Celebrating 15 years

Ozark Mountain Creamery is celebrating 15 years of operation this spring. With its signature glass bottles, unique flavors, and rich, creamy milk, the operation is a favorite among customers throughout the state.
A 15-Year Anniversary Celebration was held at Country Mart in Mountain Grove on Saturday, April 26.
The origins of the creamery can be traced back to Fry Dairy, a dairy cattle operation started in 1957 by Phillip and Dora Fry. Their sons, David, 68, and Dwight, 59, gradually took responsibility for the farm and, eventually, ownership.
David’s wife, Teresa, 62, said that the idea for a creamery was proposed in 2009, when milk prices plummeted due to the global economic downturn. She stated that her sister-in-law, Virginia Fry, had always encouraged her brothers to start a creamery.
“We can either continue as we are and die a slow death, or we can go for it, and it will either make or break us in a hurry,” Dwight said at the time.
At first, Teresa said, it was difficult to obtain financing, given that the dairy industry was facing an unprecedented collapse. However, Community First Banking Company was impressed by the business model and agreed to finance the project. The Wright County Industrial Development Administration (IDA) also stepped in, providing a vote of confidence to finance the milk delivery trucks.
Ozark Mountain Creamery bottled its first batch of milk on Thursday, April 22, 2010 – a total of 200 gallons, half of which was whole milk and the other half chocolate, the latter being a fan favorite.
Initially, the milk was delivered to three locations: Mountain Grove, Cabool and Houston. The Country Mart Chain, Richards Brothers, and MFA were among the local outlets that stocked their shelves with Ozark Mountain Creamery bottles.
“Each following week, we branched out more and more,” Dwight’s wife, Lori, 54, said. “One year later, we were in 43 stores, encompassing a roughly 90-mile radius of Mountain Grove.”
Fifteen years later, Ozark Mountain Creamery has become a community staple, serving communities within a 150-mile radius in 130 stores and coffee shops. The operation began with two hired staff members but has since expanded to 13 employees.
In 2011, Ozark Mountain Creamery produced approximately 1,800 gallons of milk per week. Today, that number is over 5,400.
“There are a few aspects that separate us from the rest of the dairy plants,” David said. “One aspect is that we are family owned and operated.”
David and Dwight have a combined 10 children (all of whom are now adults) and 19 grandchildren. All members of the family contribute to the operation of the creamery at varying levels. Luke and Caleb, the youngest of Dwight and Lori’s children, remained on the farm after graduating high school in 2020 to expand their own herds.
Another aspect that sets Ozark Mountain Creamery apart from other dairy producers is its utilization of vat pasteurization. Vat pasteurization, sometimes referred to as Low-Temperature Long Time (LTLT) or batch pasteurization, is a process in which milk is heated at a temperature of 145° for a minimum of 30 minutes.
“We are the only vat pasteurization plant in the state of Missouri and Arkansas,” David said. “As we understand, pasteurizing the milk at a lower temperature leaves many of the natural aspects of the milk intact.”
Lactose-intolerant customers have reported being able to consume the milk without any adverse side effects despite their allergies. The farm attributes this to the vat pasteurization, but Teresa noted that there is a lack of scientific studies to support this hypothesis.
Perhaps what cemented Ozark Mountain Creamery’s status as the Ozarks’ premier milk producer, though, is its use of glass bottles. The trademark container stands out among all the plastic jugs lining the grocery store’s fridge aisles. A tagline reading “Fresh from the local farm of the Fry Family” is just below a red milking barn; an illustration of a dairy cow stands at the bottom of the bottle.
“The benefits of the glass bottle are many,” Lori said.
From an environmental perspective, the glass bottles are highly eco-friendly. They are recyclable; used bottles can be returned to the creamery, where they are washed and sanitized for reuse.
This prevents plastic milk jugs from adding to the landfills that are slowly, but surely, encroaching upon the beauty of the Ozarks.
It’s no secret that microplastics and other chemicals seep into the milk consumers drink from plastic jugs, but with glass bottles, this is not a concern.
“Another benefit [of glass bottles] is the flavor,” Teresa said. “Milk simply tastes better coming out of a glass bottle.”
Glass bottles aren’t the only method Ozark Mountain Creamery uses to ensure sustainability. A lagoon serves as the recycling point for all the manure that is flushed off the cattle holding pen and feed floors. This manure water travels to the lagoon, which is pumped out twice a year, and the resulting water is used as fertilizer on the nearly 260 acres that comprise Fry Dairy.
She pointed out that, 15 years in, the Creamery is still adjusting to growing pains. This isn’t a bad thing, though – for example, the creamery has such high demand that they are anticipating further construction to expand the premises.
As is the case with any operation in today’s world, the dairy production industry is undergoing a process of corporate consolidation. This is something, Dwight said, that Ozark Mountain Creamery hopes to avoid.
“We are going to try to stay independent of the ‘big boys’ and continue producing fresh milk from our farm,” he said.
The operation can avoid falling under corporate reign thanks to its loyal customer base.
The Frys have maintained strong connections with consumers, as well as people in the equipment, technology, and transportation industries.
These connections have allowed the Creamery to produce highly sought-after milk since its inception.
“The local people have always been very supportive of us,” Teresa said.
She recalled a weekend in late April 2010 when friends and fellow farmers gathered en masse outside two local grocery stores to purchase milk from the operation – the first time its product was in stores.
“This community was, and still is, awesome.”