Hatcher Family Dairy Gets National Attention for Milk Bottle Tribute to Jimmy Buffett

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Hatcher Family Dairy milk bottles with Jimmy Buffet "Come Monday" lyrics

Photo credit: Charles Hatcher

Hatcher Family Dairy in College Grove, Tennessee, has been bottling its own farm-fresh milk since 2007. It was a decision that fifth-generation farmer Charles Hatcher calls “a huge blessing.”

“It’s been a lot of work, but it’s incredible that we’re able to do what we love, keep the farm going and have a product to provide to people,” Hatcher says. “I still get great satisfaction when I see people buy a gallon or bottle of our milk with our name on the label, even after all these years.”

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In addition to providing a way for the family to carry on their farming legacy into the next generation, bottling their milk came with another unexpected benefit: creative freedom over the bottling process, even down to the text that displays the best-by date printed on the bottle.

“We like to have fun with it,” Hatcher says of printing the dates on bottles at the creamery. “We add sayings or thoughts, whatever’s on our mind at 4 a.m. when we program it.”

Hatcher, who does the bottling at the creamery, was programming the machine to print the best-by date early on Labor Day morning when an idea suddenly popped into his head – one that he had no idea would make the farm go viral on social media in the coming days.

See more: Meet Dairy Farmer Jennifer Hatcher

Milk bottles at Hatcher Family Dairy

Photo credit: Todd Bennett

Tribute to a Legend

That morning, shortly after the death of iconic musician Jimmy Buffett on Friday, Sept. 1, the lyrics of Buffett’s song “Come Monday” came to him as he was setting up the printer.

“We always joke here, saying ‘It’s already Monday,’ because that’s our longest bottling day of the week,” Hatcher says. “And ‘Come Monday’ is one of my favorite songs by him. It just popped into my head – ‘Come Monday, it’ll be alright.’” 

So, Hatcher programmed the song lyrics into the machine that morning to print alongside the best-by date on the milk bottles as a small tribute to the late musician whose music he loved.

“Jimmy Buffett was my first-ever concert on my dad’s shoulders 30 years ago at the old Starwood Amphitheater,” he recalls.

Since that very first concert, Hatcher has always had a great love for music, alongside farming, of course. On most days, in fact, the family turns on music in the processing area or milk barn while they’re working.

“Some days on the farm, you might not be at the beach – but just put on some Jimmy Buffett, and you’re at the beach,” Hatcher says, laughing.

See more: Documentary Series “The Hatcher Family Dairy” Premieres on Nat Geo Wild

Milk bottles at Hatcher Family Dairy

Photo credit: Todd Bennett

A Universal Language

Since printing the “Come Monday” milk bottles, Hatcher has been blown away by the public response the farm has received, with hundreds of social media messages, emails and phone calls pouring in from people across the country thanking them and even asking to purchase empty bottles with the lyrics on them. 

“It was just a tip of the cap to him and all the joy he brought to millions around the world,” he says of the tribute, admitting he never expected all the attention the gesture would receive from fans of the musician online.

“But that’s just the power of music,” Hatcher says. “It’s the universal language.”

Hatcher Family Dairy Store

To purchase Hatcher Family Dairy milk, ice cream, merch and more, visit the on-farm store in College Grove. The store also offers grab-and-go sandwiches, baked goods and coffee, which customers can enjoy on the porch or in the picnic area.

Address: 6545 Arno Road in College Grove

Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday

Phone: (615) 368-3405

Website: hatcherfamilydairy.com

Hatcher Family Dairy also sells to more than 100 vendors in the Middle Tennessee area, including grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants, bakeries and markets. Visit hatcherfamilydairy.com/where-to-buy for a complete list of vendors.

To purchase farm merchandise online, visit hatcher-family-dairy.square.site.

1 Comment

  1. Cindy Thomsen says:

    I believe I was the first to post about the bottle—first on my own Facebook and then on a Buffett fan page. I had more than 93,000 likes, plus thousands of comments and shares. I was sure to tag the dairy.

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