By Melanie Radzicki McManus | Photo courtesy of Grassway Organics
When Chaz and Megan Self purchased Grassway Organics in 2016 as part of a farm succession plan, they envisioned a quiet life on the New Holstein farm, where they’d raise cattle and dairy cows, along with some pigs, chickens and turkeys.
“We mainly just wanted to milk cows and sell the milk to a co-op,” Chaz Self says.
But after two years of operating the business on rented land, their rental agreement ended. So the Selfs and their three young sons relocated to East Troy and started all over again. But the couple quickly found running their small farm wouldn’t be profitable enough to keep the family afloat.
“Farming is debt-heavy,” Chaz says. “It’s one of the worst industries to get into. So we created our current business model once we realized there was no money doing it the regular way.”
This new business model added a farm store and online sales to the mix, plus several forms of agritourism, such as farm tours and meals. And it worked. Today, as Grassway Organics celebrates its tenth year, it’s a much larger — and profitable — operation.
Their business employs seven full-time and 30 part-time employees, plus supports other local farmers by hiring them to help carry the load. So Kiel’s Golden Bear Farms now raises all of Grassway’s pigs, for example, while another young farm family raises half of Grassway’s meat birds.
Best of all, the public is an integral part of Grassway’s success.
BEEF, MILK AND PIZZA REIGN
Many customers find Grassway Organics through its popular on-site store, which sells grass-finished beef cuts; pastured chicken, turkey and pork; and pastured eggs. They also offer honey, locally made cheese, bulk teas and spices, gluten-free items and more.
Those who don’t live near East Troy can purchase many of these same items from their online shop. After ordering online, customers can pick up their purchases at one of 15 locations across the southern and eastern portions of the state, including Madison, Kenosha, Plymouth and Appleton. Home deliveries are available, too, but mainly just for frozen meats.
Grassway’s most popular offering is their grass-finished beef.
Grass-finished beef comes from cattle that ate nothing but grass and forage their entire lives. Grass-fed beef, in contrast, comes from cattle that were started on a grass diet, then received supplemental grain feed or were finished on a fully grain-based diet. At Grassway, as its name implies, the cattle eat only grass.
Another top product is Grassway’s milk, which comes from the Selfs’ 40 “A2A2” Jersey cows. While regular milk contains A1 and A2 proteins, A2A2 cows produce milk with only the A2 beta-casein protein, which is considered easier for humans to digest. The market for this type of milk is booming.
“Humans, goats, sheep, Jersey cows – they’re all A2A2,” Chaz says. “A lot of people say, ‘I’m lactose intolerant, but I can drink goat milk.’ They’re actually A1 intolerant. With our cows, that’s not a problem.”
While Grassway Organics’ beef and milk are popular, it’s their farm-based activities that often catch people’s attention. There are free farm tours every Saturday at 1 p.m. from May through September. During the summer months, Saturday mornings mean yoga on the farm, where you can take an al fresco class suitable for newbies and pros alike. In 2025, two forest bathing sessions were offered. Forest bathing, also called shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese practice that involves a slow, mindful walk through a forest or natural setting, during which you concentrate on connecting to the environment using all five senses. Cindy Conlon of Eagle River Yoga led the sessions, which began at Grassway, continued through a forest at the nearby Humble Oak Outdoor Learning Center, then ended with everyone enjoying cups of organic nettle tea in Grassway’s picnic area.
But the most popular farm-based event by far is Pizza on the Farm, held every Friday and Saturday from May through September.
“Most people who hear about our farm are intrigued, and will dip their toes in with our pizzas,” Chaz says.
During Pizza on the Farm, guests bring chairs or blankets and set them up wherever they’d like, whether that’s under one of the shade tarps or out in the sun. Picnic tables are scattered about, too. A standard selection of wood-fired pizzas is available for purchase, topped with ingredients the Selfs raise on their farm along with products from other local businesses. Every week, a new set of specialty pies is unveiled.
All of the pizzas are carefully crafted by Megan Self and her assistant, with the specialty pizzas typically selling out quickly.
One of Chaz’s favorite specialty pizzas is Oyster of My Eye, a cream-based pie featuring oyster mushrooms from either Matt’s Wild Foods in East Troy or River Valley Ranch in Burlington.
In addition to its wood-fired pizzas, Grassway sells locally produced snacks and drinks, such as cookies and brownies from Simple Bakery in Lake Geneva, handcrafted ice cream sandwiches and push pops from Greenfield’s RedKhlover Creamery and Ninja Dust hazy IPA from One Barrel Brewing in Egg Harbor.
Guests love kicking back and enjoying their tasty meal al fresco, while listening to the live music that’s always on tap.
GIVING BACK
While Pizza on the Farm, yoga, forest-bathing and other activities were added to help the business stay afloat, the Selfs soon realized these extras were a great way to give back to the community.
“At first, we didn’t realize how important it was to welcome people to our farm,” Chaz says.
“But 99 percent of the population doesn’t have any access to a farm. One of our top Google reviews said, ‘It’s an actual farm. It’s not a petting zoo, it’s not corporate.’ Yes, we’re a real working farm, and people have a nostalgia for that.”
Visitors also love the fact that all of the Selfs’ cows have names. A few in their current crop are Bali, Coffee and Comard.
“People say, ‘That’s insane that you name your cows!’” Chaz says. “But we only have about 40. There are dairy farms in Wisconsin with about 2,500 cows nowadays.”
All of the TLC the Selfs spend on their animals and produce does come at a cost to the public. Organic foods and goods typically are pricier than non-organic goods, sometimes by a substantial amount. But that hasn’t hurt Grassway Organics. In fact, customers often seek them out in an effort to improve their diets and overall health.
“What I hear from many customers is, ‘Modern medicine has failed me,’” says Chaz.
“People are starting to realize the implications about what they’re putting in their bodies. They realize they can either pay a doctor or a farmer.”
Other clients patronize Grassway because they’d like to support their farmer next door, rather than a farmer in another state or country. 10 years in, the Selfs are still surprised at how much their business has grown. And what will they be doing in 2026 to celebrate their first decade?
“I never even thought about it!” Chaz laughs, then adds, “I never imagined we’d be reaching as many people as we do. But I really want to educate people on the importance of agriculture to our nation. It’s a wonderful gift.”
W2716 Friemoth Rd, East Troy, WI | grasswayorganics.com