“For the farmer, is the only man in our economy who has to buy everything he buys at retail - sell everything he sells at wholesale - and pay the freight both ways.” – John F. Kennedy
President John F. Kennedy talked about this plight of farming in 1960. That was two years before Carl Chaney’s dad built the family’s dairy barn on Nashville Highway in Bowling Green. His dad started with little more than two Jersey cows in the 40s – a herd-in-the-making. Today the fourth generation of Chaney farmers, Carl Chaney, is paving the road for his family to make a sweet living off the 52-acre farm for generations to come — one scoop at a time.
“The dairy farmer takes what he’s given and has no control of the price,” explains Chaney. So, when he told his wife, Debra, “I just want to process milk. That way we can set our price,” the couple knew they were in for a good chunk of research and discovery to make their venture profitable. So, when they met with several dairy farmers along the eastern seaboard, they discovered how fun it is to make farm-to-scoop ice cream. Upon their return home he remembers, “Our neighbors thought we were crazy.” The Chaneys opened their very own ice cream shop right on the farm in 2003 and haven’t looked back.
As a member of the National Ice Cream Retailers Association, Chaney eventually became president because “So many people helped us when we got started, and we try to do the same thing for people starting in the ice cream business.” But, one of the only things that he won’t share is his ice cream base which measures in at about 16% butterfat; whereas, commercial ice creams hover around the 14% mark. “It’s so good,” he smiles. As it turns out, almost anyone who walks through the shop's doors would agree – including Food Network’s Guy Fieri.
Chaneys Dairy Farm was featured on “Guy’s All-American Road Trip '' where families competed to make the best ice cream. But, before they rolled up their sleeves for their turn at the churn, Chaney took them on a tour of the farm. Among the cows, he showed them how his milking robot can milk up to 60 cows five times daily. The milk is then bottled to be sold or made into ice cream at the store later that day. Spoiler alert – Fieri didn’t win the best flavor profile.
Even still, what the show and other agritourism efforts do for Chaney is exponential. “In 2000 there were 2100 dairy farms in Kentucky. We’re now down to 360. We’re losing them right and left. But, the agritourism aspect is what helps us keep cows here. Meanwhile, tourists are getting the information straight from the people who know what they’re talking about here on the farm,” Chaney adds that his operation provides jobs for more than 60 locals making more than 30,000 gallons of ice cream yearly, along with providing a fun outing for everyone.
From the Big Red Rumble made in honor of Western Kentucky State University to Wow Now Brownie Cow (one of the several flavors awarded gold at the Los Angeles International Dairy Competition), you can taste the award-winning difference in the 32 ice cream flavors made at Chaney’s Dairy Farm where a full menu of lunch and dinner items are also served daily. The large playground out back is the ideal spot for kids to be kids, while their parents catch up with one another on the expansive back porch.
Coming soon, the Chaney family is excited to invite you into their new expansion featuring an ice cream-making facility behind glass so that you can watch the whole process in real time. Guests can also have an up-close look at the cows, how they are taken care of, and robotically milked on self-guided tours of the dairy barn ($4 per person), or opt for scheduled guided tours like the one Fierie’s crew took for $8 per person (minimum of 15 people.)
As it turns out, America’s agricultural landscape continues to shrink, while farmers continue to experience the plight Kennedy once described. Even still, Chaney’s Dairy Barn stands as a testament to how family farms can continue to thrive regardless.
