Maximizing the Value of Local Agriculture; Beef Tallow Skin Care

From their home in Lanesboro, Brian and Sue Roelofs have turned a personal health mission for their daughter into a business. Brian grew up near Greenleafton, Minnesota, and went to high school in Preston. He went to college at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and moved several times throughout his career. Eventually, he ended up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he met Sue, who grew up in Cedarburg, just outside Milwaukee. They then spent 15 years in St. Cloud, Minnesota, where they raised their family. In 2016 they bought a vacation home in Lanesboro to be closer to family and have a fun place to spend time. In the summer of 2020, Brian was able to work from home, so they moved to Lanesboro permanently.

Their journey into using natural products began at home. When their oldest daughter was diagnosed with autism and multiple food allergies, reading labels and ingredient lists became a necessity. They were driven to keep their household as chemical-free as possible, watching what they ate and used daily.

Brian’s career has been in sales, marketing, and manufacturing consumer goods, and Sue has been a stay at home mom for her kids. The Roelofs eat a lot of beef, so with the growing popularity of beef tallow they wanted to start a business. With Sue spending years understanding ingredients and reading labels for her family, and Brian’s work background, this seemed like an achievable business they would enjoy. In April 2025 they started Bluff Country Tallow. They began with cooking tallow but later switched to skincare because there was an untapped market in the area.

When the business started, everything took time and experimenting. Their first product was a tallow cream with olive oil. They learned through trial and error that olive oil clogs pores, so they needed a new recipe. They started using organic castor oil, which is now used in all their products because of its great skin benefits; it’s non-comedogenic, and won’t clog your pores.

Getting the products right was a true neighborhood effort; Sue notes that her neighbors were the “guinea pigs” testing early versions until the scents and consistency were shelf ready. All their products are natural and therapeutic grade, including the scents from essential oils, that are anti-inflammatory and anti-wrinkle. Their tallow is also rich in vitamins A,D,E, and K and deeply moisturizes the skin.

Brian works on the business side of the company while Sue works on the scents and calling shops and businesses. They sell all their products online at bluffcountrytallow.com. and in 15 locations including Rochester, Winona, La Crosse, Decorah, Lanesboro and Harmony. They are excited to continue expanding into new locations soon.

Driven by a mission to create clean skincare, they formulate every product using food-safe ingredients. Sue says, “You should be able to eat what you are putting on your skin,” adding that excess chemicals can age you. They source USDA-graded rendered beef tallow to ensure high quality products. Beyond the quality there is another benefit: beef tallow products naturally help reduce agricultural waste by utilizing parts of the animal that are typically discarded.

The process of making their products starts by melting the tallow with castor oil and jojoba oil. They bring the mix to a specific temperature, making sure critical control points are met. They lower the temperature to add the essential oils, which are sensitive to heat, and allow it to fully cool overnight. The tallow mixture is whipped in a KitchenAid mixer until it’s fluffy. Brian usually does this process, using an immersion blender to release air from the cream, giving it the correct texture. He puts the product into their jar-filling machine, weighing each jar in ounces. While he’s doing that, Sue quality checks and seals the jars, before applying the labels. The process of making their lip balm and cream products takes two days, while the soap takes a month to fully cure.

Sourcing grass-finished beef is essential to the brand’s quality; standard grain-fed cattle do not yield the same color fat or high vitamin content needed for skincare. Because the tallow is high-quality and goes through an extensive rendering process, the products do not have a beef smell, which is a common misconception.

While they initially launched the business with a signature floral scent, Brian wanted to introduce a fragrance he would personally enjoy wearing. This led to the creation of “Woodsy.” They also had requests from people with sensitive skin for an unscented version, which they have added. Their products can be used by all skin types, including for eczema.

Their favorite parts of their business have been getting to work together, for the first time, and talking with customers at events they go to. They said that this year people are much more familiar with beef tallow products than last year, especially younger people. While the demand for beef tallow products has grown, their business expenses have stayed roughly the same over the last year. They also haven’t had to change their pricing. Sue said she doesn’t want this to be a luxury item, and wants clean affordable products for everyone to use.

Looking ahead, Brian and Sue are excited to expand their brand, and introduce new products to the lineup. Ultimately, they hope Bluff Country Tallow will grow into a full-time business that they can eventually transfer to a new owner, when they decide to fully retire.