After Mark and Andrea married, Mark worked on her parents’ farm during the summers until he graduated from the University of Utah at which point he started working full-time there. “We lived in Lewiston on the farm for six years after I graduated. It was a lot of work but I liked the life enough to do the work,” Mark said. 

Two years ago, they bought a hay farm with a house a mile from Andrea’s parent’s dairy. With Mark’s background in construction, he was able to design and build a barn. Their milk business has also grown in just that short time.

“We started with one cow. We now have 10 Jersey cows and we hope to continue growing. We chose Jersey cows because we like their temperament and many of our customers seemed to prefer the rich Jersey milk,” said Mark, who is primarily responsible for taking care of the animals.

“Our products have also expanded since we started two years ago. We sell whole milk, 1% milk, two kinds of butter (sweet cream and cultured butter), sour cream, plain and a variety of flavored yogurts and ice cream. We also sell fresh eggs from our free-range barnyard chickens,” said Andrea. 

That they process and market all of their own milk is what makes their dairy unique. “We learned that people want to know where their food is coming from and they enjoy coming out to the farm to see the cows,” explained Andrea. 

Their products are available at their self-serve store located at their farm in Fairview, Idaho. Customers can buy their products, which come in food grade plastic containers, anytime of day as they are open 24/7.

Cache Meadow Creamery products are also available at Stokes Marketplace in Preston and at Thomas Market in Malad. “We are able to provide these stores with locally produced products that help set them apart from competitors and they have been great to work with,” Mark said, who delivers the products fresh to the markets. 

 Andrea said her family enjoys the products better, as well. “For us, we personally prefer raw milk for the taste. I was raised on raw milk and we both love the taste. Our customers have also told us that they prefer the taste of our raw milk. Milk in general is one of the most nutrient dense foods with nine essential vitamins and minerals. Milk and dairy products provide many healthy benefits.”

Others prefer raw milk because the proteins and enzymes are not altered during processing. Some people that cannot drink pasteurized and homogenized milk can drink raw milk without any problems. 

Jenny Ray, of Cub River prefers raw milk.

“I’ve been a customer of the Kezerian’s ever since they started. I did some research online and learned about the health benefits of raw dairy products. So eight years ago I switched to raw milk. We also like the taste of raw milk. When I moved to Idaho, I got milk from neighbors who had a family cow but they sold their cow and I wanted a reliable place that I could get raw milk,” she said. 

When Ray learned about the Kezarians, she went on a field trip and toured their farm. 

“I was really impressed with the cleanliness as well as the care for their animals. I buy all of my dairy products from them, the milk, sour cream, yogurt, and ice cream. Besides that, they are the nicest people! Their hard work is inspiring.”

Along with having their own calves and raising steers, they also pasture their cows in a different pasture every day on their 35 acres. “Rather than keeping them in a free-stall coral all year, we pasture them in the grass and alfalfa that we plant and harvest,” said Mark. “During the winter they are housed in the barn eating dry hay.” 

Owning and running a creamery requires meeting a lot of regulations relating to keeping the cow healthy and cleanliness of the farm. Cache Meadow Creamery is a Grade A processing plant compliant with all of the regulations “We have a monthly inspection. Samples of milk are taken. If the cow is healthy, the milk is healthy,” said Mark. “Taking care of our animals and making sure they stay healthy is critical. Cleanliness is also extremely important. We love what we do and for us complying with regulations is just part of the job.” 

 Trent and LoraJean Gudmunsen of Fairview, are also loyal customers. 

“In the research I’ve done, raw milk is healthier for my family. We buy our milk at Cache Meadow Creamery in Fairview. They treat their cows well and they seem to be healthy. We like the taste of grass-fed milk. Knowing that it’s possible to make cheese only out of raw milk, I like knowing that it’s an option,” offered Trent. 

The Kezerian’s have three children ages 5, 4, 2, who help with the chores on the farm. “We juggle things to make it all work between the farm and the house,” admits Andrea. 

Saeli, 5, offers: “We always help. I like to feed the calves. We like working together on the farm.” 

In their spare time, they make sure they plan for family activities. “We enjoy going 4-wheeling and water skiing at Oneida with Andrea’s family,” said Mark. “I really enjoy doing this type of work on the farm. This is what we like to do, working together on the farm but it’s also important that we make time to play with the family.”