What Deerland Dairy does

Deerland Dairy is a family-owned and operated farmstead dairy located in rural Freeport, Illinois. Founded commercially in July 2019 when the Graybill family sold their first container of yogurt at the Stephenson County Farmer's Market, the business produces small-batch yogurt, buttermilk, and sour cream from 100% pasteurized, non-homogenized Jersey cow milk. Cows are housed at Kilgus Dairy under a pasture-raised, grass-heavy feeding program, and an on-farm processing plant was built by Doug and Paul Graybill to meet applicable state and federal requirements.

The product portfolio consists of whole milk yogurt in 24oz containers (Plain, Vanilla, Strawberry, Blueberry), whole milk buttermilk in 20lb bags with no preservatives, and a cup-set sour cream produced as a joint label with Kilgus Farmstead that leverages natural CO2 preservation for extended shelf life. Distribution is direct-to-consumer across three channels: weekly farmers market presence at Stephenson County and Woodstock, direct store and restaurant deliveries throughout Northern Illinois managed by Kris Graybill, and an online store operated through Barn2Door.

The business model is family-operated and bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, institutional shareholders, or parent company. All sales, processing, social media, and online operations are handled by family members, and the company has not pursued patents, formal certifications, or public recognition programs. Geographic scope is regional within Illinois, with no global footprint claims or international channels identified.

Name

Deerland Dairy

Legal name

Deerland Dairy

Website

https://deerlanddairy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Deerland Dairy is a family-run farmstead dairy in Freeport, Illinois, producing small-batch pasteurized, non-homogenized yogurt, buttermilk, and sour cream from pasture-raised Jersey cow milk, sold direct-to-consumer through farmers markets, local store and restaurant deliveries, and an online store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Freeport

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. Farmstead Dairy Product Sales: Direct sales of farmstead yogurt, buttermilk, and sour cream products made from Jersey cow milk. Products sold in 24oz containers (yogurt) and 20lb bags (buttermilk). Small batch production ensures quality control.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Deerland Dairy is a family-owned farmstead dairy in rural Freeport, Illinois that processes pasteurized, non-homogenized milk from pasture-raised Jersey cows into whole milk yogurt (Plain, Vanilla, Strawberry, Blueberry in 24oz containers), whole milk buttermilk (20lb bags), and joint-label sour cream produced in partnership with Kilgus Farmstead. All products are made with no preservatives and rely on small-batch on-farm processing built by the Graybill family.

Product overview

Deerland Dairy is a family-owned and operated small grass-fed Jersey dairy farm that produces farmstead dairy products through on-farm processing. The core product line consists of whole milk yogurt (Plain, Vanilla, Strawberry, and Blueberry flavors in 24oz containers), whole milk buttermilk (20lb bags), and sour cream (jointly labeled with Kilgus Farmstead). All products are made from 100% pasteurized, non-homogenized Jersey milk, with no preservatives, ensuring a natural cream layer in the yogurt and buttermilk.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Whole Milk Yogurt Farmstead whole milk yogurt made from pasteurized, non-homogenized 100% Jersey cow milk, sold in 24oz containers in Plain, Vanilla, Strawberry, and Blueberry flavors for individual consumers and households seeking minimally processed, cream-topped local yogurt.
• Whole Milk Buttermilk Whole milk buttermilk produced from pasteurized, non-homogenized Jersey cow milk with no preservatives, sold in 20lb bags for retail, foodservice, and home baking/cooking use.
• Sour Cream Cup-set sour cream produced jointly with Kilgus Farmstead from pasteurized, non-homogenized milk and cream, with natural CO2 preservation providing extended shelf life, sold to retail and foodservice customers seeking rich, flavorful local sour cream.

Quantifiable outcome

• Jersey cows produce higher levels of A2 protein, easier to digest for those with dairy sensitivity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kilgus FarmsteadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint label partnership for sour cream production. Kilgus Farmstead supplies some ingredients for Deerland Dairy's sour cream product. The sour cream is made with pasteurized non-homogenized milk and cream from Kilgus, creating a flavorful, rich product with extended shelf life due to natural CO2 preservation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Straus Family Creamery: Family-run, farmstead dairy in Northern California producing organic yogurt, sour cream, and buttermilk from pastured cows. Closely comparable in operating model (family farm, on-farm processing, direct-to-consumer and regional wholesale) to Deerland Dairy.
• Bellwether Farms: Family-owned farmstead dairy producing yogurt, sour cream, and cheese from Jersey cows in Northern California. Highly comparable in breed choice (Jersey), farmstead production model, and premium positioning.
• Nancy's Probiotic Yogurt: Springfield Creamery brand producing cult-style, minimally processed whole milk yogurt with live cultures. Comparable as a small-scale producer of premium, natural-ingredient yogurt targeting health-conscious consumers.
• Maple Hill Creamery: 100% grass-fed, farmstead yogurt and dairy brand from small family farms in New York. Comparable because it markets A2/grass-fed milk benefits and minimally processed yogurt, similar to Deerland's Jersey A2 positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Stonyfield Farm: Organic yogurt and dairy brand owned by Lactalis. Comparable because it sells premium, minimally processed yogurt targeted at health-conscious consumers — the same customer segment Deerland addresses, though at national scale.
• Organic Valley: Farmer-owned cooperative producing organic dairy products including yogurt, buttermilk, and sour cream. Comparable product mix and small-farm supply model, though at cooperative scale with national retail distribution.

Emerging players

• Five Acre Farms: Regional food brand curating and distributing locally produced dairy and other products from small farms in the Northeast. Comparable as a go-to-market channel/brand for farmstead dairy, though broader in scope than Deerland's own products.

Others

• Kilgus Farmstead: Family farm in Fairbury, Illinois that supplies milk/cream to Deerland and co-produces the joint-label sour cream. Directly relevant as Deerland's primary milk supplier and product partner, though not a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/deerlanddairy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Deerland Dairy