The Whey to an Udderly Delightful Dream

Hippy Cow Dairy

Cody, Wyoming

Written and Photographed by Jane Gilvary

Spring Issue - 2026

Dairy farm owners will do a lot of things for their cows, and at the Hippy Cow Creamy in Cody, Wyoming, they even dance for them. True story. The Hippy Cow Instagram features dancing sisters who refuse to take themselves too seriously, and the cows seem to like it that way. 

Perhaps that's why the Nelson family—Mark, Mary, and daughters Sadie Howard and Maggie Haron—have enjoyed rather rapid success given that none of them had ever milked a cow before starting out on this fantastical hippy cow journey. Once visitors enter their charming storefront at the far end of Blackburn Avenue in Cody, their unique family approach to selling raw milk becomes evident, and it all began with a forsaken Jersey cow named Darla. 

Sitting in their quaint shop and chatting over coffee, the Nelsons love to tell the story of Hippy Cow's origins. Sadie shares with enthusiasm that her family had been buying raw milk from a neighbor who owned a Jersey cow named Darla.

"It was the best milk I ever had. My mom tried it, and we all wanted to get on the distribution list,” Sadie said. 

Eventually, the opportunity came along to buy Darla when her original owners had to move, so the daughters, rather spontaneously, bought the cow, called Dad, and sheepishly confessed, "Umm, we bought a cow. And we're going to need you to build a barn."  

Three years later, the Nelsons and their daughters boast eleven of the finest Jersey cows in the West that produce nearly sixty-two gallons of milk a day. They've also opened an enormously popular storefront where they sell Darla's deliciously creamy and smooth raw milk for both subscribers and walk-ins. She still produces the most milk.  

"We laugh about Darla, because she taught us how to handle cows,” Mary said. “So patient. And she provides the most milk, even now. We have no idea where she's from. But we know she's a Jersey cow and Jerseys produce the best milk with the most butterfat content." 

The Nelsons acquired six Jersey cows from a retiring dairy farmer in South Dakota who sold them what remained of his herd. The cows come from high quality stock, bred with the number one Jersey bull in the United States at the time. They brought a great return on investment with one of them giving birth to twin heifers on a Sunday morning, surprising everyone.  

"One Sunday morning before church, we were all dressed up and went into the barn to milk real quick,” Mary explained. “I hear Sadie shout, 'Oh my gosh! There’re twins!'"  

Currently, Hippy Cow has eleven cows that provide about 450 gallons each week. The Nelsons seem content to grow and develop at a steady pace, careful not to stretch beyond their capabilities.  

"One day at a time," Mary said. "It just seems like the Lord is pushing us to grow."  

To date, the Nelsons have avoided taking on debt in this whole endeavor, grateful to build the dairy little by little, through hard work and resourceful management, a successful strategy so far. Mark proudly reported, “We've never borrowed any money. We only do things as we can afford them, and sometimes it's tight." 

Nelsons care about their cows' diet, because a healthy diet means better tasting and more nourishing milk. Mark said their cows eat a high-grade feed that's locally sourced.  

Sadie added that since their family drinks the milk their cows produce, they want to ensure that their cows consume a healthy diet. "We inspect it daily. We drink it ourselves." 

The Hippy Cow store marked the next logical step in the Nelson's dairy farm journey, born out of necessity more than anything else. In the beginning, they sold their raw milk to subscribers who would drive down to the trailer where Mark operates his log cabin restoration business. Then, their Aunt Molly began baking organic sourdough bread to sell in the little trailer-turned-dairy-store.  

“We were getting contacted by other vendors wanting to put stuff in our tiny shop,” Mark continued. “We simply ran out of space, plus we bought more cows and had a lot more milk."  

The shop on Blackburn Avenue is two doors down from Mark's restoration business, and less than a mile from the dairy farm. The shop sells a wide variety of local wares—organic coffee, farm fresh eggs, local artwork, pastries, muffins, artisan candles, homemade ice cream, Hippy Cow t-shirts, and cultured butter rolls. In terms of security, the store relies on the fiercest of guardian dogs, a two-pound Yorkie pup named Ruby Jane who greets all visitors with a tail wag and a wiggle. 

Quality raw milk production runs deep for the Nelsons, and in a small town like Cody, they bear a serious commitment to their customers, who are also neighbors and friends. Mark and Mary tell the story of a local family with a young son plagued with persistent health issues.  

With concern in his voice, Mark explained, “He started drinking Hippy Cow raw milk and it radically helped his health. If we're not clean, if we're not doing what we need to do to make sure we're producing quality milk, it will affect that little kid. That's the challenge and a responsibility." 

“A verse hanging on the wall of the shop reads, ‘Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.’" Sadie said. "It's a good reminder that God's brought us this far, so he's going to keep it going."