The Business Buttermilk Built

Farm Name: Marburger Farm Dairy

Family: Martin Marburger, Jim Marburger, Rita (Marburger) Reifenstein, Craig Marburger and Carrie (Marburger) Robb

Location: Evans City, Pa.

Web site: www.MarburgerDairy.com

In the region of Pennsylvania best known for its steel production is a quality dairy farm and processing plant that pumps out more than half a million gallons of milk a year. For more than 70 years, the Marburger family of Evans City has been providing milk for its neighbors in Butler County and the surrounding area.

A Storied History

In 1842, George Marburger Sr. purchased 100 acres of fertile farmland to rear draft horses. The industrial boom of the 1920s introduced new farm machinery that reduced the need for true horse power on farms, so in 1923 Addie Marburger repurposed the land for dairy farming. At the time, milk was loaded onto streetcars and shipped to Pittsburgh dairies. Milk spoils quickly without proper refrigeration, and dairies didn’t pay for spoiled milk so farmers weren’t guaranteed a paycheck. When an Evans City dairy went out of business in 1938, the Marburger family bought the business to ensure a home for its milk. The first day, Marburger Dairy bottled 12 gallons of milk in quart bottles.

Today, Marburger Farm Dairy processes 25,000 gallons of milk a day, four days a week. But what sets Marburger Farm Dairy apart from other processors is its gourmet buttermilk.

Big Buttermilk Business

“Everywhere we go, we talk about our buttermilk,” said Rita Marburger Reifenstein. “Those who like it are crazy about it. Those who don’t like it think we’re crazy.”

The dairy sold 1.9 million units of buttermilk in 2008. Gallons, half-gallons, quarts, pints and half-pints are available along the east coast from Florida to Michigan.

“Down south is our biggest market, by far,” Rita said. In recent years, the dairy has focused on the wholesale side of the business, working with an Ohio distributor to secure shelf space in stores like Publix and Walmart.

What exactly is buttermilk? Originally a cultured dairy product made from the liquid that remained from making butter, the quality of primitive buttermilk was inconsistent. Now pasteurized milk is heated in a holding tank, then cultures are added.  The milk mixture is cooked 12 to 18 hours to the correct consistency then agitated to the right texture, cooled, bottled and shipped.

“Our buttermilk has a nice creamy, smooth feel,” Rita said. “It’s tangy, with a cottage cheese taste.”

Martin Marburger, 90, tries to taste-test every batch of buttermilk to give it his seal of approval. “Dad still comes to work every day, even though he technically retired years ago,” Rita said.

The buttermilk includes “special” ingredients that have been a family secret for generations.

Special Deliveries

The days of the milkman leaving dairy treats in porch iceboxes are still available through Marburger Dairy. At the height of home milk delivery in the 1960s and ‘70s, Marburger Farm Dairy counted more than 18,000 homes in its route north of Pittsburgh. Today that number hovers around 1,800 in the Pittsburgh region.

“Those who like home delivery love it,” Rita said. “If they can save one trip to the grocery store a month, it’s worth it. They don’t get tricked into impulse buying an extra $10 of stuff, plus they save gas.”

In addition to the Marburger line of milk, delivery trucks carry meats, bread, baked goods and seasonal items like Valentine’s Day and Halloween candy.

Community Commitment

The milk processed at Marburger Dairy comes from 130 to 140 cows milked at the Marburger farm as well as 70 family farms in western Pennsylvania, from Crawford to Washington counties.

“We depend on their quality raw milk to produce high quality milk for our customers,” Rita said.

In addition to the farmers who sell their milk to Marburger Dairy, the processing plant and dairy farm provide jobs for 110 people in the local community. Between the two businesses, there are many roles to fill like cow milkers, calf feeders, truck drivers, plant supervisors, order processors, accountants and truck loaders.

“The good people who work here make us what we are,” Rita said. “At least half a dozen truck drivers have been with us for more than 30 years.”

Three generations of Marburgers contribute to its success. Though officially retired, Martin is a pro at customer and client relations. His children are responsible for the day-to-day management of the plant. Jim is president and oversees the processing equipment; Rita is the secretary/treasurer and sales representative and her husband, Rick, is a retired truck driver; Marge has been the top salesperson and her husband, Gary, is the plant manager. Jim’s son Craig is the computer guru while his daughter Carrie Robb works in the business office.

On the Small Screen

Marburger Farm Dairy’s buttermilk caught the attention of someone in Hollywood. Last November, a film crew spent two days capturing the buttermilk making process for a new show, Food Tech. The episode examines ingredients used to make a pancake breakfast, including maple syrup, baking soda, sausage, bacon and orange juice. According to the show’s director, Marburger Dairy’s history made it an excellent subject for the episode which is scheduled to air on the History Channel in May 2009. Discover more about Marburger Farm Dairy at www.MarburgerDairy.com and check out Marburger Farm Dairy recipes made with creamy Marburger Farm buttermilk in Dairy Lover’s Kitchen.