With Shop Springs’ growing population, Elizabeth and Jeffrey Turner decided to no longer wait to put their dream into action! Both being raised on dairy farms, Shop Springs Creamery’s founders have a passion and love for the dairy industry and agriculture. “The Dairy industry has faced many challenges over the past decade,” explained the Turner’s. “The greatest of those challenges being financial burdens due to low prices that farmers receive for their milk from processors and market uncertainty.” This is one of many reasons they feel there is a great advantage to processing and marketing their product directly to consumers.
Jeffrey and Elizabeth Turner pose with their daughter in front of some of their dairy cows at Shop Springs Creamery
Along with the creamery, they built their own farm store. Their desire to offer fresh local products comes from their belief that consumers should try to ask where their food is grown or produced, and the Turner’s answer to that question is simple: it’s all LOCAL! They take pride in producing a wholesome product: milk, and with this, they offer other “farm gate” sales! Along with products fresh from their farm, the creamery offers a variety of fresh products from other local farm families as well.
When asked what their mission is for opening up Shop Springs Creamery, their response was nothing short of inspiring! “We are a farm family committed to producing a wholesome and nutritious product for the community and its’ consumers. With well-informed, educated customers and employees, Shop Springs Creamery will sustain a business built around the community’s needs and wishes.”
Both Jeffrey and Elizabeth have a strong family history in dairy farming. Jeffrey’s family has been farming in Shop Springs, Tennessee, for four generations now, and Elizabeth is a fourth-generation dairy farmer. She was raised on a farm in Michigan, and now she and her husband implement fresh milk from cows that they are with every day! By keeping the process simple, and using all fresh and local ingredients and products, their creamery is exactly what Wilson County has been needing. It is a great place to take your family, and know exactly what you are putting into your body. “We gently pasteurize our milk using vat pasteurization. This method uses a lower temperature than most pasteurized milk found in the store.” The Turner’s went on to explain how this technique helps preserve the milk’s creamy and rich flavors. By dealing with the product first hand, they can ensure it is a safe product for their customers to consume. Their product is non-homogenized as well, leaving the cream in its natural form which helps the body digest it easier.
The creamery’s current hours are Friday from 4-7 pm, Saturday from 12-7 pm, and Sunday from 3-6 pm. Once the Turner’s have all of their products, they plan to be open 6 days a week, with extended hours during the summer. In the future, they plan to offer farm tours so people can see the cows and see firsthand how they are milked and cared for. This will offer a more personal experience and be a way for the customers to learn what makes the creamery what it is! They also plan to offer school field trips to the farm and creamery. Currently, in addition to farming, Jeffrey is an independent dairy nutritionist and Elizabeth teaches 7th and 8th grade science at Carroll Oakland School. These two individuals and their ancestors have rich roots in the dairy farming business and are well-loved and admired in their community.
The store has already been a success in the short time it has been open. It is a place for family and friends to gather and share memories over fresh sweets and local products. Being able to take your kids to a family-owned business that is thriving with the support of other local farmers is an experience that enough communities do not offer!