As impersonal chain stores dot almost every retail corner,
finding mom-and-pop businesses is becoming harder and harder. I had the pleasant
opportunity recently to speak with Vernon Brian, an 80-year-old who still gets
up at 6 a.m. to milk cows on his family-owned dairy, Feliciana's Best Creamery,
a family-owned dairy in Louisiana.
I heard about the dairy through my youngest son. He's a
big fan of the dairy's Cream Line Whole Milk. The difference between this milk
and what's sold in supermarkets is the Cream Line milks are hormone free and pasteurized,
not homogenized.
That means the milk is safe, but the milk needs to be
shaken so the cream floating at the top incorporates into the milk mixture. On
a recent trip to Louisiana, I decided to visit the dairy myself and see if what
I'd read about the Creamery was true.
I maneuvered through winding back roads in Feliciana
Parish to where the dairy is located. A cow dog accompanied me down a gravel
road past tan and white cows, lazily grazing on green grass.
The road ended at a small shed with a sign on the door –
"Come on in." Inside there were two small refrigerators, and a wooden
table had a metal cash box with a hand-written note taped to the top.
The paper instructed customers to pick out what they
needed from the fridge and put the money in the box.
I was pleasantly surprised to see there are still people
in this world who not only trust the customer but that there was money in the
cash box from people who'd gotten there before me.
A cardboard sign was tacked to the wall with prices for
the dairy's offerings – fresh, churned butter, heavy cream, whole milk,
chocolate milk and low-fat milk. I loaded six gallons into an ice chest and put
my money in the cash box.
About that time, an elderly gentleman, wearing faded
overalls, a straw hat and a big smile, came my way.
"Hi there, I'm Vernon Brian, the one who started
this dairy," he said.
The Patriarch
Vernon told me his great-grandfather bought 500 acres
back in 1908 in Slaughter, La. Vernon decided he wanted to have his own dairy, and
he slowly built a reputable business on the family land. In 1990, his son, Mike,
decided to work the dairy full time with his family.
Over the years, the Brians bought all the equipment to process
and bottle their own milk on their property. Four years ago, the Brians cut
back the herd to only 37 milk cows – mostly raised by their children through 4H
– so they could continue to run the dairy the old-fashioned way.
That includes having all members of the family involved
in the business. Photos on the dairy's website show three generations working together
in the dairy and on the land. They're working to create a product they believe
is healthier and a reflection of an honest days' work.
It's refreshing to come across a family-owned business
that doesn't take shortcuts and believes in hard work. These types of
businesses are the backbone of our country, and they constantly fight against impersonal
conglomerates that often sacrifice customer service for lower prices.
Those old-fashioned values of a family sticking together
to create a product they're proud to call theirs is as satisfying as a slice of
hot apple pie accompanied by a glass of ice-cold milk.
And if that milk has a layer of thick cream at the top,
then that's some good livin'.
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