Longmont Dairy Farm celebrates 60 years

LONGMONT, Colo. – What began as a small family operation has evolved into a multi-generational business as Longmont Dairy Farm celebrates 60 years of home-delivered dairy products across Colorado’s Front Range.

The dairy began in 1964 with just a handful of cows, a single milk truck and a small processing plant behind founder Jim Boyd’s home. While supermarkets were rapidly changing American shopping habits, Boyd and co-founders Reese Boatman and Karl Obluda deliberately chose to maintain traditional home delivery service – a business model that has sustained the company for six decades, said the company.

When David and Susan Boyd, second-generation owners, took the reins in 1988, they modernized operations by purchasing a larger farm, expanding the barn to accommodate more cows, launching a website with online ordering, and creating the company’s now-famous holiday eggnog bottle design contest.

Technological advancement continued in 2008 when the dairy implemented digital account management systems and transitioned from paper route books to GPS-led delivery management platforms.

Today, third-generation co-owners Dan Boyd and Katie Copeland balance business expansion with their grandfather’s original mission. “We’re committed to providing fresh milk in glass bottles from our cows directly to customers throughout the Front Range,” said Boyd in a recent interview.

As part of its outreach commitment, the company launched its Milk Caps for Mooola program, not just in Longmont but in the surrounding areas. The program encourages students to recycle milk caps at their school in exchange for cash. The program recently hit a milestone of 15 million milk caps collected, resulting in $750,000 donated to more than 400 local schools over the years.

“The greater impact of success isn’t what you change, but rather what you don’t change,” added Boyd. “What we have done best is stay true to who we are and maintain the people, processes and products that have driven the success of the company. The wins and losses are up to God, but you’ve got to put the work in. We are honored every day to have one of the hardest working staff in our industry.”

In 2018, Longmont Dairy embarked on a plant renovation and expansion, which allowed it to start brewing its own tea and cold-brew coffee, which have become staples for its customer base. The events of 2020 saw a dramatic increase in people requesting delivery services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company added additional daytime deliveries to accommodate the demand.

The dairy serves thousands of homes across northern Colorado, pairing a traditional delivery model with strategic innovation in today’s digital marketplace.