“Maybe someday we’ll write a book. And we’ll call it, How Not to Start a Goat Dairy.”
I may or may not have cried through the entire dinner. And all of White Elephant. And then a little bit more later after I put my babies to bed. And in case you’re wondering, I had the Victorian dress on the entire time, complete with bustle to make it extra pouffy. It really added to my “hysteria” vibe I’m sure.
Read MoreGive yourself some grace. We all want to be better, and for many of us, those changes start small. They also tend to have a snowball effect, so that when you’ve gotten comfortable with one change (you know, like buying cheese from a small farm), it becomes easier, and almost natural, to make another change, like buying sustainable clothing. Don’t beat yourself up. Do something, but not necessarily everything.
Read MoreWe should care that the animals producing our milk are given rich and full lives and we should care that the offspring they produce are treated equally well. Matthew and I refuse to be one of those dairies that dumps babies in slaughterhouses or local rescues and so this is our answer to a problem that has been slowly building over the years. It is, what we hope, the right solution for us as we continually work to build a sustainable business model that allows others to mimic what we are doing and start their own microdairies, while making a living wage.
Read MoreIn no way do I want to demonize large commercial dairy farmers. These hard working men and women love their cows, their land, their families, everything. That’s why they’re still on their farms, milking their animals, and fighting, like hell, to pay their bills. I feel confident in saying their perfect scenario would most likely be many small dairy farms, around major cities, providing milk for those cities. This would create a dynamic where a farmer can take pride in the quality of his or her milk, how well he cares for his herd, and the relationship he has with his customers. I can’t think of a single farmer who wants to be part of the only giant farm providing milk for the entire country. Diversification and smaller dairies is safer for our communities, better for our environment, and healthier for everyone involved.
Read MoreIt’s empowering to be around a creature that isn’t susceptible to the pressure of social norms. It’s freeing to laugh at farts. It’s fun to be the center of attention (which in a field full of goats you most definitely are). It’s magical to laugh with reckless abandon with a group of strangers because a goat dropped a pile of milk duds on your mat.
Read MoreIt’s so easy, especially in the world of social media, where the majority of everyone’s posts are their bests, a delicious meal at a fancy restaurant, flowers from a boyfriend, vacationing anywhere but where you are, to feel inadequate. That feeling can become crippling, debilitating.
Read MoreRunning a dairy is a recurring debit on your soul. An emotionally exhaustive expense that pulls from the depths of your being. Luckily, those of us who are called to farm take daily deposits that mean we can usually exist without being in the red…but sometimes it’s just one sucker punch after another and you find yourself curled up in the corner of a barn weeping uncontrollably.
Read MoreThe root of who I am is a person stands in me and me alone. My children are a living and breathing extension of my soul, yes. I would never argue with that. They are the only humans alive who know what my heart sounds like from the inside of my body, but they do not define me. Matthew, who healed me in ways I didn’t even know I was broken, is my husband yes, but he does not define me. This farm, these goats, all of these animals…they’re a part of my story but they aren’t my only story.
Read MoreThese amazing people, with taste buds of gold, are the “gatekeepers to the cheese.” When you don’t know what kind of cheese to buy for a party, or for dinner, or to go with a certain meal, or to scratch a certain “itch” your mouth has been asking for, you can ask them. Not only do they have an opinion, they have an opinion that’s backed by years of studying and appreciating cheese.
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