About

STORY

In the early 1950s, Harold and Patricia Hartzler started farming in Wayne County, Ohio. They raised eight children on the family farm. In 1990, Harold felt led by God to gather his children and discuss the idea that became Hartzler Family Dairy, Inc. The Hartzlers purchased a piece of property at the North end of Wooster and built the milk processing plant that is still used today. On April 15, 1996, the Hartzlers opened their storefront located in the front of the milk processing plant. Today, their son Joe Hartzler, and his son Jace Hartzler, remain the owners of the family-centered business.

Grandpa Hartzler, as many people called him, built the company on the philosophy of “As Nature Intended”. Hartzler Family Dairy strives to provide wholesome products that are minimally processed, healthy, and tasty. Because of this motto, we pride ourselves that all of our half-gallon products as well as our cheeses are NON-GMO project verified.

Our cows are pasture-fed in the warm months and fed silage and hay in the colder months. Our cows are not given artificial hormones which keeps our milk free from hormones. In the fields, sustainable farming practices are used to grow crops.

PROCESS & BENEFITS

Vat Pasteurization: To preserve the most natural state of milk, Hartzler Family Dairy uses Low-Temperature Vat Pasteurization which ensures our milk retains a majority of its enzymes for proper digestion and good health. The Low-Temperature Vat Pasteurization method is the heating of the milk over a longer period of time to a temperature of 145 degrees. We hold the milk at this temperature for
30 minutes.

Non-homogenized: We also deter from homogenizing our half-gallon milks. Homogenization is a process that breaks down the molecules in the milk to give a balanced consistency. However, milk that remains in its natural state will have a cream layer that rises to the top of the milk. Non-homogenization allows the molecules to stay intact, and those molecules carry important nutrients for the body.

BOTTLES

Glass Bottles: We produce our milk in glass bottles for three main reasons.

Glass is non-porous therefore there are no unwanted chemicals that can leak into the milk that may otherwise from plastic bottles and jugs.
Glass bottles also keep milk cooler for longer attributing to its freshness.
Our Philosophy of “As Nature Intended” also means that we care about our environment. By using glass bottles for our milk, we are keeping plastic out of landfills. Our half-gallon bottles can be returned to any location that sells Hartzler milk and you will receive the $2 deposit back that you paid on the bottle. The bottles are then brought back to our processing plant where they are sanitized and reused. Although our quart and single serve bottles cannot be reused, we encourage our customers to find ways to repurpose or recycle those bottles.

OUR MILK

A lot of hard work goes into making Hartzler products. There's a vast amount of care, attention to detail, and a commitment to always providing the best possible product to our customers and their families. Sometimes making a high quality product boils down to some core ideas. Simply put, Hartzler Milk is...