A Growing Business Moves out Front

Bringing a Farmer’s Viewpoint and Values to the Creamery

Sunrise Family Farms makes Five Acre Farms Local Yogurt, Kefir and Buttermilk using the best local whole milk. Dave Evans, whose family has been dairy farming for three generations, founded the creamery in his back yard in Norwich, New York in 1999. The operation has since moved into a new home out front—exactly 112 steps from Dave’s front door, making for an easy commute.

Dave and his partners Charlie Reinshagen and Sandy Grant believe that the secret to making the best dairy products is using pure ingredients and keeping it simple. For Five Acre Farms, that means starting with fresh, creamy local whole milk and leaving it alone. In making our Local Yogurt, Kefir, and Buttermilk, they don’t take anything out and add nothing but carefully selected cultures. They never add any artificial sweeteners, powdered milk or anything else that’s not necessary.

Left to Right: Sandy Grant and Charlie Reinshagen.

Each representing a different generation of a farming family, Dave (3rd), Charlie (2nd) and Sandy (5th) bring a farmer’s viewpoint and values to the creamery. They have built a successful partnership on what the three of them have in common—family farming traditions and their love of change and new challenges as their company grows.

Sunrise Family Farms is also a boon to the local community and the region’s economy. Dave, Charlie, and Sandy source their milk from 10 local dairy farms within a 20-mile radius and employ 50 people full-time.

When he founded the creamery back in 1999, Dave Evans had three goals: preserving the family farm, supporting other people involved in local agriculture and producing a quality product at a fair price­. While the business has grown nicely over the years, prompting the move from the back yard to the front yard, the principles on which it was founded endure:

As Dave says, “It’s not complicated. We’re all about making quality food that offers the best value.”