Kentucky Department of Agriculture

Kentucky Proud member Chaney's All Natural Milk hits southern Kentucky store shelves

Seeing the half-gallon jugs on store shelves fulfilled a lifelong dream for the family patriarch

By CHRIS ALDRIDGE, Kentucky proud connection

Carl Chaney’s father dreamed most of his 87 years of seeing milk from the family’s Warren County dairy being sold at local grocery stores.

When Jim Chaney purchased a half-gallon of Chaney’s All Natural Milk on Feb. 12 at Crossroads IGA in Bowling Green, he was interviewed by the local television station and spoke of a dream realized. Three days later, Jim had a stroke and was hospitalized. Jim Chaney died Feb. 18.

“Dad had been saying for the last year and a half, ‘I’m gonna live ’til I see that name on the shelf,’” said Carl, who took over running the dairy farm from Jim about 20 years ago. “Dad had a couple of health issues, and I was really afraid he wasn’t going to see it.

“The [WBKO-TV reporter] interviewed Dad and asked him, ‘What does this mean to you and your family?’” Carl remembered. “Dad said, ‘You don’t understand. I’ve been holding on two or three years just to see this happen. I didn’t know if I was going to make it.’”

Jim Chaney’s death has clouded an otherwise successful launch since the Chaneys’ milk went on sale Feb. 11. Houchens Markets’ second order of 800 half-gallons hit stores in the Bowling Green area on Feb. 25-26. In three days, 42 percent of the milk had sold, prompting Houchens to increase its next order to 900 half-gallons.

“What I’m hearing is they can’t keep it on the shelves. They’re absolutely tickled to death with it,” said Carl Chaney, who with his family owns and operates Chaney’s Dairy Barn and Restaurant on the family farm south of Bowling Green.

“Houchens has gone whole hog into this,” he said, noting Houchens’ marketing coordinator, Shannon Hunt, took photos of Jim buying the milk and submitted them, along with an article on Chaney’s Milk, for this month’s issue of SOKY Happenings magazine.

Carl was happy that the article stresses the importance of supporting Kentucky Proud. “Buying Kentucky Proud products like Chaney’s Milk supports Kentucky’s farm families,” Hunt wrote, “and buying local strengthens our economy by keeping dollars at home and building a sense of community during the process.”

Prize cow adorns the label

Carl said his father was particularly pleased when he saw that the Chaney’s logo on its milk features the profile of Jim’s most prized Jersey cow, Topsy. When he bought the national grand champion in the 1970s, Topsy was the highest-rated cow that had ever been classified, scoring 97 of 100 points and helping earn Jim the title of master breeder at the 2003 annual meeting of the American Jersey Cattle Association.

“Absolutely the neatest thing Dad had ever seen was Topsy on that bottle,” Carl said. “[Carl’s wife] Debra and I were the ones really working on this, but he was the biggest cheerleader of the whole thing. It would’ve been so bittersweet if he had not gotten to see it.”

Jim also got to see Houchens’ display for Chaney’s Milk, which is under a big sign that reads: “Chaney’s Dairy Barn.” The Bowling Green-area Houchens stores stuck decals in the shape of cow hoof prints on the floors with the words: “Follow the herd to Chaney’s Milk.”

The Chaneys’ milk is selling briskly even though the half-gallons cost slightly more than other non-organic brands at $2.99. Chocolate milk is $3.39.

The popularity of Chaney’s Milk, in part due to the publicity generated by WBKO-TV, has made trying the new brand difficult. Houchens had scheduled taste testings with Carl and Debra at three of its locations recently but had to cancel them because there was not enough milk.

Some people have stopped by Chaney’s Dairy Barn and Restaurant looking for the Chaneys’ milk only to find that they sold all their extra milk to Houchens to keep up with demand.

Even the preacher at Jim’s funeral had trouble finding enough milk for a unique tribute.

“After the funeral, everybody came out to the dairy barn,” Carl said. “The preacher said he had to go to four stores to find enough milk. He poured it in cups, and we toasted Dad. It was so cool.”

Customers love it

Carl said customer comments on Chaney’s Dairy Barn’s page on Facebook have been positive. “We got a lot of feedback that the taste is so good,” he said.

One customer posted: “I'm so excited about drinking milk that tastes like milk!”

Another wrote: “It tasted like the milk I had when the milkman delivered door to door. It is wonderful.”

Carl’s herd of jersey cows produces about 2,000 pounds of milk per day. The milk is processed by the state’s only independently owned Kentucky Proud milk processor, JD Country Milk, in nearby Russellville. “The milk is produced, processed and distributed within 30 miles of Bowling Green,” Carl noted.

Chaney’s Milk is currently sold at 21 locations of Crossroads IGA, Houchens Markets, and Jr. Food Stores in Allen, Barren and Warren counties.

Carl has had his sights on processing his own milk locally since he started his successful ice cream parlor in 2003.

“Kentucky Proud was always part of this process,” Carl said. “When we started making ice cream, we wanted it to be Kentucky Proud. Kentucky Proud has become so visible [in local food marketing throughout the state] that, naturally, we wanted our milk to be Kentucky Proud as well.”

About 10 years ago, with low milk prices making it a challenge to keep a small dairy farm operating, Carl decided to sell half of his dairy herd and look for new avenues for profit without sacrificing the legacy of the farm that had been in the Chaney family since 1888. It became a dairy farm in 1940 when Jim purchased his first two registered Jerseys.

During two years of research into on-farm processing, Carl and Debra discovered that some dairy farms were having success selling homemade ice cream. Carl attended Pennsylvania State University’s prestigious and intense 10-day ice cream course and four-day retail seminar, and the rest is history.

Chaney’s Dairy Barn was named Kentucky’s best ice cream in USA Today’s listing of the top parlors in all 50 states. The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce honored Carl as its 2008 Small Business Person of the Year.

Carl Chaney would like to see other Kentucky dairies follow in his footsteps. He’s even suggesting a name.

“The dream I have is that other Kentucky dairy farmers would get together and start a ‘Kentucky Family Farm Milk,’” Carl said. “I wouldn’t care if it was sold under my label. I’ve gotta get all of my milk sold first, then maybe we can expand.

“I’m trying not to get too excited,” Carl said, “but things could not have started any better.”

Top photo: Jim Chaney is overjoyed at seeing his family's milk on store shelves in February. (Houchens Industries photo)

Bottom photo: Carl and Debra Chaney join Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, center, for a photo during a check presentation ceremony at Boyd's Orchard in Versailles in 2010. (Chris Aldridge photo)

Kentucky Proud receives funding from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund (KADF), which provides grants to diversify and modernize Kentucky’s farm economy. Kentucky Proud is administered by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.