Billy Ray Brown has always loved cows. Six years ago, Brown opened a family dairy powered by his love for the four-legged species and the eye for a specific market. As the proud owner of Brown Family Dairy, his product is distinguishable by a simple red top.
(Brown Family Dairy | Lizzie McIntosh)
Easy-going Brown is a life-long resident of Oxford and son of renowned author Larry Brown, but he’s no stranger to hard work.
Before owning a dairy farm, Brown worked for the city of Oxford along with other odd jobs like cutting up deer meat and cutting grass. Brown’s wife, Paula, knew that her husband did not feel fulfilled in his work before the farm became a reality.
Paula remembers talking to Billy Ray one night and telling him to turn in his two weeks notice. “I told him that we were going to figure it out together,” Paula Brown said. And they did just that.
Brown first noticed a market for organic milk in Oxford after a trip to the local Kroger. After talking with a manager, Brown assessed the organic milk, specifically, was hard to keep stocked on the shelves.
That’s when Brown decided to open Brown’s Family Dairy in 2009, just eight miles outside of Oxford.
It didn’t take long for news of the dairy to spread throughout the Oxford community.
Today, the Browns currently milk 20 cows, but own 30 dairy cows total. Two of the dairy’s three employees are Billy Ray and Paula, who also receive help from their three children. Besides housing dairy cows, the Browns also own 180 cows raised for beef.
The dairy carries three products: whole milk, naturally reduced fat milk and cream. They have regular customers with weekly orders as well as orders from various groceries and restaurants in Oxford.
The Browns have established a deep relationship with their customers. Paula Brown said there is one specific customer with whom she is especially close.
“This customer used to come once every two weeks to pick up her order and there was a period of time when she didn’t show up for a long time,” Paula Brown said. Paula called the customer and soon learned that the woman’s son had recently died. She explained that she felt an acute sadness for her customer.
“We know our customers, we know their routines, who wants two blues and two reds and one pint of cream.,” Brown said. “They know about us too. They know that Harris (Brown’s son) got his tonsils out and asked what they could do.”
City Grocery, Big Bad Breakfast, Cups and The Ravine are among the well-known restaurants that use Brown Family Dairy products in their creations.
Lee Bowie, owner of the Oxford branch of Cups, explained that the café has used the dairy’s products since the moment the coffee shop’s doors opened in 2014.
“As far as the choice of dairy, you can’t find any dairy around here that tastes close to what their dairy tastes like,” Bowie said. “We feel like using it in our drinks makes it taste better because of their products.”
Bowie, a longtime friend of Billy Ray, said the local aspect of the dairy is very appealing.
“The cows are eating the grass right outside of Oxford, and the dairy is from right here,” Bowie said.
Having the title of owning a “family dairy”, the Browns are an integral part of the milk-producing process.
Paula Brown lives a hectic life as the first lady of the farm. Her daily schedule is filled with milking, heating and bottling, punctuated with the paperwork as well as homework, errands and keeping peace within the family. Paula Brown bottles around 120 gallons of milk a day.
“We wear different hats depending on the day,” Paula Brown said. “I’m the mother, teacher, driver, lawyer, limo driver, doctor, vet— you name it.”
Billy Ray and Paula met at Lafayette County High School, where they dated off and on until 2000 when they married. The 60 acres where they live and house their business was bought from Billy Ray’s mother.
Brown’s favorite part of the dairy is the fact that she is able to work full time, but still be fully present with her children because she is working on the home front.
“If they call me that their stomach hurts, I am able to walk away and go get them,” Paula Brown said. The only downside Paula Brown sees is that the work is never over.
“It is seven days a week. Santa Claus comes after the cows are milked.”
Life on a dairy farm creates moments like those that have harnessed Paula Brown with a “get it done” kind of attitude and sense of humor to go with it.
The Browns also have started a tradition of naming each cow for a friend or family member. It has become a prize among the bunch. One of the cows is name for their son Harris’ kindergarten teacher.
The cow then birthed a calf, and the family of Harris’ teacher came to the farm to take pictures.
“Her mom and sister were out there,” Paula Brown said.“I mean it was like they were now really an aunt and grandma.”
The family is living out a Cinderella story of sorts— one that is bottled with a red top and far from its end.
