Two Catholic farm families open Creamery Creek to welcome the Diocese of La Crosse for Rural Life Day 2026
Story by Dan Rislove
The sprawling Diocese of La Crosse encompasses the Driftless Area of Western Wisconsin, which God has blessed with both fertile soils and beautiful landscapes. In the heart of the Driftless Region lies the La Crosse Deanery, which has been chosen to host Rural Life Day 2026. For a diocese with mostly rural parishes, it is important for the Church to honor the farming families who support the region’s people. This year, Rural Life Day will be held at Creamery Creek Holsteins in Bangor, about 15 miles east of La Crosse. On Sept. 23, two families, the Hansens and the Petersons, will represent the La Crosse Deanery as they welcome members of the surrounding community for a day of fellowship and prayer.
The original farm, now known as Creamery Creek Holsteins, has been in the Hansen family for four generations. The current owners, John and Donna Hansen, are retired and reside in Onalaska. The Peterson family now lives in the main farmhouse and manages the farm’s day-to-day operations. The Hansen family remains actively involved in the business, especially John and Donna’s sons, Paul and Mark Hansen. One of the Hansens’ granddaughters still loves visiting the farm on weekends to feed the calves. Both families have been friends and partners for more than 15 years.
Depending on God in Times of Need
Justin and Louisa Peterson, with the help of their four children, ages 11 through 20, have been running Creamery Creek since 2010. They have a strong connection to their faith and their parish, St. Peter Parish in Middle Ridge, where Louisa serves on the Finance Council. The two middle children, Jacob and Joshua, attend Aquinas High School, while the youngest, Johanna, attends Providence Academy. Interestingly, Joseph, the oldest, who now works as a plumber, told the New York Times in 2019 that he was considering the priesthood. (He was 12 at the time.) In short, the Peterson family is a typical Catholic farm family and the perfect choice to host Rural Life Day 2026.
If one wonders why farm families hold fast to the Church so faithfully, it is because farming requires a profound dependence on God. Farmers depend on God for the weather, the markets, the health of their crops and their livestock and for their own well-being. Farming can be a dangerous and difficult profession. Although farmers will always tell you that the rewards outweigh the risks, accidents can and do occur.
Louisa Peterson knows this all too well. She was injured in a very serious farm accident. While she credits her husband Justin with saving her from even greater injury, the damage had already been done. After undergoing surgery to replace a tendon in her knee with a donor tendon, she found herself still learning to walk two months later. She is doing better but still has a very long recovery ahead of her.
But Louisa has also found things to be thankful for, despite her suffering. The farming community has responded with overwhelming support for the Peterson family in their time of need. She says the flowers, cards, visits and meals have kept coming since that fateful day in May. Although she isn’t yet able to attend Mass, Father Sengole Vethanayagam (Father Sen), pastor of St. Peter Parish, brings her Communion every First Friday.
Her children have been more helpful around the house because of her accident, which has been “a very good growth opportunity for the kids.” She has had to rely on others for help with running the farm. Louisa said, “Seeing how our partner family, our children and our neighbors have stepped up to keep the daily operations running smoothly is a tangible reminder of God’s grace working through the people around us.” She has more time now to devote to the things that are important to her, like catching up with her friends and family. All told, she says that it has been a very humbling experience.
Creamery Creek Dairy in the 21st Century
The farm’s original acreage is still owned by John and Donna Hansen. John’s parents first purchased the farm in 1932. When it was time to pass the torch to the next generation in 1971, John Hansen was the only brother interested in moving his family to the farm. A few years earlier, in 1965, John and Donna Hansen founded the first Kwik Trip store in Eau Claire. At that time, John and his business partners were in the process of expanding. But the Hansens wanted to raise a family on a farm, away from city life, where they could spend time with their kids doing productive activities together as a family. So, they moved to the farm and spent the next 30 years raising their five children.
As practicing Catholics, the Hansens banned the sale of pornography in their Kwik Trip stores, which was a significant source of profit for gas stations in those days. But the decision was prescient, as most convenience stores now follow the same practice. In 2000, the Hansens sold their interest in Kwik Trip to a partner named Don Zietlow. They invested the proceeds in a company called Nesnah Ventures (“Hansen” spelled backward), which is focused on long-term “hold and grow” investments. Their sons, Paul and Mark Hansen, are partners in Nesnah Ventures, but they also remain actively involved with Creamery Creek, meeting with the Petersons about once a month.
The Petersons’ story began in Michigan, where Justin and Louisa first developed their love of farming. They met while students at Michigan State University and discovered a shared interest in the Dairy Club. After graduation and marriage, they moved to a farm in Amery, Wis., where Justin completed his capstone internship. They spent time moving around the state, eventually accumulating a herd of dairy cows while working at different farms. Their dream was to run a successful farm operation while raising their family on a working farm.
In 2009, the Petersons posted an advertisement which read in its entirety, “WANTED: Dairy Farm to Rent. 200-300 cows and bedded free stall barn with parlor.” The Hansens, who were looking for someone to run their farm in Bangor, answered the ad. In 2010, the Petersons and Hansens joined their resources to establish Creamery Creek Holsteins.
Today, Creamery Creek owns and manages a herd of about 1,500 Holstein dairy cows. The farm also raises Duroc pigs. Some of their meat and dairy products are marketed directly to consumers through online sales. The online sales, in turn, support their donations of meat and dairy products to local food pantries. Both families involved in the business are pleased with its progress. Louisa believes that their current success is largely due to the high level of trust in their relationship with the Hansens.
Creamery Creek combines traditional dairy farming practices with the latest agricultural technology. At their “home farm,” 500 cows are milked using a conventional milking parlor. In contrast, at a separate location, 1,000 cows are milked with advanced robotic milking technology. Both the Petersons and the Hansens have extensive farming experience and wanted to explore how technology could enhance their dairy production. To achieve this, they purchased otherwise unproductive land from a defunct lumber company and invested in new barns and 16 Lely A5 robotic milking units. The new “Webster farm,” named after the old lumber company, became operational in 2025.
An Opportunity for Catholic Fellowship
Louisa Peterson is looking forward to the fellowship that Rural Life Day brings to the farming community. She believes that “hosting this day is a meaningful way to open our farm to the wider Catholic community.” Louisa is excited to see all her friends and acquaintances at Rural Life Day, but she knows it will require careful planning. As a member of the Rural Life Committee, she is aware of the effort needed to plan an event of this magnitude. Given the farm’s proximity to the City of La Crosse, the farm expects to welcome 400 or more guests. Fortunately (or not!), Louisa’s injury has given her some extra time to focus on planning for the event.
On Sept. 23, Bishop Gerard W. Battersby will travel to Creamery Creek to celebrate Rural Life Day 2026 with farm families from across the diocese. The day will begin with Mass and offer a chance to give thanks for the people, land and work that sustain rural communities. Members of the host families will be joined by other farmers and guests for the celebration. After Mass and the presentation of awards, Bishop Battersby will bless the farm, its machinery, livestock and crops, along with all rural families. The day will conclude with lunch and time together.
For the families chosen to host Rural Life Day, one of the joys of the event is providing tours of their farming operation to guests. The Petersons will be giving tours of their farm for those interested in seeing how a modern-day dairy farm operates. They are looking forward to showing their guests how family values and modern agriculture can walk hand in hand.
Rural Life Day is an annual opportunity for the bishop to present awards to various rural life families across the diocese. The “Strangers and Guests” Award, a reference to God’s announcement to the Jewish people that “the land belongs to me, and to me, you are only strangers and guests,” is given to a family that exemplifies excellence in both farming and faith. The “Friend of Rural Life” Award is awarded to someone who is not a farmer but who makes a significant contribution to the business of farming. Finally, the bishop will recognize certain “century farms” within the deanery that have been operated by the same family for a century or more.
Farming as a Vocation
John Hansen, who will be turning 89 this fall, still occasionally checks on the farm from the comfort of his truck—what he likes to call “window farming.” He is uncertain if he will be able to attend Rural Life Day in September, but he expects to be well represented by his extended family. His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren undoubtedly have fond memories of the 30 years the family spent living on the farm.
Louisa isn’t sure why the Rural Life Committee selected their farm this year. It seems likely they chose Creamery Creek not just because it represents a successful farming operation but also because the Hansens and Petersons exemplify successful Catholic farm families. If their success is measured by the fruit they bear, the Petersons and Hansens have been fruitful in their work, their faith and the strong families they have raised in the Faith.
In the end, farming is a vocation. Speaking to farmers in Des Moines, Iowa in 1979, Pope St. John Paul II encouraged farmers to “remember what the heart of your vocation is… In farming, you cooperate with the Creator in the very sustenance of life on earth.” Rural Life Day celebrates the cooperation that the Peterson and Hansen families have given to their Creator in sustaining the land, sustaining their community and ultimately sustaining the mission of the Church. Let us all join our prayers with theirs this September for Rural Life Day 2026 to honor the farmers among us.