Sweet Grown Alabama Blogs

From walking the tranquil pastures, bottle feeding calves, or even trying your hand at milking, visiting a dairy farm creates memorable experiences for your family. The process of watching milk go from cow to bottle is an utterly enjoyable one that is sure to stick with you forever... or at least a while if you take a fresh gallon of milk home.

Dairy farms are part of Alabama's rural heritage. Many dairy farms have been passed down through generations, celebrating local agriculture and fostering community pride. Unfortunately the majority of Alabama's dairy farms have closed or converted to beef cattle due to market challenges, however two young women have recently entered the Alabama milk spotlight. 

Circle J Dairy in Gordo got a new start in 2019 after Jessica Vails revamped the property from the commercial milk business her grandfather started in 1995 to a private dairy farm. Fueled with a love of being able to provide local dairy to the people of Alabama, Circle J Dairy is just getting started.

She continued Circle J Dairy’s family touch with what she deems the most rewarding experience for her as a dairy farmer: working alongside her family. Circle J Dairy is family owned and operated currently receiving no outside help. Vails cherishes the farm to table journey of the milk from her cows to the hands and homes of people in her community.

“At a local dairy you get to see where your milk comes from, the dairy’s process and how they treat their cows,” said Vails.

Customers can visit the on-site family store located at 9344 Highway 159, Gordo, AL to pick up whole and chocolate milk and a variety of other specialty products. Milk can also be purchased at Mark's Mark in Selma and Northport, South's Finest Meats & Vegetables in Tuscaloosa and Cottondale, SavMore in Vernon, Milligan Farm and Lumber in Northside, Gateway Foodland in Winfield, Piggly Wiggly in Taylorville and other local stores. 

Leave University of Alabama territory and head down toward Auburn country where you'll find Michaela Sanders, the fourth generation to milk at Blue Ribbon Dairy in Elmore County. With her mother and father helping in daily operations, it is truly a family affair.

They offer whole milk and whole chocolate milk vat pasteurized and non-homogenized. They heat milk at the lowest legal temperature to be sure they can retain more of the milk's natural flavor and nutritional components compared to more intense pasteurization techniques.

“Our milk goes from cow to jug in just 24 short hours. It’s cream-line milk, old-fashioned goodness,” said Wilson.

Cream-line milk is non-homogenized milk that has a layer of cream that separates from the milk, thus causing the famous "cream-line." A quick shake before pouring ensures all that creamy goodness is evenly redistributed in the milk. 

There is never a short to-do list at Blue Ribbon Dairy. Milk is sold at area grocery and convenience stores, at the farm store and at the farmers market. Blue Ribbon Dairy handles the entire supply chain process from pasteurizing and bottling the milk to delivering the finished product to stores. Additionally, they use their milk to craft premium homemade ice cream available in over 15 different flavors. Visitors are welcome to visit the farm store, watch the cows being milked and help bottle feed calves (which happens at 3:30 p.m. daily). 

Blue Ribbon Diary is located at 5290 Chana Creek Road, Tallassee, AL. Milk can also be purchased at Sweet Creek Farm Market in Pike Road, Renfroe's in Montgomery, Dadeville and Alex City, Piggly Wiggly in Pine Level, Eclectic, Holtville and the Montgomery Atlanta Highway location, Food Outlet in Millbrook, The Eagle Convenience Store in Opelika and more. Birmingham area customers can also find Blue Ribbon Dairy on Saturday mornings at The Market at Pepper Place. 

Visiting a Sweet Grown Alabama dairy farm will leave a lasting impression on how valuable it is to buy local!

Find local dairy farms and farm stands that carry local milk at SweetGrownAlabama.org