From a panoramic window view of Burton's natural beauty below sits a 365-day operation born from a passion for animals, a hefty financial investment and…
From a panoramic window view of Burton’s natural beauty below sits a 365-day operation born from a passion for animals, a hefty financial investment and a fair amount of courage.
“Dairy farming takes commitment from the whole family and a dedicated staff,” said Brenda Has-tings, who, along with her husband, Lad, owns and runs Hastings Dairy Farm and their most recent addition — the Rowdy Cow Creamery.
Buying fresh from the farm means more than vegetables and fruits at this Claridon Troy Road farmstead.
The Hastings join a new generation of dairy entrepreneurs drawn into the popularity of more and more consumers wanting to know where food comes from.
The Hastings’ cows’ fresh milk is bottled on-farm just steps away from where their cows are milked and processed in small batches. They use low temperature vat pasteurization that is non-homogenized with cream rising to the top.
“It’s bottled with minimal processing the way nature intended,” said Brenda, adding this helps to preserve the natural flavor of the milk.
“We are only one of a few dairies in Ohio who pasteurize milk this way,”?she said.
Both Brenda and Lad grew up on dairy farms and have parents and grandparents who were dairy farmers.
The couple met at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., and kept heading east to this area about 12 years ago.
Brenda is a California State University, Fresno and Cal Poly State University alum from central California, and Lad is a The Ohio State University alum and grew up on a Wayne County dairy farm.
They have two sons, Garrett, 13, and Jack, 10.
“We both had good experiences growing up on dairy farms and wanted to provide the same experience for our children,”?Brenda said.
Garrett said the farm has taught him “to be more responsible,” adding he really enjoys leading tours.
The Hastings eventually had another vision, which they brought to fruition last year.
The Rowdy Cow Creamery kicked off in February 2015, one year from the date Brenda submitted their milk processor’s license application to the date she bottled her first batch of milk.
“We started by delivering samples to local stores to see if there was an interest in carrying our milk,” Brenda said. “Today, Rowdy Cow milk is at 17 local stores, bakeries and delis and Hastings Dairy.”
Milk is available in half gallon and pint plastic containers in white and chocolate daily with one additional flavor featured weekly. These include chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, root beer, orange cream, cookies and cream, mocha, peach, banana and maple.
“It’s quite good,” said Geauga County Farm Bureau President Dale Baker.
Rowdy Cow’s newest product is strawberry cheesecake yogurt.
“We really like products in Geauga County that are different,” said John Sage, of Sage’s Apples in Chardon. “We’re really happy how it is selling. Customers like to buy local.”
Being a farmstead milk bottling operation allows owners to have control over their product during every step of the process, from animal care to milk production to packaging.
It can be an ideal way to meet consumer demands for food transparency, the Hastings said.
Ohio is home to 2,605 licensed dairy farms, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
“We are one of only a few dairy farms in Ohio who have an on-farm creamery where a finished dairy product is made for retail sale,” Brenda said.
Hastings Dairy Farm milks about 525 cows, three times per day in a double-12 herringbone milking parlor.
As if on cue, inside the doors of the spacious milking parlor awaited a pair of large brown eyes greeting Brenda as she walked up to say “Hello.
In addition to the smiles are days when staying in faith proves fruitful.
“Dairy farming has its variables including animals, equipment, weather, commodity prices, market conditions, etc.,” Brenda said. “There are challenging days (when) we wonder about our choice to be in the production of agriculture and other times, we feel lucky to be in this business.”
Baker said for some dairies to survive, they have to find a niche now-a-days.
Les Ober, The Ohio State University Extension’s Agriculture and Natural Resources coordinator said he gives the Hastings a lot of credit for the hard work it takes to run an on-site farm creamery.
Ober said dairy products are among the most tested and regulated foods in America.
An inspector from the Ohio Department of Agriculture regularly visits Hastings?Dairy?Farm, unannounced, to examine the facility for cleanliness, equipment rotation and milk temperature, Brenda said.
All guidelines must be met to maintain a Grade A milk producer’s license.
“It’s quite an endeavor to make a start and a go,” Baker said.
Brenda Hastings glanced outside at their once office space, now creamery and growing business adventure, then looked over at Garrett.
“We hope we’re creating an operation (my sons) might want to come back to someday,” the Hastings said. “But we don’t put any pressure on them because it’s not an easy lifestyle and certainly not for everyone.”
Brenda added, “Geauga County is a great place to live and raise a family. We enjoy the beautiful scenery, change of seasons and the good people who live in this community.”
Hastings Dairy Farm hosts scheduled dairy events and tours May through October with more information at www.hastingsdairy.com.
