Half Day Creamery Brings Full-Time Flavor

Russell Yarnell was working his first engineering job out of college when, in a conversation with his manager, he commented on how different the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule was from the flexibility of school. With a playful grin, his boss replied, “You want to work half days? You can work the light half of the day or the dark half!”

What began as a joke turned into a new venture for Russell — one that only increased his workload.

In 2016, Russell began making yogurt in his kitchen. He’d noticed a lack of locally made yogurt in a market where Kansas-made goods were otherwise plentiful. Plus, digging into different kinds of machinery and solving new problems was an exciting prospect. With a couple of three-gallon stockpots, milk from Kansas dairies and an engineer’s mind for tinkering, Russell started to experiment.

“At first, I just wanted to see if locally made yogurt would sell. I enjoyed the process but didn’t want to spend thousands of dollars on equipment in case it didn’t work out,” said Russell.

He started small, selling his yogurt at the Lawrence Farmers Market. But first, the business needed a name.

“I wanted something unique,” said Russell. “I also didn’t want to limit myself to anything too specific to Kansas in case the business expanded into other states. I thought back to the conversation with my boss, and Half Day Creamery was born.”

Not only did the yogurt sell well, but Russell also loved chatting with customers and hearing their ideas for future products and flavors. Based on the positive feedback, he set his sights on entering the world of wholesale.

“I reached out to The Merc Co+op in Lawrence and asked what it would take to be put on their shelves,” said Russell. “They gave me a checklist of requirements, and those bullets became my guidelines."

As the Farmers Market season came to a close, fans of Half Day Creamery were eager to know where they could get their yogurt fix during the off-season. So, on his way home, he visited The Merc — this time with a few jars in hand.

“I stopped by the store and asked again about being a vendor. I happened to have a few jars of yogurt on me, so I left those behind with my contact information,” said Russell.

The following Monday, Russell received an email. His yogurt was a hit, and The Merc wanted to stock Half Day Creamery. Today, Russell’s focus is wholesale. What started in those three-gallon stockpots on his kitchen stove grew into Half Day Creamery using just under 1,500 gallons of milk in 2024 production.

Output has grown, but Russell is still operating the business from home with a separate licensed kitchen in the basement. Working from home adds a layer of convenience, both in production and in the delivery of goods.

“When my kids are around, I’ll sometimes ask them for help labeling or making deliveries,” said Russell. “In fact, when my son was 17, he needed hours of driving experience, so we’d go on delivery runs together. He got his practice, and the yogurt got to where it needed to be.”

In 2025, Half Day Creamery hired its first (non-family member) part-time employee. While Russell appreciates the difference a good employee can make, he jokes he’s no longer Employee of the Month.

Russell still works full-time as an engineer. Half Day Creamery adds to his workload, but the endeavor is worth it, because he’s passionate about his business.

“Locally made food is important,” Russell said. “Regional food draws you in — there’s something about its uniqueness that captures the area.”

Speaking of local flavors, Russell has his eyes on rhubarb yogurt in the future. For now, Half Day Creamery offers a set-style (thicker) whole milk yogurt, plus two Greek yogurts: lemon and honey.

Beyond the world of yogurt, more may be in store.

“I’m trying to figure out if it’s the actual dairy I’m drawn to or the fermentation of the milk to make yogurt,” Russell said. “So, I’ve been thinking about other products out there and what’s missing from our local market, which led me to soy sauce. That can’t be too hard to make, right?”

For Russell, the process is likely as easy as pie. Or, more appropriately, as easy as yogurt.

Find Half Day Creamery products at the following locations: