About Us

Here's a little about us...

• Tulip Tree Creamery was founded in 2014 by Fons Smits and Laura Davenport (with the help of other helpful advisors click here to meet our team)
  • Fons (orignally from the Netherlands) has traveled all over the world consulting with and developing dairy plants – focusing on small to medium scale facilities
  • Other recognized creameries in which he’s worked include:  Cowgirl Creamery (CA), Traders Point Creamery (IN), Teton Valley Creamery (ID), Ludwig Farmstead Creamery (IL)
  • Fons' main focus is cheese making/production.
  • Laura has a background in public health and biology where she worked as an adult educator in hospital settings and for a health-related software company before moving over into the dairy world in 2004.
  • Other creameries she's worked with include Traders Point Creamery (IN), Ludwig Farmestead Creamery (IL).
  • Laura's main focus is sales, marketing, and education.
• Since 2015 we've been purchasing our milk from a Certified Humane Dairy in Seymour, Indian - Lot Hill Dairy.  Due to our increased demand, in September 2018, we started sourcing our milk from a few additional family farms supply us with organic grass fed milk and from Dandy Breeze Creamery, Sheridan, Indiana, whose jersey cows receive and all-grass diet. 
  • Dandy Breeze Creamery Info - directly from their website:  https://www.dandybreezedairy.com/barn-cows/
    • "The Dandy Breeze Dairy milks a herd of about 85 Jersey cows. The Jersey breed is native to the Island of Jersey, a British island located in the English Channel. It is one of the oldest purebred dairy breeds that has been around for nearly six centuries, and was brought to the United States in the 1850’s. The breed is highly regarded for its milk and butter production.

      We are a pasture based dairy; in the climate of Indiana, this means our cows are out in the pasture year-round, or as long as weather permits. In the summer, they enjoy feeding on  alfalfa. In the fall, we wet wrap our alfalfa, so our ladies can enjoy fresh pasture food in the winter. The process of cutting alfalfa and bailing it in 24 hours to keep the nutrients and protein in the feed originated in Ireland.

      Our barn was built about 115 years ago...Our milk is all natural with 18% more protein, 17% more calcium, add 11% more phosphorus then most conventional store milk. All our products are from pastured based Jersey cows. Jerseys's naturally produce more protein, calcium, phosphorus, and "good for you fats" than any other breed. Our all-grass diet enhances the taste even more and offers the "nearly natural" consumer an alternative to conventional and multi-sourced organic milk."

      "

  • Lot Hill Dairy Info:The milking herd is owned by Jon Claycamp

    • He raises Holstein cows on this family farm – they currently milk about 35-40 cows – we purchase half of their milk and the rest, they process on their farm (starting Spring 2018).
    • They grow their hay and silage for their animals using only NON-GMO crops.
    • They do not use antibiotics or growth hormones on their milking herd.
    • The farm is Certified Humane.
  • We occasionally source milk (when absolutely necessary) from other local farms  with the equivalent standards (sometimes Certified Organic).
• Tulip Tree Creamery is located on the northwest side of Indianapolis, IN
  • Our production facility and classroom is located in a part of town called "Park 100" near 465 and 71st St. on the northwest side of town.
  • We have 5 full-time employees (including our owners) and about 5-part time staff who help us teach classes, sell our products at farmers markets, support sales and package up our products.
• All of our products are made by hand
  • We use traditional European Recipes and add our own twist to them
  • A list of our current products can be found here:  http://www.tuliptreecreamery.com/products/
  • We are always developing new products and love feedback from our customers on which types of cheese we should make next.
  • We use rennet that is vegetarian-friendly.
• Our products are being distributed across the US with heavier distribution in the mid-west, east and west coast.
• We are members of the following:
  • Good Food Guild
  • Slow Food Indy
  • American Cheese Society
  • Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce
  • Zionsville Chamber of Commerce
• Click here to see our Wall of Fame