Free-range farming sets Zeal Grass Milk Creamery apart

Zeal Grass Milk Creamery's growth and success are a testament to the power of perseverance.

The Chicago-based craft milk company was set to start rolling out its products in Chicago and New York right as the COVID-19 pandemic hit — a formidable obstacle for any business. But Zeal President Jason Henshaw had faith in the quality of his products, and he knew they would sell. So, he came up with a plan.

"I bought a fridge van, and at 5 a.m. I would head out to Bensenville and unload the semi-trailer with a pallet of milk and put it in the back of the milk van, and they'd deliver it," Henshaw said. "And then every other day I would be in the store merchandising and making sure the milk was on the shelf."

His determination and drive paid off — today, Zeal milk and butter are sold in high-end grocery stores throughout Illinois, New York, Texas, Wisconsin and Missouri, and the company plans to add Colorado to the list this fall. Around 150 stores in the Chicago area offer Zeal products, including Cermak Fresh Market, Pete's Fresh Market and Torres Fresh Market locations, as well as the recently-opened Dom's Kitchen & Market in Lincoln Park.

Founded in 2018, Zeal produces three varieties of milk — whole, chocolate and lactose-free — and two types of butter, 87 percent slightly salted and 87 percent unsalted, all of which can be sourced from a single southwest Missouri farm located along Historic Route 66.

The company's name is a nod to the New Zealand farming community that inspired its signature practices, such as pastoral farming, a grass-fed diet, paddocks and sharemilking, a model in which young farmers and landowners partner to keep the farm operating and split the resulting profits. Zeal's cows are entirely free-range, meaning they spend all of their time outside and are never placed in a barn.

During a trip to the Missouri farm in late 2019, Henshaw observed that the cows were getting a significant amount of exercise as they moved around the fields — a realization that led to the creation of the Step Count Challenge. A team of farmers and videographers placed pedometers on four members of the herd and recorded a race to see which cow contestant would be the first to reach 10,000 steps, narrated in the style of a sports announcer.

"We eat green vegetables and walk 10,000 steps a day, we're healthy," Henshaw said. "The same thing happens to that cow. They mill around, they stay with their girlfriends and they hang out in a herd environment, which is what they're built to do."

What distinguishes Zeal's milk and butter from standard dairy products are the naturally higher levels of protein, omega 3-fatty acids and healthy fats, Henshaw said. That starts with the grass itself, a variety called perennial ryegrass that is particularly rich in nutrients.

"There's a deepness of beta carotene, which comes through naturally from the grass," Henshaw said. "So, when you see the milk, it has a golden tinge to it, and it really, really highlights it when it comes to the butter."

Company projects currently in the works include individual-sized packaging for milk products, expected to roll out early next year, and a milk-based probiotic incorporating two strains of healthy bacteria from New Zealand, Henshaw said.

"That's pretty exciting," he said. "We're all focused on making sure that we're healthy and giving the best nutrition, particularly after the impact of COVID."

In early August, Zeal launched The Great American Milkshake Competition, a contest inviting Zeal fans to submit their most creative milkshake ideas. Entries will be accepted through the company website through Aug. 31, and the winner will receive $1,000, along with a year's supply of Zeal milk and butter.

"The real inspiration behind the step count challenge is we wanted to celebrate the lifestyle of the cows, and the inspiration behind the milkshake challenge was we wanted to celebrate the taste and quality of this product," said M. Harris & Co. creative director Jenn Bane, who worked with Zeal to bring both concepts to life. "We consider it a really family-friendly product, I would say ... We thought it would be really fun to bring parents, caretakers and their kids together in this contest, and it's just motivation to put together a really strong prize."

For Henshaw, growing Zeal into the company it is today has been a highly rewarding and meaningful experience.

"I'm really proud that I've had the opportunity to come and bring a concept that's been around for 15 years, to take a single farm, get it into a bottle and build a brand — to bring American parents and people like us the best possible dairy product, because it's in your backyard,” he said.