About our Farm
A Family, a Dream, and a Mishap
In 1950, Benjamin Keyes packed up his wife, Jean, and baby daughter and followed his dream of owning and milking his own herd of cows all the way from Massachusetts to beautiful Harford County, Maryland. After a few years of gaining experience, Benjamin rented and set up shop on historic Mt. Felix Farm, owned by the Green Family, which overlooked Havre de Grace and the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. He started milking a meager 20 head of Holsteins by himself, but soon growth was abundant on the Keyes farm: Benjamin and Jean welcomed two boys to the family, the herd of cows steadily grew each year, and slowly, Benjamin’s desire of a running a farm grew into the dream of using the fresh milk from his cows to make delicious ice cream and cheese to sell in his community.
Tragically, Benjamin never saw his dream come to pass, but that dream lived on in the hearts of his wife and children, and it was his son, David, who took over the family dairy at Mt. Felix and pressed on with the day-to-day farm life.
In the agriculture industry, when machinery fails, it is heart wrenching to watch the fruits of your labor literally go down the drain. So when a mechanical error left David with 500 gallons of milk that needed to be thrown out or used immediately, he took a chance and sent the milk to an Amish cheese producer in Pennsylvania who turned the whole batch of milk into cheese. David’s wife, Kelly, had one thing to say: “What are we going to do with all of this cheese?”
Years later, the answer to Kelly’s question is how Benjamin Keyes’ dream lives on. Until 2023, David still headed off to Mt. Felix Farm to milk 100 cows twice a day. The animals were all bred and hand-raised on the farm, and their feed was produced there too. The milk was either sent to Pennsylvania to be made into high-quality, flavorful cheese, or to David and Kelly’s farm in Aberdeen, Maryland, where their daughter Megan continues to run the family-owned creamery and creates fresh, premium, Keyes ice cream, and hand dips it for you to enjoy. Keyes Creamery products are shipped to several farm markets in the Harford, Baltimore, and surrounding counties, and can be found at several local events.
Since 2023, Mount Felix Farm has been sold by the Green Family. This meant a major shift in the farming operations. The main shift was the sale of the milk cows. The creamery now operates using the same mix, bought from Longacres Modern Dairy, who creates a high-quality mix using local Pennsylvania milk. The cheese is now made using Harford County produced milk. Even though David is not milking cows now, he has continued the farming operation producing wheat, corn, soybeans, hay, and straw. He is excited to pass on his love of farming to his grandkids and enjoys taking care of the families last cow- Millie.
The Keyes family was proud to be your local, family-run dairy for over 70 years. They still strive to present you with fresh, quality products that you can taste in every bite. Thank you for the opportunity for Keyes Creamery to serve you only the best premium ice cream and cheese, and for making a family dream come true!
-David and Kelly Keyes and Megan McMillan