This organic dairy farm in Pelzer is the lifeblood of farmer Tom Trantham. Spanning 100 acres, the farm is home to 82 “happy” cows that graze on land unadulterated by chemicals. Trantham, a farmer for nearly 50 years, stumbled upon this efficient and eco-healthy way of dairy farming in 1987 when his cows escaped their pen for the overgrown pasture on the other side of the fence. In this case, the grass was literally greener on the other side.
According to his website, Trantham began his career as a grocer and moved into farming when he bought his first farm in North Carolina in 1968. Ten years later he purchased his present farm in southern Greenville County. He initially practiced farming with the help of weed killers and fertilizers until one day in April of 1987, while awaiting a loan for more supplies – including weed killer – his cows crossed the fence to a weed-covered field and began to graze. Afterwards, Trantham noticed higher milk production. By the following year, Trantham had ceased farming with weed killers and fertilizers.
The milk produced at Happy Cow Creamery is also bottled at the farm, lending to the business’s catchphrase, “From Grass to Glass.” Not only has his business thrived as a result of his organic farming, but Trantham is often recruited to teach other dairy farmers his environmentally-friendly practices. His customers, who travel from all over to sample his wares from the farm’s on-site store, prove that the results make dairy lovers very happy. Happy Cow Creamery products can also be found in select stores such as Earth Fare.
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