FAQs

Irwin and Katie Piefly purchased Crystal Spring Farm on July 21, 1903 where they raised their family, one son and six daughters. The farm was run as a general farm during this period. Daughter and son-in-law, Lillie and Frank Sell, purchased the farm on May 1, 1931, where they raised four sons. The primary operation of the farm during this time was growing potatoes. Their son, Hubert and his wife, Grace, purchased the farm on May 22, 1966. Interested in dairy farming, Hubert and Grace began dairy farming as the primary farming income. Audrey, their daughter, manages the retail store. Sons Scott and Gary, herdsman and crops manager/mechanic, respectively, operate the farm. Youngest son, Ronald, oversees Crystal Spring Electric. The lifelong commitment has left them with well over 200 years experience combined and an expertise that is difficult to match.

The farm house was built in 1872, making it 142 years old. It has been home to 5 families during those years.

We have 300 Head of Holstein Cattle of which 130 are milkers.

We farm 350 acres of crops, 200 acres of corn and 150 of hay.

160 calves are born a year

Together, as a team, Scott and Gary begin every day seven days a week, 365 days a year, milking and feeding the dairy herd. One full-time and one part-time employee assist in the milking. Scott and Gary average 80 hours each per week. They keep the farmland in top-notch condition. They manage computer records that are kept on production. Crop management entails Spring and Falls planting, fertilizing, plowing, spraying and harvesting. Farming can be quite challenging when weather conditions do not cooperate. A summer drought is both heartbreaking and devastating, and too much rain may have the same effect.

The retail store is responsible for selling 30% of the milk produced by the farm. It is sold in the form of fluid milk and ice cream. Each gallon of milk weighs 8.6 pounds, and that means that if the farm produces 275,000 pounds of milk each month, 80,000 pounds, or approximately 10,000 gallons of milk and ice cream will be sold in the retail store each month. Milk that is not sold here is shipped to Land O’ Lakes Dairy.

The retail store was built in 1975. The Lehigh Valley Dairy, where we shipped our farm milk, had financial troubles. We had a new dairy barn and a mortgage to pay. We believed that a retail establishment would establish a direct market for our farm milk and ice cream. Family members would have a future, if they wanted to keep the family farm alive. The whole family worked hard to make it work.

Designed by area artist, Bob Beitler, Tulip the cow is our business logo present on all packaging and services. In Tulip’s Café you may enjoy homemade BBQ, soup, salad, cold sandwiches and desserts cafeteria style. The Creamery will satisfy your craving for homemade ice cream that is made right on our farm, using time tested recipes and fresh milk and cream! You choose the seat you prefer whether you like the scenic countryside outside on the deck or gazebos or inside in the air conditioning.

Crystal Spring Farm was the first farm in Lehigh County to receive the Dairy of Distinction Award – Awarded in 1996 by the Mid Atlantic Dairy Association for outstanding dairy operation. What a great feeling it is to know you are getting top quality dairy products!