From Pasture to Pilot Batch: Sunset Sky Farm’s Greek Yogurt Hits the Cornell Processing Line

We’re excited to share a behind-the-scenes look at a huge milestone for us here at Sunset Sky Farm: our very first pilot run of organic Greek yogurt at the Cornell Food Processing and Development Laboratory in Ithaca, NY! 🎉

As part of the Dairy Runway Program, we had the opportunity to take our farm’s high-quality, pasture-raised milk and transform it into a finished, packaged product using Cornell’s state-of-the-art dairy processing facility. The result? 100 cups of unflavored, 6 oz. Greek-style yogurt, produced and packaged entirely by us with guidance from Cornell’s expert staff.

🥛 Why Greek Yogurt?

Our cows graze rotationally in our organic vineyards, fertilizing the soil and feeding on clean, chemical-free forage. We’ve always believed our milk is something special, and we wanted to find a way to share it with our community beyond the farm gate.

Greek yogurt—thick, creamy, and protein-packed—is the perfect way to showcase the rich flavor of milk from grass-fed cows. Creating it ourselves also supports our goals of sustainability, value-added production, and offering a wholesome, minimally processed food.

🏭 Inside the Pilot Process

Our day at Cornell’s Food Processing Lab was hands-on and educational from start to finish. We:

• Pasteurized our milk

• Cultured and fermented it into yogurt

• Strained it to the perfect Greek-style consistency

• And finally, filled 100 clean, professional 6 oz. yogurt cups

Working in a commercial-grade facility gave us a valuable understanding of the food safety protocols, equipment, and scaling process required for future production.

👨‍🌾 What’s Next?

This pilot batch marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Sunset Sky Farm. We’re using this experience to refine our recipe, gather feedback, and explore how we can bring our farm-fresh Greek yogurt to farmers markets and local retailers.

We’re also dreaming up flavors and companion products—but for now, we’re proud of our simple, plain organic Greek yogurt, made with nothing but high-quality milk, cultures, and care.

🙏 Thank You, Cornell Dairy Runway

We are so grateful to Rebecca Phillips, the Regional Dairy Processing Specialist, the Cornell Dairy Innovation team and the experts at the Food Processing and Development Lab for their support, encouragement, and expertise. They’ve given us the tools and knowledge to take our dairy dreams to the next level.

📣 Stay Tuned

Want to taste it? Be sure to follow us on [Instagram] and [YouTube] for updates on where our Greek yogurt will be available and how you can support local, pasture-based, organic dairy.

From grazing cows to Greek yogurt cups—we’re just getting started. 🐄💚

For more information, contact us today!