Russell County, Kentucky
Small enough to know the line.
Ben Calder milks and bottles. May Calder runs the cooler and the books. That is most of the org chart.
The home place
About 45 cows, and Kentucky ground.
Jerseys and Jersey-cross graze when the ground allows. When it does not, they get hay and a vitamin-balanced ration in the barn.
Calder Dairy is not certified organic. We use no added hormones and no routine antibiotics. Plain facts work better than a badge we do not have.
Bottling since 2012
Low heat. A visible cream line.
After years of shipping milk to a co-op, Ben started bottling on the farm in 2012. The milk is vat pasteurized at 145°F for 30 minutes.
It is not homogenized. That is why the cream rises. Shake it in, or save the top for coffee.
A shared vat
Neighbor milk belongs in the story.
Calder also bottles milk from two neighbor dairies in Russell and Adair counties. That keeps two small dairies paid and the cooler supplied.
Glass gets another trip. The $2 deposit comes back when the clean bottle does. The cap is the only single-use piece.