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All the milk at Homestead Creamery comes from two local farms, both in their third and fourth generations of family ownership. The milk is free of all hormones and antibiotics, and because the milk is sold in recycled glass bottles it tastes fresher longer and is more environmentally friendly.
Note: Our Farm to Market slide shows currently feature farmers and producers from our South and MidAtlantic Regions. We hope to expand to others in the future.
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Any plans to sell a pasteurized, UNhomogenized (cream-on-top) milk product in stores?
November 30th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Will you be carrying their ice cream? At what stores in the Northern Virginia area?
November 30th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
I have two questions.
1. What happens to the cows after they are too old to produce milk?
2. What happens to any calves that are born from your cows?
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Are these grass fed cattle?
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Hi Maria and Ellen, I’ve reached out to the folks at Homestead Creamery and will get back to you shortly about your questions.
December 4th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Hi! My name is Donnie Montgomery and I am the co-owner of Homestead Creamery.I will try to provide answers for Maria and Ellen Holt.
Maria:
1.When cows are no longer productive or profitable for our dairy they are sold to 1 of 2 local cattle dealers in Franklin County,Virginia.
2.As much as possible ,our calves are born in the pasture after which we make sure that they are nursed by their mothers or are bottle fed colostrum within the first few hours. We keep all the females for herd replacements and if not, they are sold as 2 yr. olds to other dairies that need them.Male calves are sold at 4-7 days of age,mostly to our neighbors that want the calves to raise.
Ellen Holt:
1.Our replacement cows are pasture fed except for winter months when grass is short.Milk cows are pasture fed and also supplemented with our home grown feeds to help maintain healthy bodies as they consistently produce milk for us daily.
Thanks so much for your part in making our family farms viable
December 5th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Can you tell me where Homestead Creamery products are sold. I shop at the Duluth, GA store. Thanks
December 11th, 2008 at 11:12 am
I am trying to get Homestead Creamery milk in Raleigh NC, any chance it is available. I am interested in vat pasteurized milk, not ultra pasteurized. Thanks.
December 13th, 2008 at 5:20 am
Hi there,
I just wanted to say that I’ve really been enjoying your eggnog this holiday season. It is AMAZING!
December 14th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Hello,
I am from India and very much used to getting milk directly from the cow/buffalo before consuming it (not even pasteurize and/or homogenize)
However, I have heard that cows are sometimes fed meat so that they can give more milk. Is this true?
Thanks,
Purvi
December 15th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
@Purvi All of our dairy cows are on a vegetarian diet. They are never given, antibiotics, growth hormones or animal byproducts. Other than their own milk, of course.
December 16th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Which Whole Foods stores carry this milk? (I visit Bethesda frequently.)
December 20th, 2008 at 2:56 am
I just tried a some of this milk: it’s terrific! And it’s good to know that we can support local farmers.
January 3rd, 2009 at 3:34 pm
We have found your product in Va, but we live in NC. Is there any place that we can find your product, Especially the chocolate milk, in the area of Wilmington, NC. Your boiled custard was great also
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Hi, I am from Colorado where I get raw milk from a local dairy. I am in NC for a time where I am caring for my mother. Desperate to find a wholesome milk I found your milk at Earth Fare.
I was curious if your cows are “organic”. A google search lead me to this posting. I loved the video! I know that the lable “organic” can be misleading. I purchased you milk b/c 1.glass bottle 2.minimal pasturizing 3.nonhomogenized (creamline). I was pleased to know the “girls” are grass fed until you have to switch them to a feed in the winter. I am curious what comprises your feed?
Thanks in advance for your answer! Valerie in Colorado
January 4th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Hi Valerie, we are not certified organic however, our goal is to use the resources that we have to sustain our farm in a natural way. Some of our practices include pasturing our cows and raising our crops for feed. We use our manure and waste for fertilizer, practice crop rotations and plant cover crops. These practices help with weed control, fertilization, soil erosion, and also increases organic matter in the soil. We also use natural predators to assist in fly control.
Our feed is comprised of the corn shown in the video, mostly in the form of silage made by chopping the whole corn plant. We also feed them hay that is grown on the farm.
Thank you for your interest in Homestead Creamery and thank you for trying our products.
January 13th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Thanks for your thoughtful questions about our piece on Homestead Creamery. Currently, Homestead Creamery supplies Whole Foods Market stores that are local to their southern Virginia locale. These stores include Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as well as several Virginia locations including Charlottesville, Richmond, Arlington, Fairfax, Springfield, Alexandria and Vienna. While Homestead Creamery product does not reach our entire southern region, we are pleased to offer Sparkman’s Cream Valley Dairy as a local option in Georgia and Maple View Dairy as a local option in North Carolina. Thanks for viewing!
January 13th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Hi, being raised a country girl on a small dairy farm. I am still a farm girl 40 years later and would like to know if you offer tours of your facilities?
January 21st, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Hi Beth,
We do offer tours of the farms. You can also call Homestead Creamery @ 540-721-2045 and we offer tours of the Creamery where you can actually see how the milk is bottled and the ice cream and butter process and you can tour the farm the same day.
Thank you.
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
I just want to say that your Orange Cream Milk is the best tasting treat I’ve ever had in my life!!!
January 24th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Your chocolate milk is The BEST EVER!!
January 28th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Hi I am interested in purchasing Homestead Creamery Milk. I wanted to know if I can return the bottles to Whole Foods and if it is sent back to your farm to be cleaned and reused? Or do I just need to recycle it in my neighborhood. Thanks
February 1st, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Hello Mya, Yes you can return the bottles to Whole Foods and they return the bottles to us to be cleaned and reused.
Thank you.
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Thank you! I’ve just discovered your milk at the Kroger in Morgantown, WV, and I love it! I have wanted to buy hormone free milk before, but I have always found it to be much more expensive than other milk. After the bottle deposit, yours is actually cheeper than the store brand! I’m guessing that this has something to do with packaging, and I love that I’m not paying for something that I’m just going to throw away! I feel like you are a good company making decisions because they are right, not because they are easy. If there were more compainies like yours in this country, we wouldn’t be in the mess that we’re in. I think many people are on the verge of realizing that. Thank you again!
February 10th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Thank you Joanna,
We appreciate your kind words and we hope you will continue to enjoy our products.
February 11th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Hi! Your milk is simply amazing! I purchase it for my children and myself. My Husband is unable to drink it because of lactose issues. Do you plan to offer a lactose free version in the future? Thanks!
February 13th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Hi Eve,
At this time we do not have any plans for lactose free milk in the future. We are always asking for input and I will make sure that this is addressed. In the meantime thank you for your support and continue to enjoy our products.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Where in Concord,NC can I find the Homestead Creamery Milk?
I went to Harris Teeter in Concord, NC where they use to carry it. They do not have your milk any longer. OH NO!!! Now where can I find my Homestead Creamery Milk?
Thanks
February 20th, 2009 at 8:32 am
My young children and I have been enjoying your creamline milk (from the Fairfax store) for a month now and appreciate your great-tasting products. Your bottles say “No hormones”, but I’m wondering if you give your cows antibiotics? Thanks!
February 20th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Darlene,
You can find our products in the Whole Foods Store in Winston Salem, NC. You can call our office at 540-721-2045 and we will be glad to help you locate our products. Thank you.
February 26th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Cathy,
We use antibiotics only when absolutely necessary, and the milk from treated cows is not used for 5 to 7 days. Each load of milk is tested here at our Creamery for antibiotics. Thank you for your interest.
February 26th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
I am a great fan of organic milk. Since I found your VERY FRESH milk at WF, I am really happy. The Creamline is awesome. There is such a marked difference between “regular” (non-organic) milk and organic milk, and the freshness kicks it up at least one notch, if not more.
It would be so great to have fresh milk delivered. I can afford a LITTLE more (than regular prices) for great milk but $1.50 fuel upcharge is pretty harsh, especially for the amount that we would drink as a family.
Have you considered either CNG conversions for your vehicles or electric delivery vans? Regular engines can be converted over to CNG, and if you have a CNG pumping station nearby, it is a pretty easy switch. If not, you can get a compressor to run off of the natural gas lines. I just realized… I am assuming that you have NG there. If not, there’s also LNG. Electic is an option, and getting more practical every day. There are commercial vehicles that get 100-150 miles / charge, carry a 2 ton payload, and recharge off the mains in < 8 hours. Newer battery formulations will improve this. Estimates are given for < 10 cent/mile equiv fuel costs. If this is interesting, I would suggest plug-in only. Hybrids are not an efficient choice at this point.
Do you have gallon jugs, or is that just too large for users? Have you considered the hard, clear plastic (thick, #1)? I don’t know how they hold up to physical scrubbing, but gentle sanitizing would serve them well.
Lots of stuff all at once, sorry, but I’m psyched.
February 26th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
I have been buying Homestead Creamery milk and ice cream for over a year now at Kroger in Blacksburg, VA. It is fantastic and I will miss it when I move back to suburban Maryland. Please consider carrying it in your Montgomery County, MD stores - I would certainly shop more at Whole Foods if it was available.
March 6th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Kristen,
We are expanding our relationship with Whole Foods and we are distributing our products to new stores on a case by case basis. Please keep in touch with your local Whole Foods store for product information.
Thank you.
March 9th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Donnie,
I’ve been buying your creamline milk for a couple of years now and I have to say, it’s wonderful. Just about any other milk now tastes awful to me! You guys have ruined me.
Anyway. I was wondering, what kind of cows compromise your herd? And have you considered setting up a company website?
Thank you.
March 15th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Whoops, *comprise, not compromise.
March 16th, 2009 at 9:32 am
We have Holsteins and a few Jersey cows. At this time we don’t have any plans for a website, but if you have any questions you can contact us.
Thank you.
March 19th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
I would like to know the nutritional values for the creamline milk. I love it and it tastes just like the milk of my childhood, but for the nutrition program I am on, I need to know calories, fat, etc. Would it be possible to get that information? Thanks, Carol
March 19th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
How do you get the deposit back? Can you return to the place of purchase?
March 22nd, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Ryan,
Return your bottle to the place of purchase and take it to the customer service desk and they will refund you the deposit.
Thank you.
March 24th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
When I spied Homestead Creamery in the milk section of our local Kroger 2 years ago, I immediately snatched up 3 bottles. Since then, it’s the only milk we’ll buy.
I’m a dairy lover. I’ll routinely go through a gallon of milk a day, in addition to byproducts like yogurt and cheese. Unfortunately, we didn’t think about the source of our calcium while I carried our first child. The end result was a baby in the 99th percentile who had hair on her arms, legs, armpits and vaginal region just weeks after birth–all those hormones pumped into “factory” cows take their toll on both animals and people.
Thankfully, I discovered your wonderful products before my second child, and have never looked back.
Homestead Creamery’s butter was introduced at our nearby store just last week and I had a strong desire to buy up all the inventory lest it not appear again.
All of this to say thank you. Thank you for caring about the animals, about the land, about the future, and about your customers. I’ve spread the word about Homestead Creamery to all of my family and friends, and will continue to do so for a long time to come. May your farms continue the time-honored tradition of caring for life for many generations to come.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:44 am
Mr. Montgomery, How do you make your low-fat milk? I am very sensitive to the glutamate that is freed when milk is dried under high heat and then added to mass produced skim milk to make low-fat milk. Do you add milk solids to your skimmed milk to make low-fat milk? If I just skimmed off the cream in your wonderfrul nonhomogonized milk what % milk fat would be left behind? I just found your milk and thank you enough for producing such a great product.
March 31st, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Joan,
We do not dry milk under high heat for any reason. To produce lowfat milk we blend our skim and whole milk to achieve 2% fat. Nothing is added or taken away except the cream. Yes you can skim off the cream from the creamline milk and your fat percentage will be less than 1%. Before removing any cream the milk is between 3.8 and 4%. Thank you.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Autumn, Thank you for the kind words, we hope you will continue to enjoy our products.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:43 pm
We’ve been enjoying your milk for years, and having it delivered to our door each week is a wonderful convenience. A friend of mine raised a question that I was unable to answer - is your mild fortified with Vitamin D?
Thanks is advance for your response!
April 30th, 2009 at 8:00 am
oops, I meant to type milk, not mild. sorry!
April 30th, 2009 at 8:02 am
Just bought some from a Whole Foods in Washington DC. That is by far the BEST milk my family has EVER had……THANK YOU!!
May 1st, 2009 at 6:59 pm
I wanted to say thank you for putting out such an amazing product. My wife is lactose intolerant but the milk from your farms does not affect her and she is so happy to be able to have it again. The chocolate milk and eggnog are divine and one glass is a great dessert. I have heard rumors that there could be some financial problems with the company and if that is the case raise the price! As evidence here people really appreciate the quality product you are producing and would pay accordingly.
May 6th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Your response:.Our replacement cows are pasture fed except for winter months when grass is short.Milk cows are pasture fed and also supplemented with our home grown feeds to help maintain healthy bodies as they consistently produce milk for us daily.
Thanks so much for your part in making our family farms viable
What constitutes “home grown feeds”? Since there is a photo with corn in the background I’m wondering if the milk cows are fed corn? I’ve been enjoying this product, but I would prefer clear information on the wonderful glass bottle.
May 8th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Amy,
Our milk is all natural, we do not add anything to it.
Thank you.
May 13th, 2009 at 7:25 am
Hi!
I am able to find your creamline milk at the WF in Falls Church and Fairlakes but not at Reston/Herndon. Is there a reason for this? I live near Reston and have to go quite a ways to get your milk. Any plans of supplying to stores in the Reston/Herndon/Sterling area?
Thank you.
May 18th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
I have purchased your cultured buttermilk in the Fairfax store and loved it. I am glad to find nonhomogonized milk. What process do you use in pasteurizing your milk?
May 21st, 2009 at 10:59 pm
We just tried Homestead Creamery for the first time a few days ago, purchased at the Whole Foods in Vienna. I have to say it is the best milk I have ever had! Having been born and raised in suburban DC, I was never exposed to good, local milk as a kid. Now I will never go back.
Donnie, you and your team do a great job! I am really happy to know that there are local Virginia Farms me and my family can support.
Thank you Homestead and Whole Foods.
May 23rd, 2009 at 4:21 pm
[...] Milk = :) May 26, 2009 Filed under: 1 — nsdeems @ 1:17 am Oh, by the way…I bought milk today; it came in a glass jar. Technically it’s chocolate milk and it tastes really good. It comes from a place called Homestead Creamery which is somewhere in VA. They home deliver milk to their customers in that area. This makes me happy; milk being delivered to doorsteps makes me happy. I am one of those people who are satisfied by simple things. Can you get any more simple than milk in glass jars being delivered to doorsteps? Homestead Creamery doesn’t have it’s own website but you can check out the link below which is a video from the Whole Foods website who also carries their product. Evidently they make ice cream too which makes Justin very happy. http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2008/11/homestead-creamery/ [...]
May 25th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Shantanu,
Please check with the Dairy Manager next time you are in the store. Ask him/her why they do not carry it. It is up to the mangers which products they carry.
Thank you
May 27th, 2009 at 8:57 am
To: Barnaby and all our supportive customers.
Thank you all for the wonderful comments, we are happy to provide great products and we hope you will continue to enjoy each of them.
May 27th, 2009 at 9:00 am
I am recently learning about the difference between A1 & A2 milk. Is your milk A2? If not, would you concider offering A2 milk?
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:34 am
I would like to know if your fat free milk is homogenised. The whole milk label states clearly that it is homogenised, but there is nothing on the label of the fat free milk.
Thanks,
Peta
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:20 am
I have been having your milk delivered to our home for about 18 months now. My family and I absolutely LOVE it!! We usually stick with the nonfat creamline milk, but have also tried the chocolate milk and orange cream. They are all delicious!!! The nonfat creamline tastes like 2% to me. I do have one question. I was informed that the chocolate milk is sweetened with molasses. On the label, it clearly states that sugar is the ingredient. Could you please tell me; is the chocolate milk is sweetened with molasses, or sugar? Thank you and thanks so much for providing us with such a wholesome product. They are truely short to come by these days!!
June 4th, 2009 at 6:00 am
Peta,
Our Non Fat milk is non homogenized.
June 9th, 2009 at 7:05 am
Karen,
Our Chocolate Milk is sweetened with sugar. Thank you for being a customer.
June 9th, 2009 at 7:07 am
We have been buying your creamline milk for several months now at Whole Foods and loving it. So tasty, love the glass bottles, and I am thrilled to be supporting a local family farm! I see you have mostly Holsteins, with a few Jerseys. Any plans to expand the Jersey herd or branch out into other breeds so you can produce A2 beta casein milk? Also, I didn’t see an answer to Rick’s question about your pasteurization process. Do you in fact vat pasteurize?
Thanks!!
Cecilia
June 11th, 2009 at 9:21 am
[...] things I have already begun to do is only purchase milk from a local dairy (complete with a returnable glass bottle), bread from a local bakery, local eggs and local beer. [...]
June 14th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
What percentage of your herd produces A2 milk? Would you be willing to differentiate and sell only A2 milk? I’d love to have access to A2 cow’s milk, but until then have to stick with goat milk. Do you know of any mainly Guernsey dairy farms in Virginia which supply (A2) milk?
Thanks!
June 15th, 2009 at 8:05 am
I am curious about the corn you feed the animals and plant in your fields. Is this genetically modified corn you have planted and use for feed or normal-natural-non-Gm-corn?
June 15th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Hi, i love your chocolate milk. Just wondering, do you have a website or a twitter\facebook?
June 17th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
I imagine the answer is “no” but if I call in advance and came to your farm and creamery for a tour would I ever be allowed to hand milk a cow?
I’ve just always wanted to live on a farm and milk a cow but never have…
I know that most dairies - for practical reasons of course resort to milking machines rather than handmilking.
Do you have a website?
What are the seasons, days of the week and range of hours that people can come for a tour?
(just 3-4 people max)
How many cows do you have?
What other animals do you have on your farm?
Do you know if you can make cows milk based soap - just like there are some goats milk based soaps?
Have you thought of starting a small restaurant / bed & breakfast where you serve the fresh milk, eggs, ice cream, and other things from you farm?
(I’m not sure if the experience would be soiled by the smell of cow manure from a dairy farm, but otherwise, it would be pretty nice…)
June 21st, 2009 at 2:55 pm
We just discovered your wonderful milk! I am part of a group of women in a “Go Local’ challenge who try to make at least one completely locally sourced meal a week. I was thrilled to see your milk in the Arlington Whole Foods! And even more thrilled after I tasted it. After searching for you on the web and finding this post, I wonder if you have plans to have your own website any time soon (I think your fans would love it). I also wonder: where can we return the glass bottles so they can be reused? Thank you, Sara
June 24th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Jennifer,
We do not have a website. We do offer tours of the Creamery and Farms, you have to call and schedule them in advance as we only offer them Monday thru Thursday. We do not hand milk the cows, but we have two Customer Appreciation Days twice a year where we have lots of activities including a milking cow on hand so the childer and adults can see this process. The kids seem to enjoy it. I don’t know about the soap, and we don’t have any plans for a bed/breakfast, but we do have a Farm Market where you can pruchase our products along with other local products. Thank you.
June 24th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Sara,
Thank you for trying our milk. We do not have a website or facebook/twitter. You can take your bottles back Whole Foods and they will refund you. Thank you for your support.
June 24th, 2009 at 1:21 pm