South Mountain Creamery is a multi-generation family dairy farm located in Middletown, MD. There, they farm 2,200 acres, milk 550 dairy cows, bottle their own milk, and make their own butter, yogurt, and ice cream. We are pleased to offer their glass-bottled milk at Kimberton Whole Foods. Read on to learn more about this sustainable dairy.
The Beginning
The farm was started in 1981 by Randy and Karen Sowers. In 2001, they opened their own on-farm dairy processing plant, which was the first in Maryland. Today, their children, Abby and Ben, along with their spouses now run the farm, employing over 75 people in the local community. South Mountain Creamery has come a long way since its inception, but their basic philosophy has never changed: Producing products that are fresh, wholesome, nutritious, and raised responsibly. They are firm believers in โknowing your farmerโ, or as they say โyou can ask the folks who have their hands in the soil.โ
The Cows
The cows at South Mountain Creamery spend their days on pasture, enjoying the fresh air, sunlight, and an endless supply of grass. They are allowed to come and go from their freestall barn, where they are protected when the weather is bad. They generally spend about 300 days on pasture each year. In addition to grazing, they also consume a nutritious mix of crops grown right on the farm, including soy, corn, sorghum sudangrass, triticale, barley, and wheat.
The Farm
The farmland at South Mountain Creamery is under agricultural preservation, and they take great pride in being good stewards of the land. Ben Sowers is on the Maryland Soil Conservation Board. They use multispecies cover crops across nearly 100% of their acreage to protect from erosion, and use non-GMO seeds with proper crop rotation. They are also experimenting with summer cover crops, including a seven species mix which includes pollinator plants. The farm is almost exclusively no-till. They only use pesticides and fertilizers that are approved by the USDA Organic label.
Quality Dairy Products
Just like their milking cows are born and raised on the farm, their dairy products are made from start to finish on the same land. In fact, the cows are milked just 50 yards from their production plant, where, within 12 hours, their milk is bottled or processed into other dairy products. This is milk at its very freshest!
South Mountain Creamery is sold in reusable glass bottles, making it a delicious and eco-friendly choice. Pay a $2 bottle deposit at the time of purchase, and receive a refund when you bring the bottle back to us.
All photos courtesy of South Mountain Creamery.
