Alaska Range Dairy

Meet Alaska’s Last Milk Man | Eater

"A small family-run dairy near Delta Junction that produces the only fresh grade A cow milk bottled in the state, operating about 35 milking cows and making roughly 200–240 gallons a day. The operation relies on an automated milking robot and heated barn to cope with severe Alaska conditions, and the family handles everything from growing barley and peas for feed to pasteurizing and glass-bottling milk three times a week. The product is mostly grass-fed, nonhomogenized whole milk pasteurized at a lower temperature, with a noticeable cream layer and a rich, slightly earthy flavor that many customers prefer to the bland commercial alternative. High production costs in Alaska mean the milk is sold as a premium item (gallon and half-gallon glass bottles with a bottle deposit), and the owners are working to expand distribution into more stores while hoping the locavore market and their automation can sustain the business long-term." - Julia O'Malley