Right off U.S. Highway 41A, just south of Eagleville, Tenn., Nash Family Creamery is mixing a working dairy farm, a retail-tourism business, and ice cream. Located at 4019 41A N., Chapel Hill, TN, and open Tuesday through Sunday, Nash Family Creamery offers seating inside and outside, a menu of grilled sandwiches, baked goods, and a rotating case of ice cream made right from the Nash family’s 1,800 or so dairy cows parked right out back.
It all begins in 1929 when Wallace and Ida Nash began milking cows in the California Central Valley. After the cattle were hit with a severe bout of tuberculosis during the peak of the Depression, their son Howard took over the family business. He expanded the operation to around 300 cows and grew the farm to 280 acres. In 1979 Steve Nash, around 20 years old at the time, took the reins when Howard became ill. Over the next 20 years, the herd grew to nearly 1,200 cattle. Slowly the family business earned recognition for the size of its regional production and its quality.
By the mid-2000s, the family noticed shrinking commodity prices for milk, growing concerns about water allocation in California, and rising costs of living. So they began searching for greener pastures, most literally. The decision to leave the Central Valley led them to what’s formally Chapel Hill, Tennessee, but closest to Unionville, Tenn. in Bedford County. They built new barns and a milking facility, and by 2013-14, the whole herd, the family’s equipment, and the family headed east.
In Tennessee, the business took a strategic shift toward value-added production. Fourth generation dairyman Cody Nash envisioned a creamery built alongside the family’s near-century of dairy production. Under his oversight, the Nash Family Creamery was created with the idea of making premium ice creams and cheeses from their own cattle, combining direct-to-consumer retail, farm tour experiences, wholesale distribution, and most recently, Tennessee’s largest corn maze. Inside the creamery, you’ll see classic comfort foods—grilled cheeses made from Nash family cheese, sundaes, milkshakes, pints of ice cream for the road. The ice cream case is a rotating collection of what Cody describes as small batch, premium flavors made right on the farm. This means everything from vanilla to more exotic seasonal creations. Similarly, the cheese selection focuses on full cream blends and block cheddar, including white cheddar and curds, all made from the Nash herd.
Agritourism has become a standout part of the Nash model. Visitors are able to book farm tours March through October to ride a wagon out to see the dairy barns, the cows, and get a behind the scene look at how milk is produced. In later summer and fall, the corn maze arrives. This year’s runs August 27 through early November.
Visitor reviews note several consistent themes—rich and creamy ice cream, the food is well liked, and the environment is family friendly, including a full play place.
Operationally speaking, the jump from California to Tennessee highlights the mixture of economic and agricultural pressures many dairy farms have been feeling in the Golden State: water scarcity, heavy regulation, pressures from commodity prices, and difficulty managing value on-site. In Tennessee, the Nash Family Creamery has embraced the challenge by shifting away from bulk milk production toward a more intimate consumer experience. The tour, ice cream, and family-story model has proven successful, and the Nash Family Creamery is in the process of expanding this year. By diversifying, the family business has been able to diversify revenue streams and connect with a non-farm audience.
If you’re planning a visit and the weather is nice, don’t be surprised to see heavier traffic on the weekend. On the product end, the cheese and ice cream are branded “Nash Family.” Online orders are available for certain items.
Nash Family Creamery lives in a special niche for Middle Tennessee. On one end, it’s a working dairy farm. On the other end, it’s a retail space with food, ice cream, and a space for families to spend the day. Whether it’s grilled cheese, an ice cream cone, or a day to get lost in a corn maze while supporting a four generation dairy farm, Nash Family Creamery has a little bit of something for everybody.
