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\u201cAnd this year, we\u2019re going to make more than that,\u201d Carl said. \u201cIt\u2019s just absolutely crazy right now.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a highly successful and multifaceted regional operation, yet the Chaneys have managed to keep it in the family. A few years ago, Carl and Debra\u2019s\u00a0daughter, Elizabeth, joined the farm and opened a milk processing plant on the farm.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDebra and I are the fourth generation,\u201d Carl said. \u201cOur kids are fifth generation, and our grandkids are sixth generation here on the farm.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They now process about 35,000 pounds of milk a week to be distributed throughout the region and sold at the farm. This also allows them to create their own ice cream mix, ramping up their business against all industry odds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDairy farming is a very tough business,\u201d Carl said. \u201cIn 2000, there were 2,100 dairy farms in the state of Kentucky. We have now dropped below 400. Milk prices are usually not high enough, and our input cost, feed cost, labor cost, everything that we have to pay out always remains high.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n A lot of farms shut down. But Chaney\u2019s adapted, and it has obviously paid off. In 2004, around 3,500 people toured the farm. This year, Carl estimated about 15,000 people will go on the tour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe’ve actually had to turn people down because we just didn’t have any more room for tours,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Chaney\u2019s offers tours partly to tell an agricultural story many haven\u2019t heard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe average consumer today is around three to four generations removed from the farm,\u201d Carl said. \u201cSo when topics come up about food and agriculture, where it used to be someone’s parents or grandparents had a farm, and they spent time on the farm, now the consumer is kind of removed from agriculture, and a lot of folks don\u2019t really understand where their food comes from.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n That education, storytelling, and community involvement are partially what makes the farm\u2019s 16- hour work days worth it. When asked if he enjoyed the work, Carl said, \u201cI don’t really have time to think about it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n What he does enjoy is the community. Every June, during Dairy Month, they host Miss Glimmer Appreciation Day \u2014 a celebration for their old cow, Miss Glimmer, who was part of the farm tour for seven or eight years and passed away about 1 \u00bd years ago. To honor her legacy, they\u2019ve given out around 1,200 scoops of ice cream in Miss Glimmer\u2019s name during the event. Now, visitors can see and pet Miss Glimmer\u2019s granddaughter at the farm.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chaney\u2019s is heavily involved in the Kentucky State Fair. And recently, when a Bowling Green police officer was shot, Chaney\u2019s was involved in fundraising efforts at the Soki Farmers Market pavilion. They raised about $1,300 to put toward his medical care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe city of Bowling Green just turned out. It was so crazy,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was so awesome to be a part of. It’s the people in Bowling Green that make Bowling Green special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Guy Fieri featured the farm and its ice cream on \u201cGuy\u2019s All-American Road Trip.\u201d As part of his visit, Fieri held a competition where he tasked families with creating an exclusive ice cream flavor for Chaney\u2019s to make in their shop. The winner was Papa Guava, a vanilla and cheesecake base with graham cracker crumbles, guava, and a cream cheese swirl. It was named after the family\u2019s patriarch, who had recently passed away. They\u2019re donating some of the proceeds from the sale of Papa Guava to tornado relief efforts in Bowling Green. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Outside of working with the community, he’ll always enjoy one other part of the job \u2014 the product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m biased, but I think we\u2019ve got the best ice cream,\u201d Carl said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He\u2019s not the only one who thinks so. Their ice cream received the gold medal for best ice cream at the Kentucky State Fair. They received perfect scores at the International Dairy Competition in Los Angeles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think we’re doing a good job,\u201d Carl said. \u201c I think there are always ways for us to improve \u2014 [things] to look at and look for. [Making] things better and easier for the next generation [is what] it\u2019s all about.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" AS FAMILIES across the country flock to amusement parks, museums, shopping malls, and movie theaters, Bowling Green knows where the real family-friendly fun is: Chaney\u2019s Dairy Farm.\u00a0 In 1940, it was more profitable to milk cows than if you were handling beef cattle, pigs, or chickens. Dairy farmers were paid twice a month instead of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":20736,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/bowling-green\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/4-1-1024x683.png\")
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