Shipping Container as Creamery

[Milk Maid]

Does anyone have experience or advice using a shipping container as a small-scale production facility? I am considering partnering with a local dairy farmer and putting together a small licensed business. We'd like to keep on a budget and would also like to have most of our construction energy go towards an in-town retail space. Any advice will be appreciated.

The creamery would be located in the Shenandoah Valley in VA.

[ChristianC]

Bleating Heart Cheese in Tomales, CA is run out of a shipping container. There are a few creameries in the area that are in shipping containers actually. It can be done, but they are difficult to climate control, and you may find yourself outgrowing the space rather quickly. There's a lot of conversion that has to happen and sometimes it winds up being cheaper to actually lay foundation and pour slab than to retrofit a container.

The challenges in Shenandoah are going to be drains freezing in the winter, keeping the space heated in the winter and cooled in the summer. Here in Northern CA, the temperature is very consistent between 40 and 70.

There is currently a creamery in a container for sale in Mendocino, CA. Contact Elk Dairy if you're interested.

[ErickTof]

Hi All,
 
 Im a new member to this forum. I should be ready soon to order my RV8 slow build fuselage. hoping for a September / October delivery.
 
 Is there anyone else about ready to order a kit? If we could fill a container maybe we could save on shipping costs. Does anyone have any idea what savings are to be had? I think to order on my own would be around £500  VAT just for the fuselage. I live in Leicestershire.
 
 Thanks,
 
 Jonathan Kirkland

[Jeannie]

I live near Mendocino and would love to see what a shipping container dairy looks like.  I couldn't find any information online about elk dairy.  Do you happen to have a website?