Small family farms are pretty rare these days, but the Lutz family in Lincolnton has discovered a way to keep their multi-generational dairy business afloat thanks to a herd of captivating Jersey cows who are creating the area's most delicious milk and ice cream.

Teresa Litschke takes us to Riverbend Farm.

[gentle pleasant music] - My parents were actually born and raised both on dairy farms and so when they got married, they decided to start their own dairy as well.

And so we have purebred registered Jerseys here.

- [Teresa] Jersey cows are smaller than other dairy cows and they don't produce the same volume of milk, but what they lack in quantity, they more than make up for in quality.

- [Olivia] The milk that she produces has a lot more butterfat or buttercream in it.

- [Teresa] Which they say is obvious by the milk's rich and creamy texture.

- In addition to that, the Jersey Cow is known for predominantly producing A2/A2 beta-casein protein.

And so whereas most milk that's on the grocery store shelves today comes from Holstein cows, that milk is usually A1 beta-casein protein.

- And the difference in that is a lot of people that have trouble digesting dairy can digest A2, but they can't digest A1 protein.

- It's not a guarantee, and if somebody has an allergy to milk, that's different.

But if somebody just gets an upset stomach from drinking dairy or eating ice cream, then a lot of the times they can still enjoy our milk and our ice cream without having that side effect.

- [Teresa] The milk and ice cream are prepared, bottled, and scooped fresh right inside Riverbend Creamery.

- [Olivia] So the ice cream that we make here is a 60% ice cream mix, so it's considered a super-premium ice cream.

- It's the best.

It's good.

- [Olivia] So we of course have all of your basics that most people are gonna have.

But in addition to that, we have, you know, like a banana pudding that we make seasonally during the summertime.

That's a really big favorite.

We have a O' Christmas Tree ice cream that we make at Christmas time that has the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes in it.

And then we actually have Apple Pie Delight, which is a local goodness of apples and apple cider that we make.

And Pumpkin Cheesecake.

- I got the double dark chocolate with chocolate milk and whipped cream.

- [Olivia] We can do it by the scoop.

We make homemade waffle cones and homemade waffle bowls.

We can do sundaes, milkshakes, we do ice cream floats, we do all sorts of things, - [Corey] But we do also do all the other milk products that you can get in the grocery store.

- [Olivia] We do offer meat that's actually from our farm here that we've raised.

And we have a lot of different jams and jellies and different types of pickles, and we kind of do little knickknack things that kind of tie back into cows because everybody loves cows.

- [Teresa] They've also turned a day at Riverbend into a learning experience.

- [Corey] We do farm tours, so they'll get to come and see the cows, see how we manage the cows.

We do have a playground for the kids that come.

- So you can see the full process.

"From our grass to your glass" is something that we really take to heart, in that way that families can actually come out here, you can see the cows, you can meet the cows, you can pet the babies, and you can see what that process looks like from start to finish.

And the quality that goes into not only their care, but the quality of the products that we produce here.

- [Teresa] In a time when small dairies are sometimes gobbled up by large corporations, the Lutz family has remained independent, relying on their dairy products to literally help save the farm.

- My dad was a dairyman and I decided I wanted to stay in it.

My kids are in it, and if my grandkids want to be in it, the cream is gonna offer them the opportunity to be able to stay in this business and make a profit without having to be really huge.

- And so the creamery was a great way for us to do a value-added type of product, type of niche, and be able to support multiple families.

But for us to be able to all come back and to continue on for generations.

- [Teresa] It's a win-win for everyone.

- Because we know that they're coming here and they're making memories.

And that's something that really hones in for us as a family.

You know, we're a family-owned and operated business, so it makes us feel good knowing that all the hard work that goes into it is something that people get to come here and enjoy.

So that's really what I think is the most rewarding for us and what we like people to know is that you become part of the Riverbend family.

- [Deborah] Riverbend Creamery is at 4391 Richie Road in Lincolnton, and they're open Tuesday through Sunday.

For more information, give them a call at [704] 740-0095, or go online to riverbendcreamery.com.