Young Entrepreneur Serves Up Value-Added Dairy

March 16, 2026

By Haley Banwart 

On a farm near Plainfield, Natalie Paino is paving a new path forward, pairing family tradition with dairy innovation through her business, Hightail Delivery. The value-added venture she launched seven years ago now brings sweet scoops of ice cream and fresh cheese curds — made with milk from her family’s dairy — directly to consumers. 

At 25 years old, the entrepreneur, dairy farmer and 2025 Women Impacting Ag honoree is building a business rooted in community support, family collaboration and a willingness to try something new.

From a Farm Kid’s Dream to a Student Startup
Growing up on a small dairy farm in northeast Iowa, Paino dreamed of one day starting her own creamery and carrying on her family’s dairy legacy. But she also understood the economic realities facing many dairy farmers. “Milk prices have been pretty poor over the last 40 years; in fact, they’ve stayed about the same throughout that time, even adjusting for inflation,” she says. “That sparked conversations with my parents about how value-added opportunities could be a good option to expand our dairy operation and make my dream possible.” 

Early ideas began to take shape in high school, when Paino wrote a business plan for a marketing class project centered around producing and selling dairy products directly to consumers. The project eventually took her to a national DECA competition — and planted the seed for what would later become Hightail Delivery.

When she arrived at Iowa State University in 2018, Paino continued developing her plan through the university’s agricultural entrepreneurship program. As a college student, she launched her first venture selling individually packaged ice cream at local fairs and events in the spring and summer of 2019.

Still, turning the concept into a real business would take creativity and a willingness to pivot when COVID brought in-person interactions to a halt.

Pivoting Through the Pandemic
Although 2020 brought unexpected changes to Paino’s young business, it also created new opportunities. It proved to be an ideal time to implement a delivery model for customers spending more time at home. 

In the fall of 2020, Paino graduated from Iowa State University and returned home to the family dairy full-time. As life gradually returned to normal the following year, she continued offering home delivery while adding events back into the mix. But Paino knew the next step in her long-term vision was still ahead: producing dairy products using milk from her own farm.

In 2022, that goal became possible when she was awarded a Dairy Business Builder Grant to help fund a unique solution — a shipping container creamery. “Building a traditional creamery could easily cost millions of dollars, and I didn’t have the funds for that,” shares Paino. “So, I started researching micro-dairies and discovered a company in New York called Don’s Dairy Supply that builds creamery setups inside shipping containers. It comes with the electrical, plumbing, sinks and drains already installed, so it was pretty turnkey.” 

Patience and Persistence Payoff
Arrival of the container creamery marked a major milestone for Paino’s business, helping turn her long-time goal of producing value-added dairy products into reality.

She began with ice cream, in part because it was easier from a regulatory standpoint and more practical for a young entrepreneur just getting started. Producing ice cream with milk from the family dairy wasn’t feasible, so Paino sourced ice cream mix from Anderson Erickson Dairy while she continued to build the business and learn the ins and outs of dairy processing.

Eventually, she began working toward another goal: producing dairy products using milk from the family farm. That transition took years of persistence. “It’s been about a six-year process to get to the point where I can make cheese curds using milk from our own dairy,” she explains. “I wanted to try that product because it’s something that can be consumed right away, which makes it a good option from a cash-flow standpoint.”

Today, Paino enjoys experimenting with flavors and recipes as she continues honing her craft. “I’m an amateur cheesemaker, but I have a lot of fun with the creativity,” she says. “I start with a plain base for cheese and ice cream, then add different flavors or ingredients to it.” 

Natalie Paino, her husband Marquise and their daughter Stella, pictured with Natalie's parents, Terry and Kelly Eick.

A Family Effort on the Farm
Like many Iowa farms, Hightail Delivery is deeply rooted in family. Paino partners alongside her parents on the dairy, while her husband, Marquise, works at a local ethanol plant and pitches in on the farm when he can. The operation also relies on employees and seasonal help during busy times.

“Each day is different,” Paino says. “Some days I’m more involved with the dairy side and meeting with our vet on herd health. Other days, I’m making ice cream or cheese, which can be an all-day process. Or, I might be out in the tractor during planting or harvest, usually with our two kids in tow.”

No two days look the same, but for Paino, the unique blend of entrepreneurship, agriculture and family life is part of what makes the work meaningful.

Natalie Paino with two of her employees, Ella Hansel and Sydney Hansel.

Connecting with Consumers
Selling directly to customers has also changed the way Paino thinks about dairy farming. For many consumers, her products offer a taste of nostalgia and a chance to reconnect with foods they remember from childhood. “Early on in my business, I provided ice cream to residents at an assisted living facility, and I’ve continued to notice how much the older generation enjoys my products,” she shares. “They grew up with similar items, and it’s a really wholesome experience — I love the interaction.”  

Community support has also played a huge role in Hightail Delivery’s success. “It’s been a really great opportunity. I’m a small-town girl, and I’ve had a lot of support from my local community to help me get to where I am today,” she says. “There’s been a lot of anticipation around the cheese curds and excitement about using milk from our own dairy.”

Natalie with her daughter Stella.

Inspiring the Next Generation in Agriculture
In 2025, Paino was recognized as one of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s Women Impacting Ag honorees. Despite the recognition, Paino remains humble about her role as a young agricultural entrepreneur. “I’m only 25 years old, so I don’t always feel like I have advice to give,” she says. “But I do want to encourage people in any season of life to pursue what they love and follow their dreams.”

For Paino, the work is about more than building a business. It’s about preserving the future of her family’s farm and creating opportunities for the next generation. “The work I do means carrying on my family’s farming legacy and giving my children that same opportunity to get involved, should they so choose,” she says.

What’s Next for Hightail Delivery
Hightail Delivery products are currently available via pre-orders and farm pickups, with updates shared on the business’s social media pages. But Paino has an even bigger idea. “This summer, I plan to open a small retail area at the farm where people can purchase our products,” she shares.

For now, she continues to balance farming, cheesemaking, entrepreneurship and raising two young children — Stella and Malakai — all while building a new chapter for the family dairy.

Photo credit: Four Back Photography