FLAT ROCK — Calder Dairy and Farm carries on the tradition of farm fresh dairy products delivered to homes throughout Monroe County and other Michigan Downriver area locations. The homemade products — milk, ice cream, cottage cheese, butter and others — bring back fond memories for many of us who were blessed to have grown up with local dairies.

Before I delve into the Calder Dairy and Farm’s great family-based story, I would be remiss if I didn’t pay homage to my own childhood memories of the Goshen Dairy, which was started in the early 1920s and delivered bottled milk and dairy products to my neighborhood in New Philadelphia, Ohio. Our delivery route included horse-drawn delivery (which continued into the early 1970s when I was a young boy). Dan Buss was our milkman, and Dewey was our horse; carrots were Dewey’s favorite treat, and my mom made sure we had some available to give to him.

It was William Graham Stewart Calder – better known as Bill Calder — who started the Calder Dairy back in 1946, according to the Calder Dairy and Farm website. Using his bonus check from the Air Force received after honorable World War II service, Bill Calder bought the dairy’s first delivery truck, which was a used 1934 model laundry truck. Total sales for the Calder Dairy’s first day of deliveries were $17.88! Milk was purchased from surrounding dairy farms then processed and bottled at the Calder Dairy plant located at 1020 Southfield Road in Lincoln Park.

Bill Calder then purchased a farm in Carleton which was originally intended to be a weekend retreat and future retirement spot for him and his family. However, he decided to purchase a Brown Swiss cow to help “keep the grass short.” That first cow eventually had a calf and other cows – including Holstein, Brown Swiss and most recently, Jersey cows – have been added to the herd. Today, the herd numbers nearly 180 head, and they are fed a quality diet of home-grown grain and forage. The majority of Calder Dairy milk for its products comes from the local herd.

Today, milk from the Calder Farm cows leaves the farm in Carleton and is hauled by via company tanker truck to the dairy in Lincoln Park. From there, the milk is transferred to a refrigerated bulk tank in the plant and processed in small batches. All of Calder’s milk is “vat pasteurized,” meaning that it is heated to the minimum required temperature of 150 – 155 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Vat pasteurization allows the milk to retain its natural enzymes and bacteria that are beneficial to milk drinkers and destroy any harmful organisms in the milk.

Bill Calder was known to many for his warm smile and sense of humor. He passed away at the age of 94 on Feb. 16, 2011. His good works are continued by Calder family members and others on the team who still deliver dairy products (including milk in glass bottles) using an updated fleet of Davco trucks graced with the familiar big “C” and cow image of the Calder Dairy logo.

Calder ice cream is a tradition; this month’s eggnog and candy cane are popular during the holidays.

Local historian Dave Eby will certainly include Calder Dairy and Farm history in his extensive presentation of Monroe County’s dairy history to be unveiled soon. As the membership chair of the Monroe County Historical Society, he encourages everyone to join the MCHS. It costs a mere $20 annually, and all members are welcome to participate in our many local history activities and receive our quarterly newsletters and annual wall calendar.

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— Tom Adamich is president of Visiting Librarian Service, a firm he has operated since 1993. He also is project archivist for the Greening Nursery Co. and Family Archives and the electric vehicle awareness coordinator at Monroe County Community College.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Bill Calder started his dairy 77 years ago