INFRA Blogs

In just a few short years, The Painterland Sisters has gone from a fresh face in the conscious CPG space to a rapidly growing brand that’s reshaping how consumers connect with their food. Founded by sisters Hayley and Stephanie Painter, this skyr yogurt brand has more than doubled its sales since it was founded in 2022 (Dairy Processing) and its products are sold in over 2,000 stores across the United States, over 200 of which are INFRA Members. But their secret to success goes far beyond marketing strategy or start-up investments; it started with a simple mission to connect customers to the source of their food.   

Celebrating the Land, Sharing the Love  

Sisters Hayley and Stephanie Painter grew up on their parent’s dairy farm in Tioga County, Pennsylvania. “We grew up fully integrated in nature, in our community, our family,” Stephanie says, “we understood what it means to protect and honor this beautiful land that we felt so fortunate to grow up on. And we didn't know that not everyone grew up that way.” 

After college, Hayley and Stephanie set out to share their little part of the world with others. “We wanted to continue our family's dairy farm, we just didn't know how. And then we came up with the idea of organic Icelandic style, skyr yogurt.” However, starting a business wasn’t without its challenges, and like so many dairy farms, their family farm faced financial struggles.  

“We were at the point where we were about to sell our cows because the milk market was completely unstable,” she says, “We did not want to be another statistic with so many dairy farms going out of business.” A byproduct of the brand’s success has been lifting their family farm out of economic trouble. And not only that, but helping other dairy farmers become profitable as well. By partnering with farms across the region to source their milk, Painterland Sisters has been an invaluable part of the local economy. “45% of dairy farms in Pennsylvania have disappeared over the last decade,” she says, “so being able to help our community has been super important.”  

Spreading the Mission  

Hayley and Stephanie’s mission goes beyond creating high-quality, organic, skyr yogurt. They also see the brand as a channel to teach consumers about important topics like regenerative agriculture, soil health, and more. “We see yogurt as a conduit to opening up the conversation of what it means to have animals grazing on land, what it means for the soil health, and how we can use regenerative farming practices to combat climate change.” 

Beyond their focus on sustainability, they also use their experience as mothers to reach other millennial women, a demographic with considerable buying power. “I have three children, and I often think, ‘What is their world going to look like? Will they be able to buy nutrient-dense foods? We’re really able to connect with other women in that way.” The Painter sisters’ commitment to speaking directly from their own experience has undeniably been a huge asset to their brand growth.  

INFRA Members are the Perfect Partners  

This authenticity and commitment to sustainability has made the Painterland Sisters an excellent partner for INFRA Members. In fact, INFRA Member stores were some of the earliest champions of Painterland. Pennsylvania-based retailer Kimberton Whole Foods partnered with Painterland Sisters very early on in their brand’s journey. Not only was Kimberton close to home for The Painterland Sisters, but the brand’s focus on regenerative agriculture and sustainable dairy farming made them a great fit for Kimberton’s integrity-minded approach to natural foods.  

“INFRA Members like Kimberton really are pillars of their communities… people look to them to be trusted sources of their food. It’s wonderful to be able to partner with these retailers,” Stephanie says. Along the way, Painterland has also formed strong working relationships with other members including Jimbo’s, Sunflower Shoppe, Down to Earth, and Fruitful Yield.  

According to Stephanie, independent natural food retailers are great partners because they already serve the brand’s ideal consumer. “These are people who already want our products,” she says, “they want farmer-owned products, they want transparency in their food, and they understand what an independent business does to your community. INFRA Members are perfect partners.”  

To learn more about the Painterland Sisters and their mission, listen to ‘From Startup to Success with Painterland Sisters' here.