JD Country Milk - From Farmers Market to Whole Foods

JD Country Milk is a family owned and operated dairy farm and processing plant located in Logan County, Kentucky. Willis and Edna Schrock have created quite a niche market for their milk, and over the years they have raised eight children. Seven of them work on the farm, and all eight (Justin, Joni, Jared, Jannette, Joel, Jason, Jennifer and Jeffrey) share the middle initial D, so the name was an easy decision.

So what is so different about JD Country Milk? At first glance, the answer is easy. Glass bottles. Reusable, returnable, and very little waste to go into a landfill, along with the absence of a plastic taste some people notice when drinking milk from plastic containers are all good reasons to choose glass bottles. The nostalgia factor doesn’t hurt sales, either. 

But Willis says that while the glass bottles help to market the milk, it’s the product itself that is the main point of differentiation. “We only pasteurize our milk at 145 degrees for 30 minutes instead of the high temperature/short time method used by most processors,” he said. “This process keeps the good bacteria alive and allows the milk to keep more of its natural flavor.” 

This niche market has allowed JD Country milk to survive and thrive while so many dairies in Kentucky and other parts of the United States are experiencing hard times. Many dairies have closed their parlor doors and transitioned to other endeavors. 

“We knew that we had to get into something to make more money,” Willis said, “and we decided to figure out a way to make more money per cow, rather than just have more cows.” In 2005, he wrote up a business plan for what is now JD Country Milk. Concrete was poured in April of 2006, and the operation has expanded and grown steadily since then. 

There have been many changes in the business model over the years, and the Schrocks have proven themselves to be savvy businesspeople. “We figured out that the way to get our products into retail stores is not to go to the store and say ‘hi there, will you sell our milk?’ but to develop a loyal customer base at the farmers market and then encourage the customers to ask their grocers to carry our products,” Edna said.

That strategy has served them well, because there are retail outlets in four states. From local country stores to Whole Foods, Sprouts and a Piggly Wiggly, customers can get their JD fix year-round. The Schrocks’ product is available in a number of natural food stores, and while they don’t make specific health claims, Edna said that many people who have been labeled as lactose intolerant have told her that they enjoy JD’s Country Milk with no symptoms. 

Products in the JD retail line include skim, 2 percent milk, whole milk, half-and-half, cream, chocolate milk, butter and cheese curds. Another big seller is their ice cream mix. Willis said that the sales of JD Country Ice Cream Mix doubles each year. That, combined with the amount of retail product that is sold in the farmers markets and retail outlets, is a pretty hefty amount of milk. 

How much milk? Last year the final tally was 250,000 half gallons and more than 100,000 quarts, not including numbers on butter and cheese curds. The Schrock herd currently consists of 30 cows, and even though they’re great producers, 30 cows cannot possibly give that much milk. Schrock buys milk from other small, local dairy farmers in the area. This not only gives him adequate milk supply to meet the growing demand for his products, but also gives the other farmers a market for their milk. 

“We don’t buy from just anybody,” he said. “We like to get our excess milk from other small family farms that share our way of thinking and use the same good practices that we do.” 

Just as Willis Schrock is particular about the partners he buys milk from, he is also a good partner to the retail outlets that carry JD Country Milk. “We do not have guaranteed sales like some milk companies do,” he said. That means that if a store orders ten cases and only sells eight, the processor would not charge for the two unsold cases. With JD Country Milk, the retailers purchase milk for resale, and once they buy it, they own it. When a new retailer comes on board, Schrock said he views it as a partnership and will work with them to get their quantities adjusted to meet demand. 

“If someone runs out and needs more between deliveries, we will send a truck right out,” he added. Trucking and logistics is a big piece of the puzzle. JD Country Milk bottles and processes on Mondays and Wednesdays, delivers on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and sets up at the White House (Tennessee) farmers market on Wednesdays, the Vanderbilt (hospital) courtyard market on Thursdays and the Nashville farmers market every Saturday. Sundays are, aside from milking done by daughter Jannette and her husband Luke Borntrager, reserved for rest. 

Each of the younger generation of Schrocks has his or her own specialty, whether it be bottling, setting up at the farmers market, driving a delivery truck or some combination of the above. Willis has learned to enjoy the marketing facet of the business, and he can sometimes be found in grocery stores handing out samples and chatting one-on-one with consumers and prospects. 

Herd manager Luke said that one key to the high quality of milk is the high percentage of Jersey cows in the herd. “They’re gentle and easygoing,” he said, “and while this breed isn’t always the top quantity producer of milk, they’re known for their quality. Their milk tastes great, and they have a higher probability of giving A2A2 milk, which is where long-term demand is growing.” When asked what that means, Luke replied that the A2A2 refers to a difference in the amino acid profile. Specifically, the 67th amino acid in the chain is different than A1A1 milk, which is more common, and the A2A2 profile is far easier to digest. 

Luke said that the cows are out on pasture during the day, and are brought up to the open-air hoop barn in the evening (or during harsh weather conditions) for their safety and comfort. Even though they’re grazing their hearts out on pasture, feeding time is always a big event. Schrock cows, like most dairy cattle in the U.S., enjoy protein-rich soybean meal as part of their rations. Since dairy cows are lactating females, a complete source of protein like soybean meal is a necessary component of their daily diet. 

So what’s next for JD Country Milk? Agritourism. The Schrocks host an annual open house the first Saturday in October, complete with bouncy houses, calf petting and pumpkins, and the increasing disconnect between farm and consumer has set their sights on helping to bridge that gap. Edna has a commercial kitchen on-site where she crafts granola cereal, granola bars and other goodies which are delivered to coffee shop customers on the regular milk route, so it’s not a stretch to think that some homemade goodies will be available in addition to milk, butter and cheese curds once the agritourism portion of the business is implemented. 

To find out more, visit JDCountryMilk.com and follow them on Facebook.