| The Grossen family emigrated from the Berner Oberland in Switzerland in the late 1800’s and settled in the Swiss community of Helvetia (Helvetia means Little Switzerland in Latin). They brought with them their tradition of making the Swiss Alpine Cheese “Bergkäese” from the Brown Swiss cows they milked. From the late 1800s to the early 1900s, a handful of farmers in the Helvetia area, including Grossens, produced cheese and would travel the dirt road with horses to sell in Portland. Our family sold Bergkäese commercially until 1937.
Even after one hundred years, we still raise Brown Swiss cows for the purpose of cheese making. Brown Swiss milk contains the ideal balance of protein, lactose, and butterfat, which is essential for our delicious alpine cheeses. Our family is now the 6th generation to farm and raise Brown Swiss cows and carry on the tradition of producing Bergkäese in Helvetia.
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Helvetia Creamery 