Nestled on a hill two and a half miles from the shores of Lake Superior stands a 1920s mail order barn from Sears Roebuck & Company. Constructed with Western Fir, this big, red barn offers a hayloft with panoramic views of Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands. That big, red barn is the centerpiece of Hauser’s Superior View Farm, a family greenhouse, nursery, orchard, and most recently, a cidery.

In 1908, a Swiss American family named Hauser settled in Bayfield, Wisconsin. Since then, one remaining constant is the passing of the farm from father to son. The 5th generation, Dane F. Hauser, is working alongside his dad and grandfather with new ideas and talents to continue to strengthen and expand offerings.

In 2021, Judy Clendenning, a Rural Development Business and Cooperative Programs specialist, began working with the Hauser family on a Value-Added Producer Grant. According to Judy, “The Hauser family wanted to produce and distribute hard apple cider, a new product being developed by the owner’s adult children.”

Having worked closely with USDA Rural Development, Superior View Farm received a $250,000 Value-Added Producer Grant to help provide working capital to produce, market and distribute hard apple cider at Apfelhaus Cidery. The project increased the customer base by at least 4,000 customers, increased sales, and created two jobs.

Generationally-owned small businesses can help brighten our rural communities. So, on March 29, National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, we celebrate families like the Hauser’s.