The Roanoker - November/December 2019 - 77

In October, Earth Fare stores began
carrying Homestead's new milk line, A2A2.
Studies have shown that this kind of milk is
easier to digest for people who are lactose
intolerant or have gastrointestinal problems.
It contains only one protein, A2 beta-casein,
rather than two proteins, A1 and A2, found
in other kinds of milk.
Homestead's A2A2 milk comes from cows
with two copies of the A2 gene, according to
the company.
Right now, Homestead is gearing up for
the holiday season, and believe it or not, milk
is not its best-selling item during the season.
It's eggnog.
Though the rich beverage is only offered
a few months out of the year, it is one of
Homestead's top sellers, based on yearly

numbers, says Rose Jeter, sales and marketing
manager for the company.
It's so popular that many stores have
trouble keeping it on the shelves, she says.
That's why Homestead launched a social
media campaign this year, specific to its
eggnog and custard, which rolled out in stores
in September. If shoppers see these items on a
store shelf, they can take a photo and post it to
social media using the hashtag #OnTheShelf
and tagging the store and Homestead. They
are entered weekly to win a $10 gift card.
Homestead often fields phone calls from
shoppers, inquiring about where they can find
these popular holiday items, Jeter says.
The social media campaign "will be a fun
interactive way for people to be able to share
where they are seeing it," she says. I

IMAGES COURTESY OF HOMESTEAD CREAMERY

Homestead had a small retail store selling
milk, ice cream and other products inside its
plant, but in 2007, it moved the store and
offices into a house located beside the facility.
Previously, the creamery's offices were housed
in a trailer on the site.
Over time, employees have had to store
some of Homestead's frozen products in
cooler trailers, due to lack of space in the
production facility.
Homestead's expansion began in 2017, and
improving the efficiency of its production
cycle was one of the main priorities,
Montgomery says.
Another was to keep the operation going.
They could not afford to halt production
for renovations, Montgomery says. That led
to the decision to build the new building
overtop of the older one.
Inside the facility, the renovations include
a new conveyor belt system, a backup
generator, and a relocated loading dock that
helps with the flow of products.
There are plans to add a third floor
mezzanine on which people who take tours can
walk through the building and view the work.
Meanwhile, the list of retailers that sell
Homestead products is growing longer.
They include Wegmans stores in Virginia,
five Publix stores in Richmond, and Kroger,
Whole Foods Market, and other grocers
along the East Coast, including in Florida
and Maryland.

TheRoanoker.com

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019

77
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The Roanoker - November/December 2019

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