Farm Partner Profile: Middletown, MD’s South Mountain Creamery

South Mountain Creamery has a longstanding mission to ensure that neighbors have access to healthy food from their own community—and not just through selling fresh dairy products.

Last year alone, South Mountain Creamery donated nearly $40,000 to the Maryland Food Bank in the form of nutritious foods including fresh produce, free-range brown eggs, and 100 turkeys.

“I’m actually a fifth-generation milkman, and for at least eight generations now, we’ve been in the Middletown area, between Hagerstown and Frederick,” said Sophia Brusco, Marketing Manager, South Mountain Creamery.

Noting that while her grandparents purchased the farm decades ago, it was the more recent founding of the Creamery that really changed things for South Mountain.

Constructing the first on-farm milk processing plant in the state of Maryland means the farm is not beholden to the fluctuations of the commodities market, and is positioned for long-term success.

“We wanted to take control of where our milk was going, and kind of bring back the modern-day milkman,” she shared. “We’re prideful that we’re able to handle the production and pasteurization, which sets us up to be able to support ourselves for generations to come,” said Sophia.

And this long-term stability is one of the reasons we’re proud to partner with this Maryland dairy farm.

“South Mountain Creamery is exactly the kind of partner we’re looking for,” noted August Lumen, Sourcing Manager, the Maryland Food Bank. “They also have deep roots in Maryland, share our passion for feeding neighbors, and see the value in building community.”

A Growing Farm, a Growing Responsibility

In 1981, Sophia’s grandparents Randy and Karen Sowers decided to purchase the land that their family had been farming for decades. While the family farm was doing just fine, in 2001, the Sowers decided to share their bounty with the local community, transforming into South Mountain Creamery.

“It started by just doing home deliveries in this Middletown Valley area, 25 years later, we’re everywhere from Middletown to Richmond, and from the Delaware line down through the Eastern Shore of Maryland and down to Raleigh, North Carolina.”

During the holiday season, South Mountain Creamery’s eggnog can even be found as far north as Vermont!

Taking Care of the Things that Take Care of Us

While South Mountain is proud to be in so many communities regionally, Sophia shared that they are especially proud to build community here in Maryland. They even have a motto: We Take of the Things that Take Care of Us.

“We take care of the cows, making sure they’re getting the things that they need, and are comfortable, things like having their nails trimmed. We take care of the soil to help protect the Bay. And we help the community because they help us,” she said.

While many companies give back to their communities, South Mountain Creamery is a real role model for comprehensive community support and partnership.

“We give back to the community to make sure that they’re being taken care of. Whether it’s donations to schools to support kids, bringing people to the farm so they learn where their food comes from, or donating turkeys during Thanksgiving, we give to other places that need the support because they support us in turn,” noted Sophia.

“Partnerships like South Mountain Creamery help more families achieve food security while shoring up our state’s food supply by keeping locally produced items in-state,” said Michael Watt, Chief Impact & Operating Officer, the Maryland Food Bank.

Recalling one family that had the opportunity to enjoy the Creamery’s fresh dairy products, Sophia shared:

“We were able to make sure that this family with such young kids would have milk and eggs for their lunches. I love that we’re in a place to support the community, and make sure that when kids go to school, they have a full belly so they can learn.”

More Partnerships Mean More Food Security for Marylanders

The Maryland Food Bank is thankful for partners like South Mountain Creamery, organizations willing to share their abundance for the greater good. As one of more than 40 Farm to Food Bank partners, they are a crucial way that the food bank provides healthy, local choices for neighbors, and seeks to form additional partnerships through the Farm to Food Bank Program.