New Year's Day, 1990, marked another historic event in the Hartzler family. On that day, Harold, a deeply religious man, felt compelled to approach the family gathering with an idea. "It was the Lord's leading, but I brought everyone together and basically said we are farmers raising a good product without using anything harmful. In fact, we have a superior product in our milk that no one else is offering around here. We should be selling it ourselves to the community," he remembers.

The idea was approved. Hartzler Family Dairy Inc. was formed. However, unknown to the Hartzlers, no one had started a new dairy in Ohio in 30 years. Besides the usual logistics of starting a new business, there was a formidable health department rule book whose guidelines had to be learned and implemented. Property was located and cleared by the family. Construction then began on a facility that would house a milk processing plant and a Ice Cream Shoppe. The Hartzlers also located and purchased used dairy equipment from farmers in Pennsylvania who had quit the business.

The store front opened April 15, 1996, but the first bottle of milk was not sold until July 9. The first store to take the first shipment of their milk was The Mustard Seed Market in Montrose-just west of Akron.