Dairies

From 1 drive-through to the parlor led to further growth, especially during the COVID pandemic. The business has since further expanded by building an ice cream plant separate from the store.The business also currently operates out of additional locations as well as a food truck. Franchise opportunities further expand their “ice cream income.”

Smith’s daughter,Taylor Smith Gough, and four employees make the ice cream sold at the Moo Thru locations.Their attention to detail and quality has paid off, Ken Smith said. Northern Virginia magazine lauded Moo Thru as having the best ice cream in Virginia And about 300,000 people stop at the store every year.

Operating a retail business means adjusting to customer schedules and hiring additional team members to accommodate customer preferences.

“This is definitely a different type of work than dairy farming,” Smith said.

Their weekends are now committed to the ice cream business to cater to customers’ traveling and relaxation schedules.

“Weekends are when people are out enjoying their life and we want to be available to them during those times,” he said.“I’m happy we can supply this niche market.”

Visit moothru.com for more information.

Compost turns over new revenue

More than 1,000 miles northwest of the Moo-Thru Ice Cream store, John and Nettie Rosenow own and operate Rosenholm Dairy in Buffalo County,Wisconsin. After a barn fire in 1989 they rebuilt their dairy, with the addition of a composting facility to manage their dairy’s manure.

In the late 1990s they became more serious about pursuing commercial opportunities for composting. They began to call their quality compost “Cowsmo Compost™.” They built a 2-acre hard-surface site and invested in a compost turner They have continued to grow and invest in facilities. They currently offer yearround sales of compost and potting soil directly as well as through retailers in 22 states; organic-vegetable growers and landscape suppliers are their primary markets.

Cowsmo products meet all standards for organic production and have become a leader in the organic market, the Rosenows said. The 600-cow Rosenholm Dairy shares its sustainability story at www.cowsmocompost. com as well as on its packaging

The website addresses Rosenholm Dairy’s environmental practices including no-till, contour, and filter and buffer strips on its hilly Wisconsin farmland. The website also references the fact that they bed their cows with sawdust from a local furniture manufacturer

Cowsmo Compost faced challenges in the beginning of introducing its product to potential customers After initial efforts and employees didn’t pan out, John Rosenow began focusing on the sales and marketing efforts himself

“The first few years we sat by the phone – but it didn’t ring,” he said. “When I took over the marketing, I decided to get in a truck filled with compost and offer to give some to potential customers. I discovered that selling calls for a different skillset than what I used as a dairy farmer and I liked it.”

Engaging with potential customers at home and garden shows has proven an effective marketing strategy. At the Minneapolis Home & Garden Show they handed out 4,000 samples of Cowsmo compost for customers to see first, and then purchase later at retailer locations.

“Handing out samples so potential customers can see firsthand it’s free of weed seeds and it doesn’t smell like manure has been really important,” Rosenow said.“It gets their attention.”

Visit www.cowsmocompost. com for more information.