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Saturday, October 27, 2012
Shatto Dairy Trip
The class traveled to Shatto Dairy - a local dairy farm which bottles their own milk and also makes cheese, butters, and ice cream products. Leroy Shatto, one of the owners of Shatto (along with his wife - an AVILA alum!) gave us a tour of the farm. Students saw the milking operation, the calf barn, and the bottling plant. Mr. Shatto was a wonderful host who patiently answered the students' many questions. It was a real lesson in locally owned, small scale farming. Leroy's obvious passion, dedication to his job, and wonderful sense of humor made the day. We taste tested Shatto's flavored milks (banana, strawberry, chocolate, root beer, coffee, and pumpkin spice eggnog) together with a sampling of butters and great cheeses. Some of the students even tried their hand at milking a cow by hand. Professor Winter had given us an overview of Shatto's award winning product packaging which Mr. Shatto discussed with the students.
And a few shots from the trip.
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Shatto Dairy was amazing! As I said in my previous comment, it really has given me a whole new appreciation for what goes into running a Dairy farm! All the hard work and dedication, truly admirable work I feel! Seems theres a lot more to Shatto Dairy than just yummy milk flavors! I really enjoyed the tour and hearing from the owner his experiences and successses! Very inspiring too! :)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with all you said. I didn't read your post before I wrote mine, but I had the same sense of admiration. I really appreciated his candidness. He is a wonderful man indeed; the whole operation is incredible.
DeleteAgree Tina. Leroy Shatto is an inspiration. To see Shatto turn around a struggling family farm to one that has been honored nationally and recognized internationally is pretty amazing.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with you Dotty. When Mr. Shatto talked about how even though he was exhausted, anywhere he goes people tell him how much they love their milk...that is so gratifying and really really cool.
DeleteInspiration is correct!
DeleteHe never did pull out the picture of President Bush drinking his chocolate milk, or did I miss that with the birth of the baby cow?
I didn't really know what to expect going to Shatto, but I had a really good time. It is amazing how popular there milk products are, but also the cheeses, and butter from the extraction of the cream. They were just as tasty as the actual milk was. I agree with Mr. Shatto thought, that they probably do not want to get any bigger
ReplyDeleteBen, you are quite a neat guy. Liked munching out on that yummy cheese and butter with you and Dale. You said that it is amazing how popular their milk products are, but I've never heard of them or seen them before we went there. Not that that means anything, just saying. I guess if someone looks for artsy fartsy milk, then they would probably notice much sooner than I ever would. I was bummed, though, cuz I didn't get to enjoy my chocolate milk, since it broke in the parking lot. Oh well. Who cares that I just wasted over $5 for a half gallon of milk. The trip was worth it and supporting them was worth it.
DeleteIt was great to hear Mr. Shatto talk and know that if he was to get any bigger then that is where people can have problems. Keep it small and working, although, 480 cows seems large to me.
DeleteThe one thing I found amazing is that he did only have 12 milking stations, I am used to small farms, but I have always seen them have more than that.
Paula
DeleteMy uncle had a dairy farm in St Joe which I considered small scale. Their milking barn, as I recall, was definitely larger than Shatto. That was also a surprise to me. Milking 400 cows 12 at a time - that is hard work.
Catherine,
DeleteI've noticed Shatto at many mid to high end markets in the area. Although, strangely enough, I've seen the bottles in one Price Chopper but not in another, so they must be doing some targeted marketing. However, they apparently are not in CostCo where you mentioned doing most of your shopping. Maybe after last weekend you will have a new-found appreciation for "artsy fartsy" packaging. How can there be anything wrong in something so cleverly packaged?
The birth of Baby 'Avila' was amazing! Agreeing with Tina, I have a whole new appreciation for his hard work and dedication. I actually have never purchased Shatto milk before, but when we were in need of more milk- I purchased Shatto! It tastes great, but it feels wonderful to support such a great, hardworking family!
ReplyDeleteThe trip to the farm was a nice experience. I thought Mr. Leroy Shatto was a cool guy, and he seemed very down to earth. He deserves to go to Ireland because he works hard. I don't know too many owners that actually work in their business because they always want someone else to run it. I think that by Mr. Shatto working there, he keeps his products consistent. He trusts in his own brand the way he makes it. I buy his products all the time, but I never had all the flavors. The strawberry milk and pumpkin spice were the best to me. It shocked me when I saw the honey comb in the box. I always wanted one as a kid. It was a very informative trip. Mr. Shatto definitely gave me a new perspective on business and his products.
ReplyDeleteMarcus Henderson
Wasn't he great. I think you're right about the fact that his presence helps maintain consistency in the product. Good point. Also, I agree he definitely deserves to go to Ireland, especially after never having been out of the state. Wow! I hope he has many more trips after this.
DeleteThat was such a fun field trip. I really liked Mr. Shatto. He was so humble and had a good kind of pride in his work and success. It was precious hearing his story because he was so open with us about the good and the bad, the pinnacles and the frustrations. He has done a remarkable job, bringing the farm from a mere 80 milking cows to 480 or something like that. He has the true spirit of an entrepreneur. Wow, that's what America is crying out for at this moment in our history. If only his story could spread farther and wider.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Dotty and Eric for taking us there.
The milk, cheeses, and butters were fabulous. Good thing I don't have easy access; I'd get so huge cuz it's so delicious. Yum!!!
I agree Catherine! Everyone sees America as the Land of the Free and a place where dreams come true. Shatto is a wonderful example to hold to that cliche. I felt he was conservative in a way. Like how he doesn't want to expand any more or else he may ruin the name and how they only deliver to a 100 mile radius. Great trip! Btw, the cotton candy milk was my favorite ;)
DeleteSummar I'm gonna have to agree with you! That cotton candy milk was actually really good, not too sweet, just the right amount of flavor and fun, perfect for kids! I think Mr. Shatto has the perfect amount of production and I really enjoyed listening to him! He is such a character! By the way, Catherine, what type of milk was it that you had bought???
DeleteSummar, we need to take a trip to Price Chopper and buy her more (but don't tell her!) :)
Summar, I agree with what you said about Mr. Shatto not wanting to expand. Like I mentioned before, he stays consistent with his products because he can control his radius. It really was a great trip, and I feel that America is a great place to have the opportunity to become independent when it comes to business. I just bought another bottle of milk, yesterday.
DeleteMarcus Henderson
I thought that the trip was very fun! I really had a great time! It was cool to see how milk was really made from the cow to the bottle. The cheeses were tasty treats! All the milk flavors were awesome, but I couldn't drink all the samples because I am lactose intolerant, so I gave most of my leftovers to Dale :))) Yes, Professor Winter, I took one for the team! I drank all my chocolate milk because I could not resist! Milking the cow was very different. :))) It wasn't as bad as I thought. I think Mr. Shatto loves to work and have fun because he wasn't cranky. The products in the store were in unique packagings. They were very homy, but yet very enticing. I love trips like this! - Michelle Henderson
ReplyDeleteI wonder if we could mix the banana and chocolate milk? That would be awesome!
ReplyDeleteI wondered the same thing myself =}
DeleteHonestly, I wasn't really looking forward to this trip. I've never really been a "farm girl", so my excitement level wasn't too great. I wasn't very familiar with Shatto either, but after this trip, I am more than familiar with it and I want to support them 100%. I absolutely loved the trip! It was a great turnout, I felt we learned so much, and it made me appreciate what our farmers do just for that one gallon of milk I buy every few days. Many of my friends and family were taken aback when I told them we had a wonderful time, but then I told them about Shatto and my experience there, and they were very impressed. So glad this was our weekend trip!
ReplyDeleteI too really began to appreciate what farmers do everyday for us, do you think you will become a farmer now? It was priceless watching you try to milk a cow and walk around the dirt. I'm so happy you had fun and got out of your comfort zone.
DeleteThe Shatto Dairy Farm was amazing! By far one of my favorite class trips! I really enjoyed hearing the process by which the milk is produced! I thought it was especially neat that we got to witness the calf birth! That is truly a "right place at the right time" type of experience! It was also really cool listening to everyone talk about their work at Shatto! Everyone is so committed to their work and it definitely shows in their product excellence! I must also say that the cheese curds were absolutely amazing! And I am so glad we were able to taste test all the different flavors! Cotton candy wasn't at all what I expected but I really liked it! I am very excited that we were able to experience this and I haven't stopped bragging since Saturday!
ReplyDeleteIt was really fun seeing how they produced milk! I thought they milked every cow by hand!?! Mr. Shatto answered my question with that! The birth did make the trip a lot sweeter. I have never seen anything like it. Now, I actually feel more special buying the milk because we got to meet the owner. It always feels more personal. :) ~Michelle
DeleteWhat did the dill cheese curds taste like anyway? I thought the brownie sammich was really good and dangerous. Liked the chocolate milk, strawberry, and root beer. Orange tasted too much like sherbert so I didn't enjoy it as much. (THE COLONEL!)
Delete-Chad
I was excited to be able to go the the Shatto Dairy farm, although I had never tried the product before. After listening to Mr. Shatto talk, I am now more likely to enjoy some of their product on occasion. (We go through way too much milk to buy it all the time, growing kids and all.)
ReplyDeleteIt was good to hear that due to the story of the Shatto Dairy Farm, that others are trying and mostly succeeding in their attempt to sell their own milk. I am glad, because their are so many big companies out there that take over and do not care that to see the "little guy" succeed is wonderful.
The Pumpkin Eggnog Latte is absolutely wonderful!!!
I thought the tour was amazing! I love how down-to-Earth everyone was who worked there and how much they all loved what they do. Based on the design and popularity of Shatto, I was expecting a real high end looking facility with people wearing matching white lab coats or something; but it was just a regular farm, that certainly smelled like a real farm. I started drinking Shatto a few years ago simply because of the packaging and I love it because of the actual product now! Packaging really is important for any kind of product, even food, and Shatto is definitely on the right path.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about expecting to see a high end looking facility comparing it to the design of the item but that would make a lot of sense to except that. Although the facility was not exactly real high end, I certainly do think that it was pretty nice still. I thought it would be bigger after hearing from Leroy how many cows they had there but at the same time I do not know much about farming so maybe the size of the facility is perfect for the amount of animals they have.
DeleteI thoroughly enjoyed the tour of Shatto. I especially enjoyed our time with Leroy. His humble demeanor and graciousness toward us were more than appreciated, and I think he knew that. In fact, the whole staff was that way to all of us. Many of us were given items for free to try. Speaking of products, I am absolutely sold on the Shatto milks and cheeses(I was already sold on the chocolate milk and butter). Knowing the story behind it and putting their faces with the work involved made me appreciate them SO much more. Thank you for the opportunity to let us see something like that, without this class, many of us would never have even considered going. Since the class, I have recommended the tour to several parents of small children.
ReplyDeleteThe Shatto trip was a good trip that allowed all of us to try a great product and see how it is done. The amazing part to me is how much work goes into producing a gallon of milk and how little we spend on it. Granted $4 to $5 dollars for a gallon of milk would pricey for most of us, but the taste and purity of Shatto's milk is worth it every now and then and we don't have to wake up at 2 in the morning to get it. I especially liked hearing the story of how a humble small business that produces such a good product focuses on quality despite the fact that they would do well in every market. Leroy is a charismatic person and a true working man that is the salt of the earth kind of guy that made the tour that much more enjoyable and I wish there family and business continued success.
ReplyDelete-Chad Sullivan-
Chad, $2 of that $5 price tag is a bottle deposit. Bring an empty with you and you get that $2 credited towards your next purchase. Or, if you're like me, you forget to bring the empty which results in a stockpile of bottles on top of the fridge. At that point you can take the empties in all at once and get cash. Either way works.
DeleteI was really happy with how the trip went, it was nothing like I thought it was going to be. I found it really interesting to hear how many cow they milk a day and how long the process is. Just imagine if they still had to do it by hand (that would suck). After we got done talking to Mr. Shatto and we got to sample all of the different flavors, I started to feel like Shatto was on its way to becoming the "Ben & Jerry's" of the milk industry. I am really interested to see what other types of flavors they will come out with and can't wait to try them.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the trip to the Shatto dairy farm. I have had Shatto milk before but typically don't purchase it on a regular basis because it is more expensive. After touring the farm and talking with Mr. Shatto, I think I will purchase their items more often. I was amazed by how humble Mr. Shatto was and I think it is amazing what he has done to turn his business around. I will purchase their items because everything tastes SO good and also to show my support for their business.
ReplyDelete-Liz
I really enjoyed going to the Shatto dairy farm. I did not think that I had evwr heard of their products but after going there and seeing it, I realized how I had always seen it at the grocery store but never stopped to really look at it. It was great having the actual owner of the farm to give us a tour and explain to us the history behind Shatto. It definitely went well with what Eric had lectured about the evening before on design and appeal of food items.
ReplyDeleteHopefully last weekend was proof positive of my farm-boy street cred. No matter how many times you see it happen, a birth on the farm is always amazing.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was really impressed with everyone's response and openness to the farm experience. Avila was well-represented!
Delete