Two Maids a Milking Creamery serves Cowboy State 

Although Wyoming may be better-known for its beef industry, dairy cattle still contribute to the Cowboy State’s diverse agricultural economy. 

Mother-daughter duo Tomi Strock and Sibylle Smith have deep roots in Converse County and are making their mark on the local food economy with quality products from their family-owned dairy business, Two Maids a Milking Creamery.

Business beginnings

Before pasteurization and refrigeration made commercial dairy production possible, dairy cattle were common fixtures of ranches throughout the West. 

Strock and Smith both grew up with milk cows, drinking fresh milk and cream daily.

Strock fondly recalls the first time her father allowed her to start helping with milking around the age of eight, and Smith has cherished memories of racing her brothers during morning milk chores to see who could fill their pail the fastest. 

The pair explain they stopped keeping milk cows in the early 2000s but had dairy goats for several years. 

A few years ago, Smith decided the place could use another milk cow, so she asked her brother to partner on purchasing a Brown Swiss and took up the practice again. 

At first, Smith says having a milk cow was just a way to keep fresh dairy on hand for family and a few neighbors. 

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 changed this, however, as more people began to reach out due to the shortage of milk on grocery store shelves. 

Increased interest from the local community led to the purchase of two more milk cows, and Strock joined her daughter to help out with the workload. 

“We were not a business at first by any means – we just provided milk for our family and people who would ask,” Smith says. “We didn’t even have a name. We were just two girls milking a couple of cows.”

This spirit remains at the heart of Two Maids a Milking Creamery, which has blossomed into a successful small business for Smith and Strock who live on a ranch just outside of Douglas. For the mother-daughter duo, the dairy business is an expansion of a close partnership a lifetime in the making.

“It’s always been us,” Smith says. “We’re mom and daughter, but we’re also best friends. We’ve always worked hard together, and now we’re running a business together.”

Expanding horizons

Strock and Smith note business has exploded in the past year since they first started selling milk and cream with 307 Prairie Pantry in Douglas – a small country story marketing home-grown products from local producers.

Today, the herd includes eight Brown Swiss and Montbéliard cattle – breeds chosen for their disposition, hardiness and desirable cream line. 

A milk machine has also been added to help cut down on chore time, but the level of love and care going into the process remains consistent. 

Smith says she’s grateful for the opportunity to bring quality dairy products free of preservatives and plastics to her community, crediting the Food Freedom Act – which allows for direct-to-consumer sales of homegrown foods throughout Wyoming – as a tremendous win for small producers in the state. 

“The Food Freedom Act is a big deal,” Smith says. “It makes me feel really proud to be from Wyoming where we can do this for each other – a lot of other states are not as lucky.”

Strock echoes her daughter’s sentiments, noting the act has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on her own life and the lives of producers throughout the state.

Both Smith and Strock take pride in providing quality products to their customers, whether it be on the shelves of the local market or through special deliveries. 

Strock serves as a state representative for Converse County and says deliveries from the creamery have been a highlight of legislative sessions on more than one occasion. 

To ensure the highest level of quality and safety, education remains at the core of the creamery’s operations. Both Smith and Strock are committed to continued research on the science behind raw milk to grow their knowledge and share it with their community.

“I think there’s a healing power in good, fresh, raw foods like home-grown beef and milk,” Smith says. “I truly believe we’re helping the community.”

Strength in balance

As fourth and fifth-generation ranchers, strength has been a natural byproduct of Smith and Strock’s agricultural backgrounds. 

Growing up, Strock and her four sisters rose to the ranch’s demands as well as any male counterpart, and a childhood spent working in step with five brothers taught Smith the value of toughness and hard work. 

Their experiences as women – wives, mothers, daughters and sisters – have also brought unique perspective to their lives and careers.

Smith emphasizes she’s always shared a special bond with her mother, who first set the example she continues to strive for today.

To Smith, a special balance of strength and softness lies at the heart of Wyoming ranch women. 

“Just because we can work hard and be strong and brave doesn’t mean we don’t have a feminine side,” Smith says. “We’re good moms and good wives, and we can work alongside our husbands without taking their place.” 

“I think this is the beauty of Wyoming ranch women,” Smith continues. “There’s so much pride in being a woman in ag.”

Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.