A24-Ljnctster Farming, Saturday, June 24, 2000
Farmers Market Milk Through Mini Dairy
JAYNE SEBRIGHT
Lancaster Farming Staff
QUARRYVILLE (Lancaster
Co.) 28 dairy producers joined
together with the goal of market
ing their own milk and dairy
products through the Susquehan
na Mini-Dairy Cooperative.
Three years after the coopera
Herb Graybill, marketing director for
Susquehanna Mini-Dairy Cooperative, hopes to
see several other mini-dairy facilities follow
the Quarryville plant. Only 10 of the 28 dairy
farmers who belong to the cooperative will
send milk through the Quarryville plant.
HE ATM OR
Stainless Steel
Outdoor Wood Furnaces
v rfkyr*- _
S “We Know Heat”
Safe - Economical & Convenient - Insurable
• Over/Under Injection Air Draft
• Extra insulating features
• Semi-closed loop
• Expandable Low-Pressure Bladder
• Modular Construction
• Flues (2)
• Rust Controlled
- Dealer for Taylor Outdoor Waterstoves
- Hannon Stove Systems Dealer
- Wood, Coal, Pellet, Gas & Oil Stoves
Many Brands In Stock
Kegerreis Stoves
“since 1980"
142 W. High St., Womelcdorf, PA 19567
610-589-2951
tive was formed, the farmers are
beginning to process and market
their milk through a private label
called “Cream Lake” at the co
operative’s mini-dairy.
The mini-dairy facility is locat
ed in Quarryville and will handle
20 to 25,000 pounds of milk per
day.
“The farmers banned together
and really wanted to do this to
increase their bottom line,” said
Herb Graybill, marketing direc
tor for the cooperative.
Mostly Amish located in Lan
caster and Dauphin Counties,
the farmers pooled money from
their monthly milk checks to
fund the mini-dairy. When they
reached a certain level, they got
the remaining financing from a
local bank.
“Only 10 of our farmers will be
able to send their milk through
this facility,” said Graybill. “But
future expansions are planned to
bring in the other farmers at
other facilities.”
The Quarryville facility will in
clude a 1,100-square-feet retail
outlet where the local commu
nity can come buy high quality
dairy products, including premi
um ice creams, and specialty
bakery products from the Amish
families.
“We plan to offer a little bit
different atmosphere at our
store,” said Graybill. “Our em
phasis will be on our products.
We will also have a convenience
bar with coffee, Amish baked
goods, and hand-dipped ice
cream.”
In addition to selling their
“Cream Lake” products at the
retail store, the cooperative will
market them into elite grocery
The cooperative’s brand name, Cream Lake, originat
ed because of the wholesomeness of the products.
According to Graybill, the products emphasis full-flavor
nutrition from whole milk dairy products.
stores in the more affluent areas wholesale,” said Graybill. “The
of Baltimore, Philadelphia, and retail outlet is just a nice conven-
Washington D.C. Home deliver- ience for the community.”
ies in urban Lancaster are anoth- The mini-dairy facility started
er possibility. processing milk in April. The
“Our major market will be in Turn To A 25