From the Farm to the Store.

Nicole Jax- Mower Co. Dairy Princess

From the Farm to the StoreFollow ice creams exciting journey from my farm to the grocery store

Calves usually stand within ONE hour of birth!We feed the calf COLOSTRUM when it is born.Dairy calves weigh an average of 90 pounds!It starts with the birth of a heifer calf

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After birth, calves are separated from the mother.Calves begin eating grain and small amounts of alfalfa hay.Many calves double their weight from birth to weaning!Weaning8-10 weeks old

Being protected from the elements helps prevent illnesses in young calves.Calves are fed a bigger ration of grain and alfalfa hay to fill their growing bodies.Heifer Lot2-5 months old

Heifers are bred at 14 months of age on my farm.The gestation of a cow is about 9 months.Once the heifer has been bred she is moved to the freestall barn.

Dry Lot8-14 months old

Freestall BarnThis is where the milk cows live.Fans and sprinkler systems are used to keep the barn cool and comfortable.They have access to free choice water, alfalfa hay, and TMR.Stalls are individually cleaned twice a day for maximum cow comfort.

The Parlor

A typical cow will give 7 gallons of milk a day!A cow is milked for 3-5 minutes.Cow milk is never touched by human hands!

The MilkhouseMilk leaves the cow at an average of 100FAs the milk travels to the bulk tank it is cooling.Milk gathers in the bulb to be filtered.The bulk tank stores the milk at a chilly 39F

Our milk is picked up every other day.The milk tanker will then pick up an average of 4 other dairy farms milk.Milk is tested for antibiotics before it enters the tanker.Milk will not enter the food supply if it tests positive for antibiotics.Milk Pick-Up

Raw Receiving/ Raw Tank Alley

The milk truck will then make a short trip to the ice cream processing facility.Once there, 1 sample from the top, middle, and bottom of the truck will be taken to ensure that a safe and wholesome product is being put into the raw bulk tanks.The test being conducted below is a Direct Microscopic Count test to ensure that the amount of microbial life discovered is within the acceptable amount.

Pasteurization and Homogenization

Pasteurization is the process of heating milk to at least 161F for at least 16 seconds. This process kills the pathogenic, or bad bacteria.Homogenization is a process which breaks of the fats in the milk into tiny pieces so it can be distributed throughout the milk.This is done so the cream doesnt rise to the top of the milk!

Flavor Vats

The flavor vats is where the vanilla, mint, or any other flavor is added.Once the flavor is added, the ice cream mix is tested again for harmful bacteria.This test (seen below) is the Standard Plate Count test, which measures the total amount of bacteria in the mix.

The Fillers

The ice cream mix is frozen, and then the ice cream is put into the container!A final test is taken on the ice cream, which determines the percentage of fat, and other components in the ice cream.

The Wrapper Room and FreezerHere, the ice cream is put into groups of 2,3, or six, and then placed on a pallet for transport.A truck will pick the ice cream up at the ice cream facility, and drive it to the grocery store for you and me to enjoy!

The Finished Product!