FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – The Franklin County staple announced changes to its business structure.
“I get up at 3 every morning,” Brent Craighead, a milkman said. Craighead has been delivering with the business for 8 years
“I get here by 4 and head out, it’s been a true pleasure,” said Craighead.
A true pleasure for Craighead because he’s never met a stranger while delivering milk to people’s homes.
“I know which dogs to run from, which dogs to give a lot of dog treats,” Craighead said.
In fact, the milkman has made friends for life
“I think the world of them, I’m more than just a milkman. I love to talk to them, they came to my daughter’s birthday party.”
Craighead has been driving on routes all over Franklin County.
He’s more than just a milkman, he’s a man of many trades.
“Some lady had some plumbing issues, I helped fixed her sink and toilet one day and one lady said ‘I have a treadmill I need you to put together.’”
So, it’s no surprise that many people are going to miss their favorite milkman.
“This decision does not come lightly,” Amy Rice with Homestead Creamery said.
Staffers at Homestead Creamery told us there are several factors why the business decided to stop delivering milk to homes.
Some reasons include the pandemic, inflation with gas prices and staffing shortages.
“We did continue a little bit longer than anticipated we kind of put it into perspective at the beginning of the year, and then just kind of reevaluated everything, and made our decision that way,” Rice said.
But the milkman expresses gratitude for working at the creamery.
“It’s been an honor and privilege to serve,” Craighead said.