Story by Taylor Burnette | Photography by Jeremy Holtzapfel

In Pomeroy, Ohio, what started in 2007 as a one couple’s hope to get higher quality dairy products in the region became a business selling milk, cream and cheese across the country.

Snowville Creamery is a microcreamery, Heather Fuston, the business development and marketing manager, said. However, its products reach from Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky to as far as Washington, D.C. and Illinois.

Snowville sells milk that isn’t homogenized, or chemically treated to be one texture to keep the nutrients and flavor intact. This causes a layer of natural cream to form on top of the milk, which is considered the norm in many places internationally, but is rare in the United States, Fuston said.

Additionally, Snowville offers cultured products like yogurt and sour cream that, if flavored, are flavored with all-natural ingredients. One of Fuston’s favorite items is the maple yogurt, flavored with real maple syrup sourced from Northeast Ohio with no other added sugars or flavors.

Snowville’s range of products doesn’t stop there, but also includes white cheddar cheese, cheese crisps, half-and-half, whipping cream and more.

The difference in Snowville’s products compared to other milk products comes from where the milk comes from and how it’s processed.

“A2 is a protein that occurs in the milk,” Fuston said. “Humans, sheep and goats all produce A2 protein and then milk. So humans have evolved to digest and consume A2 milk, and all cows used to be A2. And then there was a genetic mutation a couple thousand years ago.”

The genetic mutation led to cows producing A1 proteins as people bred cows for higher milk production. A1 protein is harder for a lot of people to digest, Fuston said, so A2 milk and A2 milk products can benefit a lot of people.

“That’s why a lot of people experience a discomfort,” Fuston said.

Although Snowville Creamery’s products are priced a little higher than most dairy products, with milk costing around $4.99 and yogurt and cheese costing around $5.99, Fuston said most customers feel the price is worth it for a higher quality product.

“Customers are willing to spend a little extra because they understand the quality, that not only are they getting in the product, but also the quality of farming that’s occurring, and the trust that they have that our products are humanely and sustainably produced,” Fuston said.

Snowville also focuses heavily on local sourcing and community involvement with their business. The creamery is one of the biggest employers in Meigs County, Ohio, Fuston said, and is just one part of a local economy. All of their employees are paid above the minimum wage.

“We’re just one piece of the local economics puzzle here,” Fuston said. “We just do our part to bring those monies in through our channels, and then redistribute them throughout the community. We have partnerships with a lot of local food banks here in the area, and a lot of different non-profit organizations that we work with to help people in need and continue to reinvest in our community.”

The future looks bright for Snowville, Fuston said, and they hope to expand their product offerings and release some new products towards the end of the year.

For some people, the price point of Snowville’s products may cause some apprehension, but Fuston believes that for many, the products are well worth it.

“I feel like we’re either contributing to the betterment of our community, or contributing to the money continuing to funnel outward,” Fuston said. “I just like to reassure people that the purchases that they make really do have an impact on real people and real lives here in the community, and all of us here that are employed by the creamery, of course. We do our part to circulate that money locally, too. So not only are they providing enrichment for the community and the economy, but also the planet for the sustainable farming practices and things like that. So you know, I think it’s a win-win all around.”

Snowville products can be found in a range of locations around the Tri-State region, including at stores in Huntington and Parkersburg in West Virginia, stores in Louisville and Lexington in Kentucky, and in places like Gallipolis, Athens, and Logan in Ohio.