Southern Swiss Dairy: generations of farmers at work

Southern Swiss Dairy: generations of farmers at work

Ginny Franks and granddaughter Leeann

by LeeAnna Tatum

I recently had the pleasure of meeting the ladies of Southern Swiss Dairy - and I don’t just mean the doe-eyed Brown Swiss cows that produce the rich tasting milk for which the dairy is known. I also got to meet the fourth, fifth and future sixth generation dairy farmers: Ginny, her daughter Whitney and granddaughter Leeann.

I have admittedly been a customer for many years. The first glass of Southern Swiss whole milk that I drank was a reminder of what real milk should taste like, not the watered down, homogenized stuff I had become accustomed to from the grocery store. I won’t even get started on the chocolate milk that dreams are made of, or the seasonally available eggnog for which I have driven many miles in my efforts to round up an elusive jug around the holidays.

One of the reasons I started my own journey toward local food about a decade ago was out of concern for the welfare of animals that are part of our food system. And that includes more than just ones we eat. The dairy industry, it turns out, can be one of the worst abusers with documented cases of cruelty especially against new born male calves which are often an unwanted side-effect since cows must give birth to produce milk. I’m not saying the entire industry is guilty of mistreatment, but when you buy a gallon of milk at the store - how can you know?

That’s why it was important for me to find a local source for dairy, produced by people who respected and nurtured the animals in their care. It’s one of the best parts of buying local, even if you don’t make a visit to the farm, you could. And knowing that simple fact can make all the difference for buyers and producers. That connection is the start of something remarkable - a sense of responsibility for the producers to have a product and a process they can stand by, and sense of trust for the consumers, knowing their food source is in good hands.

Here in Georgia, we don’t have a lot of dairies and even fewer that have bottling facilities on site. But we are fortunate to have Southern Swiss Dairy right here in our little corner of the State. They use lowtemp pasteurization, a process that kills harmful bacteria but allows the helpful bacteria to remain. The process keeps the milk non-homogenous (allowing the cream to rise to the top) and maintains much more of the natural flavor (you’ll notice it from the very first sip!).

Though there’s not a lot of scientific research into the health benefits of low heat pasteurization there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that suggests it is easier to digest. Many people with lactose intolerance find that they don’t have the same problems digesting milk and other dairy products when it has been processed this way.

When they first took over the dairy which they now own in Burke County, the Franks did not bottle onsite but sold to a dairy cooperative. This left them vulnerable to significant price drops which threatened their business. Adding the creamery on site enabled them to skip the co-op and sell direct to customers.

By opting out of the dairy co-op the Franks chose to target their dairy products to a niche market instead. Hoping that by selling to a more selective customer base they could leverage a higher and more stable price for their milk and dairy products.

There are two ways the Franks have chosen to stand out in the marketplace. First is the low-heat pasteurization which produces a better tasting and arguably healthier dairy product. The other is by using Brown Swiss cows as their milk producers. The Swiss cows have a higher protein content in their milk, giving it a richer taste.

So, now that you know a little about the dairy and the products that come from there, it’s time to meet the people who make it possible.

Southern Swiss Dairy is owned by the Franks, Jimmy and Ginny. The couple, along with their daughter Whitney and her husband Ryan, work long hours with few days off providing dairy products to a niche market that they have developed over the years.

Ginny is a fourth-generation dairy farmer who didn’t set out to follow in the family business. She left her family farm and went to college, earned her master’s degree and was doing research with embryo transfers in cattle when she and Jimmy met. Jimmy was originally from South Georgia and was involved in the beef cattle business.

After the couple married and had their first child, they decided to move back to Ginny’s family farm in South Carolina and from then on were involved in the dairy business. Eventually moving back to Georgia and purchasing the dairy they have now.

Whitney, like her mother before her, also grew up on a dairy farm and knew she wanted to do something within agriculture but didn’t intend to follow in the family business. Earning her degree and setting out to make her own way, circumstances intervened to draw Whitney back to the dairy. Now, as she works alongside her parents and husband, she is happy to be raising her own baby on the family farm.

And like her mother and the five generations before her, little Leeann will grow up learning responsibility at a young age. Understanding that the animals on the farm come first, because they rely on her and her family for everything. From twice-daily milkings to food and water, the cows, and therefore the farmers who care for them, don’t get weekends off. Cows don’t recognize holidays or know that Saturdays are meant for sleeping in!

For farm families like the Franks, the work is hard and it never stops. But it also gives them the opportunity to come together in ways that most families will never understand. It gives them time together and a chance to learn, bond and connect through multiple generations.

Southern Swiss Dairy is a wonderful example of a farm and a family that are dedicated to putting out a quality product while practicing good stewardship of the animals and resources in their care.

Unfortunately, as with many of these wonderful producers right here in our own backyards, they rely on customers outside the immediate area to keep their business going. While this wonderful local product is being sold to a growing number of customers in Atlanta, many neighbors right nearby are missing out and reaching instead for milk that has been shipped in from, frankly, who knows where!

If local businesses, stores, schools, restaurants and consumers actively supported family farms like Southern Swiss Dairy, these farms could not only survive but thrive here in our communities. Thriving family farms not only supply our local food system with healthier and more nutritious alternatives, but they also strengthen our communities by keeping more money in our local economies and - even more importantly- by nurturing and preparing the next generation of farmers to bring good food to our tables.