Local family launches dairy offering fresh cream-top milk produced onsite

A family dairy farm in Crooked Oak hosted a ribbon cutting June 30th to showcase its new dairy processing facility, milking operation and dairy barn that will soon offer Grade A pasteurized, fresh cream-top milk for public sale, along with a variety of farmstead cheeses and butter.

Miller Family Dairy, 6833 Waterloo Road, is owned and operated by Craig and Jenni Miller, and a true example of a family run business, as each of their three children are also involved with the farm to varying degrees.

Last year, the Millers received a $1.9 million grant from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries to construct a state-of-the-art processing facility. Grant proceeds are earmarked for projects designed to increase and improve the food supply chain and make it easier for Alabama consumers to have access to locally-grown, fresh farm products.

While the processing facility includes a cream separator and pasteurizing machine, Miller Family Dairy milk will not see those parts of the processing process used in the bottling of cream-top milk. But they could be used if the dairy expands to include reduced fat and/or homogenized milk.

With a dearth of dairy farms operating in Alabama, Miller Family Dairy will join fewer than five Alabama dairies which process their own milk for sale.

Tuesday’s ribbon cutting was attended by both party nominees for Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, Democrat Ron Sparks and Republican Corey Hill. Rep. Jamie Kiel also attended, along with representatives from the Alabama Department of Agriculture.

While public sale of milk won’t begin until late July, Miller Family Dairy’s farmers market store is open for business six days a week. A public grand opening will be announced once the dairy is ready for public milk sales.

The store features locally farmed beef, pork and poultry cuts and products, as well as locally grown produce, honey, soaps, candles and more.

The store operates to support local farmers, who set the price of their goods without an upcharge from the Millers.

“It’s like going to the Farmers Market, except it will be open year round,” Jenni said. “Basically, if a farmer produces it locally, we want to carry it.”

The farm features a milking parlor that allows for milking of 16 cows at one time. Construction and installation of equipment for the milking parlor was financed by the Millers, as it’s not considered part of supply chain processing so grant funds could not be applied.

The new dairy represents a quantum leap from the farm the Millers purchased in 2020, with just one dairy cow. At that time, there were no plans to build a dairy. Daisy, the family’s first dairy cow, was purchased for the purpose of providing the family with fresh milk.

The herd of dairy cows now includes 20 milkers, with plans to expand to a herd of 80.

The goal is to have Miller Family Dairy milk available in small chain grocery stores by summer’s end. Jenni said those may include Big Star, Foodland, IGA, for starters.

For now, the dairy will be exclusively family run, although the Millers hope to bring on five additional employees as they bring the dairy up to plans.

“This is something we really never dreamed of. We were always business minded and looking for ways to make the farm support our family and sustain itself,” Jenni said. “Dairy cows were not something that crossed our minds. I’d never even seen a dairy farm until we started this.”

And regardless of the dairy’s growth, it will always remain an effort to provide the best care possible for the herd.

“That is our priority—to give them the best life, best care we possibly can provide them, so that way we get the very best product we can from them,” Jenni said.

To learn more about Miller Family Dairy, visit the dairy’s Facebook page and log onto www.millerfamilydairy.com.