When Christy Hulse and her husband, Joel, were looking for ways to join Christy’s parents on the family dairy farm, they realized the opportunities in producing commodity milk were limited. Although several processors buy milk from dairies in their area, none of the processors were looking for additional production, Christy says.

So, the family decided to start processing milk themselves, aiming for a niche market for A2A2 dairy products, which some customers find easier to digest. They started bottling milk in October 2016 and currently sell their Buckeye Country Creamery products at about 100 retail locations in central and northeastern Ohio. They’re still working to expand their markets, Christy says. 

“We thought the hard part was building this,” she says, pointing out the processing facilities. “But it’s not at all. The hard part is getting people to know your brand.”

Christy’s parents, Tom and Marcia Lahmers, started their dairy near Ashland, Ohio, in 1988 with 55 cows. Today the family milks about 120 cows and processes about 20% of their milk themselves. The remainder is sold through Minerva Dairy.

The enterprise is a family project, Christy explains. She and her mom manage the twice-daily milkings, and her mom processes orders and schedules deliveries. Joel handles the A2A2 product processing and packaging; Tom takes care of field crops and feeding; and Christy’s sister, Michele Lahmers, manages the farm website and social media, as well as herd nutrition. Michele also works off the farm as a dairy nutritionist. Christy’s brother, Matt Lahmers, runs Lahmers Custom Farming LLC. The farm and creamery also have a team of full-time and part-time employees.

Protein genetics
The family has genetically tested all their cows to determine which ones have two copies of the A2 gene. Those cows are segregated in the freestall barn so they can be milked separately, Christy explains. They’re also marked with white leg bands so they can easily be identified.

As they breed cows and add replacement heifers, they are selecting for the A2 gene, so eventually they expect the entire herd to be A2A2. The herd is mostly Holsteins with a few Brown Swiss and Jerseys. However, they’re doing some crossbreeding to boost butterfat and protein percentages.

The type of beta casein protein in a cow’s milk is determined by her genes, Christy explains. Some cows have two copies of the A1 gene, so they produce milk with A1 beta casein protein. Others have one A1 gene and one A2 gene, so they produce with both A1 and A2 proteins.

Only cows with two A2 genes will produce A2A2 milk. A1 and A2 beta casein differs by just one amino acid, but studies have shown that digestive enzymes interact differently with the two proteins. Nearly all milk sold in the U.S. has a mixture of A1 and A2 proteins, but many people who have trouble digesting milk containing A1 proteins have no trouble with A2A2 milk. Michele used to have digestive problems when she drank milk, but she says the A2A2 milk doesn’t bother her.

No homogenization
In addition to the different protein content, Buckeye Country Creamery’s milk is also processed differently than most milk on grocery shelves. They don’t homogenize their milk, so it forms a natural cream layer. They also process it using lower-temperature vat pasteurization. They heat the milk to 145 degrees for 30 minutes, which kills pathogens with less damage to milk enzymes and proteins, compared to higher-temperature pasteurization, Christy explains.

Besides producing whole milk and 2% milk, Buckeye Country Creamery is trying to distinguish itself with flavored milks and drinkable yogurts. They regularly produce chocolate, cookies and cream, and strawberry-flavored milk as well as strawberry, vanilla, blueberry and raspberry drinkable yogurt.

They produce special flavors of the month, too. For instance, for October this year they offered orange-cream-flavored milk. Their latest product is mozzarella cheese, and they are experimenting with ice cream. “It’s not as easy as it looks,” Christy notes. Although they sell some ice cream at their farm store, they’re still working to perfect their recipes before they offer it to other retailers.

New set of challenges
Although the family had plenty of experience managing a dairy herd, adding milk processing created a new set of challenges. “We’ve learned a whole lot about milk since we started this,” says Christy. As dairy producers, they had already been subject to Ohio Department of Agriculture regulations and inspections; however, the processing facilities require additional inspections and recordkeeping.

Figuring out delivery schedules and making deliveries is a big part of the new business as well. One employee works full time, five days a week, making deliveries, and Joel spends another full day on deliveries.

Retailers carrying Buckeye Country Dairy products vary from farm markets to gas stations, meat markets, and privately owned grocery stores, says Marcia. “We’re here, there and anywhere they will try our milk.” They also sell their products from a small store on the farm. Neighbors can just stop in and pick up what they need. Sales through the store have been consistent, says Marcia. “Once they come, they come back.”

More information on Buckeye Country Creamery and retail locations is available online at buckeyecountrycreamery.com.