did You Know?
So, soon after the nationwide ban on alcohol went into effect in 1920, Pabst pivoted to making a “delicious cheese food.” They called it Pabst-ett and sold it in block and spreadable forms, as well as in cheddar, pimento, and Swiss flavors.
An image from the 1931 cookbook Recipes The Modern Pabst-ett Way. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE
Courtesy of Milwaukee PBS