Miller Family Dairy opens processing facility

CROOKED OAK — Miller Family Dairy unveiled its new milk processing facility June 30, bringing the business one step closer to bottling its own milk, producing butter and cheese, and eventually supplying locally produced dairy products to schools.

The expansion will allow the dairy to process its own milk while also creating new opportunities for local farmers and consumers.

The processing facility was funded in part by a nearly $1.9 million grant from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. The grant covered processing equipment, installation and a delivery truck.

CONTRIBUTED/DAN BUSEY
Jennilee Miller talks outside Miller Family Dairy’s farm store in the Crooked Oak community during the opening of a new milk processing facility on June 30.

Jennilee Miller said the grant made the expansion possible, although it did not cover the farm store, retail space or farm operations.

“As we move on into the season, we’ll be carrying more and more products,” Miller said. “Our goal here was to support the community.”

The farm store already stocks products from area farmers, including meats, fresh produce, honey and goat’s milk soap. Miller said milk, butter and cheese produced at the dairy will soon join those offerings.

She said one of the farm’s biggest priorities is giving customers confidence in where their food comes from.

CONTRIBUTED/DAN BUSEY
Craig Miller holds an 8-ounce milk bottle while discussing Miller Family Dairy’s plans to supply locally processed milk during a tour June 30.

“We want to give full transparency back to people with our food products,” she said. “If you have questions about it, we can answer them.”

The farm also plans to open a kitchen, which will serve breakfast and lunch once construction is complete. Miller said she hopes the space becomes a gathering place for the community.

“We want to be a bit of a local hub where people can hang out and chat and gossip,” she said.

The new processing plant includes a laboratory, milk storage room, cheese production area, butter room and bottling line.

Miller said the dairy chose equipment which would prioritize the quality of its products instead of producing the highest volume possible.

The bottling system can fill about 500 gallons of milk into gallon containers in roughly 30 minutes. The dairy will begin by selling non-homogenized milk with cream on top before expanding into skim milk, chocolate milk and other varieties.

The facility also includes a 2,000-pound cheese vat capable of producing about 200 pounds of cheese at a time. Miller said the dairy plans to begin with cheddar varieties before expanding into other types of cheese.

CONTRIBUTED/DAN BUSEY
Jennilee Miller, left, talks with visitors including state Rep. Jamie Kiel, District 18, during a tour June 30 of Miller Family Dairy’s new milk processing facility.

The family also designed the facility to be energy efficient by using systems which recycle water for heating and cooling. Windows into the processing room and cameras mounted above the equipment will allow visitors to watch milk being processed and bottled.

Miller said those features will also help educate children during future school field trips.

Supplying schools with locally processed milk is one of the family’s longterm goals. Miller said the dairy has already met with school nutrition buyers and organizations which help connect Alabama farmers with school systems. She said they hope to begin serving smaller school systems before expanding as contracts become available.

Craig Miller said the dairy’s equipment was specially modified to produce the eight-ounce bottles required by many elementary and middle schools. He said providing fresh milk in plastic bottles instead of traditional paper cartons could improve both taste and quality.

“If they load the milk in paper cartons on a truck with onions at the same time, it’s picking up all those flavors. Plastic doesn’t,” he said.

Jana Miller, who works with the Dairy Alliance, said the project could create new opportunities for Alabama dairy farmers while helping schools purchase more locally processed milk.

“It’s so exciting that they’ve opened up their dairy because this opens new possibilities here in the state, with a priority to get it into schools.”

Miller Family Dairy opened in 2020 as a raw milk operation. The farm began with just eight cows and has plans to grow its herd to around 100.

Although located just inside Colbert County, the dairy’s mailing address is Russellville. The Millers say they serve communities in both Franklin and Colbert counties.

The dairy currently employs one full-time worker and two part-time employees in addition to family members. Jennilee said the operation is expected to grow to about five employees once the processing plant reaches full production.