Country Dairy

What Country Dairy does

Country Dairy is a fourth-generation, family-owned dairy operation headquartered in New Era, Michigan (Oceana County), operating as a vertically integrated producer-handler. From soil to shelf, the company controls the full chain: it grows roughly 90% of its cows' feed on-site (certified non-GMO corn, alfalfa, oats, wheat), milks approximately 1,200 Holsteins using Lely Astronaut automatic milking robots, processes the milk in an on-farm dairy plant added in 1983, and distributes finished dairy and beef products through its own retail, wholesale, and direct-delivery channels. Output exceeds 70,000 gallons of bottled milk per week, supplemented by premium ice cream, cheese, butter, custom-cut beef, pork and venison processing, bakery items, and seasonal egg nog. The farm is a designated Michigan Centennial Farm, and all milk and cream is Non-GMO Project Verified and rBST-free.

The business operates an unusually diversified omnichannel model for a regional dairy. The on-site Farm Store, Visitor Center, and café/restaurant (Mon–Sat 9am–8pm) function as a flagship destination. Wholesale distribution covers West Michigan retailers (located via a Storemapper-powered retailer finder), with named channel partners including Park Lake Creamery (near Lansing) and White Lake Dairy Treat (Whitehall, since 1969). A biweekly home delivery service ships 70+ products to seven Muskegon-area communities ($10 fee waived at $80+ orders). An agritourism layer — school tours at $6/student, horse-drawn "Behind the Barn" wagon tours ($12–$15), walking tours of the robotic milking barn ($8–$10), $125–$150 specialty experiences, year-round Moo University classes, and recurring community events (Ice Cream Social in its 25th year, Cow-tober, Running with the Cows 5K, Bicycle Bonanza with Breakaway Bicycles) — generates revenue and customer acquisition simultaneously. Beef is slaughtered at USDA-regulated Sanders Meats in Custer, MI and returned for on-site custom cutting. Catering serves corporate clients in West Michigan.

Customers are diversified across health-conscious local families, schools, corporate catering buyers, and food-service resellers; pricing is unit-based across tours, retail products, and per-pound beef ($4.35–$4.39/lb hanging weight in 2024). Headcount is approximately 125 across farm operations, processing, and the farm store. The company has no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity, and is currently owned by the Van Gunst, Arkema, Eekhoff, and Ash families. Its strategic posture is steady-state regional stewardship — extending product lines, agritourism programming, and home delivery reach within West Michigan rather than pursuing geographic or channel step-outs.

Name

Country Dairy

Legal name

Country Dairy, Inc.

Website

https://countrydairy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Country Dairy is a fourth-generation, family-owned Michigan dairy farm and producer-handler that milks ~1,200 cows, runs an on-site processing plant, and sells certified non-GMO milk, ice cream, cheese, butter, and custom-cut beef through its farm store, home delivery, West Michigan wholesale partners, and agritourism tours.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Products

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Fluid Milk Manufacturing (311511), Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Creamery Butter Manufacturing (311512), Dairy Cattle and Milk Production (112120), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Fluid Milk & Cream Processing (AFAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Milk Production (Raw Milk) (AFAEACAA)

Keywords

• Dairy farming
• Milk processing
• Ice cream production
• Cheese manufacturing
• Agritourism services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Era

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Dairy Products: Milk, cream, butter, cheese, and ice cream produced from their own herd. Products sold through farm store, retail locations, and home delivery. As a producer-handler, they do not purchase milk from other farms.
2. Beef Sales and Custom Cutting: Beef steers raised on-site, processed at USDA-regulated Sanders Meats, custom cut to customer specifications. Sells quarters or halves of beef at $4.35-$4.39 per pound based on hanging weight. Also processes customer-provided hogs and venison.
3. Farm Store Retail and Restaurant: On-site farm store sells dairy products, meats, local produce, baked goods, and gifts. Restaurant serves burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads with bottomless chocolate milk included with meals.
4. Tours and Educational Programs: Various tour packages ranging from $8-$150 per group, including Behind the Barn wagon tours ($15 adult/$12 child), Hoofin' It walking tours ($10 adult/$8 child), specialty experiences like Horse Barn Tours and Calf Feeding ($150), and school tours ($6/person with 20-person minimum).
5. Catering Services: Catering for corporate events, parties, and gatherings with advance notice. Offers pickup or delivery of prepared foods including burritos, sandwiches, goulash. Can accommodate requests with one week advance notice.
6. Home Delivery: Every other Friday delivery to homes in Muskegon, North Muskegon, Norton Shores, Fruitport, Whitehall, Montague, Shelby areas. $10 delivery fee under $80, free delivery over $80. Offers over 70 products through online ordering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Country Dairy is a vertically integrated fourth-generation family dairy farm that produces, processes, and distributes milk, cream, ice cream, cheese, butter, and beef from its own 1,200-cow herd, operating as a producer-handler without sourcing milk from other farms. The company runs an on-site dairy processing plant that bottles more than 70,000 gallons of milk per week, a farm store and cafe, custom beef cutting services, and agritourism offerings including farm tours, school tours, Moo University classes, and a bicycle rental program. Distribution reaches customers via the farm store, West Michigan retail partners, a biweekly home delivery service, catering, and wholesale to other ice cream shops.

Product overview

Country Dairy is a family-owned fourth-generation dairy farm operating as a producer-handler that controls the entire farm-to-table process. Their core product portfolio centers on dairy (milk, cream, ice cream, cheese, butter) and beef products, with a vertically integrated model that includes on-farm processing and bottling. The company operates as a unified platform combining physical products (dairy, meat, bakery) with on-site retail (Farm Store and Cafe), agritourism experiences (farm tours, school tours, Moo University classes), and delivery services (home delivery, catering). The product ecosystem is anchored by their dairy processing plant which bottles over 70,000 gallons of milk weekly, supplemented by a meat market offering custom beef cutting services, a full-service restaurant, and experiential tourism offerings. All dairy products are certified non-GMO and rBST-free, with most cow feed grown on-site.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Milk and Cream Fresh bottled milk in varieties including 2% reduced fat, fat-free, and chocolate milk, plus cream products. All milk and cream is certified non-GMO and rBST-free, produced and bottled on-site from the farm's own herd.
• Ice Cream Premium ice cream in flavors such as Amaretto Cherry, Simply Cow-conut Cream, Mookies N Cream, Blue Moo, Wild Cherry, Lemon, and seasonal varieties. Available as hard dip and soft-serve in pints, 3-gallon tubs, and single-serve portions.
• Cheese Cheddar and specialty cheeses including Habanero Cheddar, Garlic Onion Jack, and Horseradish cheese, plus fresh cheese curds branded as 'Moochies' and gift-box assortments.
• Butter

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70,000 gallons of milk bottled weekly from 1,200 cows
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Breakaway BicyclesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 May 2024Local bicycle shop providing safety checks and minor bike repairs during Country Dairy's Bicycle Bonanza event. Supports the farm's bike rental program on the Hart-Montague trail.
• Non-GMO ProjectcoreOthers · 3 February 2017Independent third-party certification and testing organization that verified Country Dairy's non-GMO claims. Products carry the Non-GMO Project Verified seal, providing consumer assurance that feed and dairy products meet strict non-GMO standards.
• Babbitt's PowersportsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 January 2012Co-hosted Snowmobile Demo and Vintage Show events at Country Dairy farm. Brought ATVs/UTVs when snow was insufficient. Community event partnership.
• White Lake Dairy TreatcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1969Serving Whitehall, Michigan since 1969. Features Country Dairy soft serve, hard dip ice cream, Monster Shakes, cupcakes, and cookies with rooftop seating. Open 12pm-10pm daily in summer.
• Sanders MeatscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUSDA-regulated meat processing facility in Custer, Michigan that slaughters all Country Dairy beef steers. Meat is returned to Country Dairy for custom cutting and packaging on-site.
• Park Lake CreamerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHand-made confection shop northeast of Lansing that serves Country Dairy ice cream. Open 11 months of the year with daily 11am-8pm summer hours. Represents key wholesale channel for ice cream products.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tillamook County Creamery Association: Farmer-owned dairy cooperative producing fluid milk, cheese, butter, and ice cream with strong regional brand equity and farm-visitor experience centers. Comparable on producer-ownership, multi-product portfolio, and brand-led growth.
• Turkey Hill Dairy: Pennsylvania-based ice cream and fluid milk producer with branded retail products and an experiential visitor center (Turkey Hill Experience). Comparable on ice cream + fluid milk mix and farm-experience marketing.
• Fair Oaks Farms: Indiana-based agritourism dairy with on-site restaurant, tours, and farm-store retail, plus a cheesemaking operation. Closest analog to Country Dairy's combined working-farm/experience/producer model.
• Cabot Creamery: Farmer-owned cooperative best known for butter and cheese with farm-visit programs. Similar producer-owned heritage, branded dairy portfolio, and tour/experience marketing approach.

Regional players

• Hiland Dairy Foods: Midwest-focused fluid milk, ice cream, and cultured-products processor with strong regional retail presence. Comparable in product mix (milk, ice cream) and distribution footprint across the Midwest.

Broad incumbents

• Prairie Farms Dairy: Large Midwestern farmer-owned dairy cooperative producing fluid milk, ice cream, and cultured products across multiple states. Comparable farmer-ownership structure and regional Midwest distribution, though at much larger scale.
• Organic Valley: Nationwide farmer cooperative producing organic, non-GMO, rBST-free dairy. Comparable on certification-led positioning, farmer ownership, and multi-product portfolio, though at far greater geographic and scale.
• Stonyfield Farm: Organic yogurt and dairy brand with strong non-GMO and sustainability positioning. Comparable premium-organic brand identity and non-GMO messaging, though distribution is national and product mix is different.
• Blue Bell Creameries: Texas-rooted regional ice cream manufacturer with strong Southern/Midwest distribution. Comparable ice cream manufacturing capability and regional grocery/wholesale channel mix, though much larger and less vertically integrated on the fluid milk side.

Emerging players

• Snowville Creamery: Small-scale, grass-fed, non-homogenized fluid milk producer with on-farm processing and local/regional distribution. Comparable producer-handler model and farm-to-shelf transparency story.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/countrydairy
• Instagraminstagram.com/countrydairyinc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Country Dairy