Alan Reed
Life and career
Alan was raised in Idaho Falls on the family farm. He worked on the farming side of the farm and dairy business. After attending Rick’s College and his marriage to Holly Stoneberg he was asked, (that is the word his Dad uses, it was more “instructed” than asked!) by his father and uncles to move to the dairy operation to manage the milk processing, marketing, and sales. As a side note, his kids give their dad a hard time about owning a dairy herd and never milking a cow! Alan calls that smart.
He more than tripled the number of home delivery customers in the first two years; which created the need for Reed’s Dairy to add more processing ability and increase their cow numbers.
In 1983 he attended his first IMPA Sun Valley meeting; 40 years ago! They met in a small room on the 2nd floor of the Lodge with 25 attending. Because he learned important principles that helped him with his milk processing, he made a personal commitment to attend IMPA every year. Two years after his first meeting, he was asked to be on the audit committee. Followed by serving as a board member, vice president, president, and now chair of the New Dairy Product Contest where he has served since the beginning of the contest. Alan’s commitment to being part of IMPA is to help give back to the tremendous dairy industry that has been his life since 1979.
In 1984 Alan decided to improve the company’s chocolate milk by making a product people could not resist. While substituting for the production manager for two weeks during the summer he worked to formulate a new version of their chocolate milk. Customers travel to Idaho Falls from neighboring states by the carloads to fill their coolers with Reed’s Chocolate Milk. The chocolate milk is shipped across the United States as orders flow into their office from their website.
In 1985 Alan went to North Carolina State University to learn how to make ice cream. He returned to the dairy after a week of study; to develop his formula. His grandfather always told him if he was going to make ice cream it had to be as good or better than grandmother made. It took Alan three months to perfect the ice cream. The original formula is still used today.
In 1996 Alan went to short courses at Washington State University and Utah State University to learn how to make cheese. He found a used cheese vat in Colorado Springs which he hauled back to his dairy and started making cheese. Mild cheddar was the cheese they were making being sold as bagged cheese curd and some cut and wrapped blocks. Then Alan had an idea of a low fat Queso Fresco type of cheese. With the help of Rex Infanger, the formula was developed. The make time was only 60 minutes! To test the formula, he had the help of Gossner Cheese, Chappel Cheese and BYU, where he made this cheese to test the formula and make procedure in different plants. After final development of the cheese, a food company in New York learned about the product and the formula was sold to them.
Alan’s product development ability took him to across the United States making ice cream in Indiana, Utah, Texas, and Canada. Interest in his ice cream products took him to Japan to sample his products at FoodEx Japan. Where a meeting generated a sale of ice cream to Saiu Foods. They featured Reed’s Ice Cream in their grocery stores for one summer.
While in Tokyo, Alan and a member of the Idaho Dept of Ag, met with the president of McDonalds Japan in Tokyo to discuss his products and promote other Idaho dairy products.
Alan accomplished his goal of having his ice cream sold from coast to coast in the United States and selling ice cream internationally. After a period of time, he realized the sacrifice his travel was having on his family. He pulled back and said Idaho was the perfect place to continue to grow his dairy adventures.
Alan and his dairy products have been featured in local publications, along with People Magazine, USA Today, and a variety of these other publications.
Reed’s Dairy has six ice cream and dairy stores in Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, and the Treasure Valley. They have milk home delivery in Eastern Idaho and the Treasure Valley. Along with wholesale delivery in Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah where they deliver their packaged products and custom mixes.
Besides his commitment to developing and producing quality dairy products, Alan enjoys showing reining horses and public speaking. He is a dedicated public servant serving for twelve years on the Idaho Falls School District 91 Board, and currently serving on the Idaho State Charter School Commission. He is in his 18th year of service on the Commission. Most of those years as the Commission Chair.
Alan stays busy but always finds time to spend time with his family. He always says his true treasure is his family. Alan and Holly have been married for 46 years. They have 4 children and 10 grandchildren.