Producer

Meet the Owner: Veronica Tessler
Veronica Tessler loves frozen yogurt. A problem solver by nature, Veronica grappled with the very big problem: there was no froyo in Iowa City (back in the day). So, she took matters into her own hands and with a little ingenuity and lots of taste-testing, Yotopia was born in Summer 2011 right here in downtown Iowa City (132 S. Clinton St.)

We source our yogurt from Country View Dairy, a family dairy farm in Hawkeye, Iowa, to ensure the highest quality product and freshness. We are the only frozen yogurt shop in Iowa that sources its dairy from right at home. Our frozen yogurt contains between 100 and 400 billion live and active cultures per serving (depending on the flavor) that aid in digestion and immunity.

We even have vegan flavors for our dairy-free friends! May we suggest grabbing a pint of our Coco Oreo? (coconut milk ice cream with Oreos:)

Farrn practices and FAQ (from Country View Dairy's website):

What does it mean that your products are “fresh”?

Our yogurt processing plant is located right on our farm. Milk is piped directly from the milking parlor while the cows are being milked into the creamery so our yogurt is made using the freshest milk possible. Thus, even though our yogurt contains no preservatives, it still boasts a long (42-day) shelf-life.

What does farmstead mean and what makes farmstead yogurt better than conventional yogurt?

Farmstead means that our yogurt is made right on our own farm. This is good news because it means we use only one source of milk – from our own herd. Our milk is never pooled or hauled, keeping it in top condition and minimizing our ecological footprint. We have control over our products from start to finish. We believe that this is hands down the best approach to quality assurance there is. Farmstead also means that you can see where your food comes from, how our cows and land are treated, and watch your yogurt being made.

What is non-homogenized milk?

Homogenization is a mechanical process by which milk is given a uniform consistency. Non-homogenized means that the milk is left in its natural state, allowing a layer of cream to rise to the top. Homogenization was originally invented to spare consumers time spent shaking up their milk. It was not invented to make milk healthier in any way. Homogenization changes the molecular structure of milk, making it harder to digest and some say, less nutritious as it changes the mechanisms by which nutrients get delivered to the body. Large dairy operations also use homogenization processes to give pooled milk a more consistent look. We prefer to leave the milk in it’s natural state.

The milk used in Country View Dairy yogurt is non-homogenized. This is how we are able to create a delicious, low-fat yogurt with cream on the top.

Is the milk used in Country View Dairy yogurt pasteurized?

YES! While our Grade A milk is non-homogenized, it is pasteurized (heated) to kill bacteria and also run through a separator to obtain low fat (1%) milk for use in our yogurt.

Does your yogurt contain any gluten?

No, Country View Dairy yogurt is completely gluten-free and safe for anyone with allergies or sensitivities to products containing gluten.

Do you strain your Greek yogurt?

No, we prefer to leave the whey products in tact as whey has nutritional value so we add a milk protein concentrate to our milk to increase the proteins yet still leaving the nutritional whey in the yogurt. We also do not have to worry about getting rid of they whey acid by-product which can lead to environmental issues.

What kind of cows do you milk?

We have a herd of 130 Holsteins. Most are fully registered, the rest are partially registered. We also do not treat our cows with rBST growth hormones.

What do the cows eat?

Our herd will seasonally graze & are out to pasture but most of the time they are in a large 28,000 free-stall barn where they are able to roam about & socialize with each other. They are also bedded in sand which makes it comfortable for them. We feed them a Total Mix Ration which is a healthy combination of whey, rylage, silage & mixture of nutrients. We work closely with a nutritionist to make sure our cows remain healthy.

Do you ever use antibiotics with your herd?

We look at our cows like we do our family. If one of them is sick we don’t want to watch them suffer and do nothing so we will give her a shot of antibiotics until she is better. During this process her milk will be dumped and then tested until it no longer shows any trace of antibiotics. At that point her milk will once again be used.