Life-Long Ga. Dairy Farmer Treats his Cows ‘Like Family’

Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin

Life-Long Ga. Dairy Farmer Treats his Cows ‘Like Family’

Fourth-generation dairy farmer Scott Glover is passionate about his cows.

“Our mission is to provide a wholesome, all-natural product fresh from our farm to your family,” said Scott Glover, owner of Mountain Fresh Creamery and Glo-Crest Dairy in Clermont, Ga., near Gainesville.

“We are passionate about our cows’ comfort, and their quality of life,” he said. “Our cows’ comfort and health come first. And, in return, they produce quality, award-winning milk.”

Glover said his cows are “treated like family because they are,” providing them with care on a 24/7 basis.

“We’re just trying to get this operation off the ground,” he said. “It’s been a bit overwhelming. People like our milk… it’s locally produced.”

The 10-acre creamery is in its fourth week of operation, but has been in the planning stages for about five years. “We had been thinking about getting people closer to what we actually do,” he said.

He wanted to tap into the agri-tourism business, but his dairy wasn’t conducive to consumer traffic, so he opened the creamery to show off his product. “We wanted to bring the consumer to what we were doing,” he said. “In north Georgia, we have a population of people who are looking for productsthat are fresh. We have to identify where they are coming from.”

The Georgia Department of Agriculture has played a big part in helping him set up his operation, Glover said.

“The GDA folks have been tremendous with their help and guidance,” he said. “We built this place according to Department of Agriculture specifications.”

He said Department Inspector Mitchell Martin was there the first day they opened to pull milk samples and inspector Bob Rogers tested and certified Glover’s milk for transport.

The farm has around 70 cows that are milked twice a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Milk is delivered from their White County dairy to the processing plant about six miles away. About 1,000 gallons of Grade A milk are produced each week, using minimal processing.

“Our cows have access to feed that is balanced very carefully by our nutritionist, John Beckman, to meet their mineral and vitamin needs,” Glover said. “They have access to fresh water at all times.”

During the hotter months, the cattle not only are close to water, but Glover and his staff see that fans are turned on them during the hottest part of the day.

Mountain Fresh produces all-natural, non-homogenized milk, chocolate and low-fat milk, buttermilk, cream, ice cream, and butter. Glover said his allnatural milk at $5 a gallon costs a little more than traditional dairies charge. “We’re not competing with conventional milk producers,” he said.

Non-homogenized milk was selected, Glover said, because fat particles are left whole, making them much more easily absorbed by the body.

“We use a process called ‘vat pasteurization’ which only heats the milk to a minimal temperature of 145 F degrees, therefore preserving all the taste, flavor, and nutrients that milk has to offer,” said Glover.

The milk is processed at that temperature for 30 minutes, cooled down to 38 degrees, and then refrigerated. It can be ready for the public only 10 hours after milking. “Our milk is easy to process,” he said.

He also noted the appeal of his milk is its taste and healthiness. “The older generation remembers how milk used to taste, and the younger crowd buy it for the health benefits,” he said.

The response to the business, Glover said, has been “very positive.”

“We’ve had people come in here who haven’t had dairy products in years,” he said.

Mountain Fresh milk is available not only at the Creamery, but in six stores in Hall and White counties. “We’re looking to expand, and get in more stores near Gainesville, Buford, and Gwinnett County,” he said. “Right now, we’re just trying to stay caught up with production. We’re working out some kinks with our ice cream and buttermilk.”

The Creamery plans to invite school groups to the facility for field trips, where they can see milk processing take place right in front of their eyes.

“Our Consumer Protection Division works closely with producers to ensure the safety and wholesomeness of Georgia dairy products,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. “Scott is a great example of some of our agricultural entrepreneurs that are doing the right things to meet customer desires for fresh, locally grown products, and we are glad to see such businesses succeed.”

The creamery is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and half a day on Sunday. They’ve dubbed their curbside pickup window as the “moo-thru.”

Glover summarizes his dairy operation in his slogan posted on his web page: “Milk so fresh the cow doesn’t even know it’s gone!”

For more information on the MountainFresh Creamery, call 770-983-1666, visit www.mountainfreshcreamery.com or its Facebook page. Scott Glover currently is featured in a Georgia Department of Agriculture You Tube video, “What Do You Do?” at www.YouTube.com/ GeorgiaAgriculture.