Maid-N-Meadows: Fall 2022 Update

         

     "We have come a long way, baby!", but somehow this year felt particularly challenging. Lol, I guess adding an expensive pasteurizer, a flock of sheep, more chores, more cheese, new recipe development and a first employee, probably has something to do with it. There was more fighting this year, fewer family suppers, and just over all exhaustion. I think when energies run low and there feels like no reprieve, tempers running short shouldn't be a surprise. The oldest children really held things together this year. They were the rock and foundation.

        That sounds crazy, to me because I never wanted or expected my children to be the foundation of our business operations. I wanted them to help, sure! But I wanted them to have a life of their own and seek out their own opportunities. Both Karson (17) and Jaden (15) pulled weight no one expected and well beyond expectations, while also holding a strict boundary of Sundays off. 

     They did the work they knew how to do and did it well, in a predictable fashion. And this is what held everything together this year! While Daniel and I burned out regularly, became unpredictable, and erratic in our function as we burned the candle at both ends, they were the turtles that just kept on marching toward the goal. They worked when they needed to and rested when they should have....and just basically showed up the adults in common sense when it comes to work life balance.

       Jaden brought home another blue ribbon for her cheddar to top it all off!

      Remember that pasteurizer?! Well, its 100 gallons bigger than we first intended! It arrived in July but the probes for the temperature recorder didn't arrive until October! So, we have yet to use it in a full run yet. But that has to happen fast now as we only had a year to complete the project, per the USDA grant. Its a bit overwhelming! But think of the fun stuff we can do with it! I can't wait for fresh mozzarella and cheese spreads galore!We can finally up our output too! 500 gallons of milk can be processed in a day!

       A few sheep are lambing and there is fencing to do. There are so many repairs on barns and fence posts....the garden fence needs repair. Our spring house roof is literally falling off! 😂 Laugh with us so we don't cry! This winter isn't going to prove much of a rest. But we have put our foot down, and the family is eating together again. Family movies are happening again. And life is just more cooperative and together in general. I guess we just needed a season of strife to remind us how much value we have in the slower pace. Karson will finally be moving in his own direction this summer. The younger boys are going to move up in responsibility, and somehow, we adults need to rebalance how we handle it all. Throw us some pointers if ya got any! Winter is a good time to chew on things like that.

The girls....chewing in the barn!

Managing CL In Goats

       

 Talking about CL in your own goat herd is a subject that fills many a goat farmer with shame. No one likes to talk about it or admit they have it on the farm. It is a disease that is incurable, gets in your soil, in your barn, and spreads through tools as well. Quite simply, it is gross and hard to get rid of without hard culling and testing. It was a sad day when I realized what we were facing.

Maid-N-Meadows: Spring 2020 Update

         Spring Has Sprung! 
      But we are still hunkered down, waiting for Covid to pass.....like everyone else, I suppose. How has everyone's spring been? We are really fortunate to have the farm to weather this "germ storm" on. Always lots to do and plenty of fresh air to do it in. The children were sporting their swim suits for the creek as soon as the thermometer hit 70 degrees!

     First priority, this spring, was sealing the walls of the facility. When our youngest was born, last fall, we were a little too busy at the hospital to get that done. By the time we got home, the temperatures were too cool for the wall sealer to dry properly. So we made do this winter, but the day the temperatures warmed up, Daniel was out there digging and sealing and putting a rock drain around the facility.

     Speaking of that precious baby, Elora, she has plumped out substantially. As of today, she is six months old and grabbing and reaching and rolling! She is a handful when she is teamed up with one year old, sister, Beulah! Good thing I have a lot of helpers who enjoy the tots!

           Spring is a big time for babies of all kinds, here on our farm. The sheep, lamb and the cows, calve. We got our very first black sheep out of an all white flock, this spring. Can't explain that one, but I can really relate to the original mean of "black sheep"! This sheep is sooo different and seemingly came from nowhere, genetically speaking. I am very excited about the wool, though. He is definitely staying on the farm!

         Red Ears, the cow, welcomed a beautiful little heifer to the farm, early this month. She is just the cutest little thing and a real live wire. She comes into the holding pen with her mother during milking, just like she is part of the team! We really love when this arrangement works because the calves are naturally comfortable with the sights and sounds of the milking parlor.

  So we have been busy around here! But before I sign off I want to give some recognition to Karson, who turns 15 this year. He has taken up welding and is doing a pretty good job! He has been building gates and doing odds and ends repairs for us this spring. Check out these gates he built! The little notch opening there is so the goats can get out to the big field without the cows getting in the goat barn. (Cow piles are a whole lot messier than goat piles! We prefer the cows hang out in their own barn. Plus cows don't really care to watch where they are going and I am always afraid they will step on baby goats!)

   We are looking forward to seeing everyone again at the farmer's markets and just plain being back out to meet and greet everyone. Hope everyone has stayed safe and looking forward to the summer! See y'all soon!

10 Things I love About Farming!

        The farm life is a life of passion and excitement! (Sometimes the excitement is not the fun kind, but there is never a dull moment!) Here are my top ten favorite things about living and working on a farm.

10. No Traffic And Comfy Clothes

 

Why We Started Maid-N-Meadows

           I have been sharing some of our journey in the cheese business, but I thought today I should share some of the personal reasons of why we actually started this journey to begin with. What really pushed us forward was a time of crisis in our family and marriage....this business, was actually born out of a serendipitous opportunity in a time of insane uncertainty. While our friends were supportive, there was no getting around that given the stress we were relating to, this was a rather risky time to invest in such a huge undertaking.

Early label design!

           Looking back though, I think the business was a beacon of hope. It was something that we could build together, even though at that moment  we had forgotten how to work together. The efforts we have undertaken to make our family stronger were and are valiant ones. But this business is still in the early stages and the hours are rough. I still look back in wonder at how far we have come, but I still wonder about the path forward!

Say CHEESE!

           Its been about a week and a half since we were finally approved to make cheese. Honestly, when we passed, it didn't feel real. I have told myself so many times, "We will be making cheese in a week!" So many times I have been very, very wrong! Meanwhile, the cheese was running low and then practically OUT! As it sits, our new cheese won't be ready until September. But hey, we are back making cheese and that is all that matters.

Goats And Winter Kidding

                 It has been a banner week for goats on the farm! We are at 17 kids born now and still have 2 days to go. This really wasn't something we planned. Kidding in late January, with day time highs in the 30's is really a recipe for disaster. Kids freeze before they dry and the nannies can't keep the warm enough on their own. A baby that is too cold to get up for a warm drink of milk, is doomed.

USDA Micro Loans, State Programs, Banks = Small Business Finance

       

       We have to build a facility, folks. The business looks viable, we have learned all we can from our mentor, and having accomplished these goals, we have to reduce our travel time and stress levels by bringing this business back home to the farm. But being a young business and this being the first year of working it full time and relying upon it for our financial needs, we just don't have the funds to throw up a facility.
          Before starting to look for financing, I combed the internet looking for the experiences of others. But I mostly came up empty handed. Weird! I know we are not the only farmers who have needed financing. We hate borrowing as much as the next person, but when it has to be done, it has to be done....so here is a run-down of the options we found and some tips and mistakes we learned from along the way.

Small Business Helpers

      There have been a few tools that have helped us keep our costs down, even if they have not always been terribly efficient. Starting out, dreams are often bigger than the pocket book, so sometimes flexibility and low out of pocket costs are the way to go. As we get the hang of things, we will certainly streamline the operation. But here are a few things that gave us a leg up.

        One tool we use ALOT is our little Brother label machine. It makes the barcodes our stores want and when we are experimenting with cheese types, ingredients, or names we can easily make a custom label. This gives us a lot of flexibility and allows customer feedback before we invest in full on production and labeling!

Small Business: Marketing Cottage Food

         

       Starting a business is like a maze of possibilities with twists and turns galore. The wrong path can cost the business its future, so careful choices are a must! We have made our share of mistakes in running Maid-N-Meadows. We have made the wrong product at the wrong time. We have taste tested product with stuffy noses, before shipping it out. (Please, don't make THAT mistake!) We have been inefficient and ill equipped for the task at hand....causing us to work around the clock. We have been wrong in our cost of product forecasts and labor forecasts....The list goes on and on!

Small Business and Big Families: Keeping It All Together Part 1

         Our family business,  Maid-N-Meadows, is our family's dream come true. We are providing other families with a healthy product and caring for our cows in a way that honors them. But beyond our obvious love of dairying and all things farm, is a dream to work, play, learn, and pray together as a family. I feel there are other families out there with the same goal and I wanted to share what we have learned so far. If there are veterans out there, we would love to hear from you and perhaps pick up a tip or two!

     

Simple Is Beautiful!

        Friends for over 5 years now, Amy and I have seen a lot of changes in each other's lives. One thing we have both sought after is a way to create with our hands and share those creations with others.  

        Our first priority is caring for our families. It has to be. Managing the home and helping our husbands is our highest calling. Our children are our greatest labor of love! But there is another side of us. We have a side that is craving to bless with the work of our hands.
       

Great Logo Design Roll-OUT

             Logos are a visual expression of one's business. It is the logo and name of the business that customers will remember.....so it has to be memorable! We worked with budding graphic designer, Elizabeth Hoffman, and lots of consumer feedback, to come up with the logo we have today.

Maid-N-Meadows: Full Circle Farming

 Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come;

‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

         These words describe our journey to this moment and the grace required to continue the dream. There have been many happy tears this week. There has also been a lot of driving, a lot of juggling, and not much sleep. We are exhausted, but feel triumphant!

         

Goats Part 2: The End At The Beginning

        Intro

     Knowing the "end" from the "beginning" is a good way to know if there is a niche to be filled. Having a plan for how our goats would produce an income for us reduced our risk and helped us envision a time when our investments would be returned. There are so many strategies to making an income with these animals. Let's explore a few of those options.
     

         Meat Goat Prices

     Checking out the USDA goat reports provides us with the ability to find the closest stock pen goat sale to ourselves. One can then review these reports and get a picture of what price goats are commanding. Printing these reports and charting the rise and fall of goat prices annually gives the farmer a picture of the cyclical demand. 

     In my neck of the woods, goat prices begin to fall sharply in July and begin to rebound again in October. Understanding what is happening to our market can lead to mindful breeding and production. Checking calendars created with goat eating holidays in mind can be helpful in understanding market fluctuations as well. Here is a good example of one such calendar! 

       Here in Kentucky, most producers are breeding for a March kidding with kids hitting the market from July to September.  This means there is a glut of kids hitting the market during these months. Also the major goat eating holidays often fall outside of these months. March is a particularly strong month for us as the buyers cater to the Easter holidays.

        Looking over a report one can see that the kids are graded and the slaughter nannies and bucks are sold by weight. Replacement nannies are often not listed as they are sold by the head. The grading system for the kids gives selection 1 the highest value. Usually there are not many in this pen, but they look very meaty. Selection 2 is where most kids of the meat breed fall. Selection 3 is for the kids of dairy breeds or poorly framed meat kids with little flesh. Here are some pictures and descriptions of grading for clarity.

     

     Meat Goat Stock Pen Strategies:

       Strategies for buying and selling at the stock pen are many. Some farmers buy young stock called feeder kids. These are in the 30lb to 45lb group. The selection 2 pen in this category is probably a less riskier bet than selection 3, but that is just a guess. These kids can be bought, taken home, and returned to market once they achieve the optimal weight for one's market. Locally that is 45-60lbs.      

         The advantage of this option is not having to maintain the nannie all this time and there can be a quick financial turn around. The downside is that some of these kids will die due to stress/illness. Most will be brought to market unweaned and the stress of the market, weaning, and any illnesses they have been exposed to at the market will make the first week in their new home critical. Remembering that the stock pen is a melting pot of all kinds of  communicable diseases, and wormer resistant parasites is essential. Once a chronic disease is on your farm it is hard to get rid of and some are communicable to cattle and sheep! Still, some farmers make a part of their living this way, so there are ways to be successful.

       Another strategy is to have some nannies and a buck and raise your own kids to the optimal slaughter weight. Here that weight for intact males and doe kids is 45-60lbs. But if we were to whether our males we could keep them much longer and they would continue to gain. Their carcasses are worth more at 80lbs than an intact buck. In this way, one could still have their does kid in March and avoid the market glut of July-September, selling in November/December instead. This is an interesting resource on marketing kids at the stock pen.

Replacement Stock and Dairy Production

     Replacement stock of any breed in demand is a niche many farms try to add to their basket of income producing eggs. Selling goats for seed stock or breeding stock often means saving only the best and culling the rest. But for a farm that is clean of chronic diseases, one can see a niche in directly selling even any basically sound doe on craigslist. If the buyer has the peace of mind that their new stock is free of disease and is looking for a bargain, then less than optimal stock could be sold at a higher rate than the stock pen. Enjoying customer relations would be a valuable asset for this type of strategy.

      Direct meat marketing is also an option.  Meat for sale to the public must be slaughtered at a USDA facility, but that meat can then be sold to stores, restaurants, and internet mail orders. By selling a goat live off the farm, the farmer can allow the customer to arrange for what ever slaughtering they prefer, saving that cost to the farmer in direct marketing.

      For those wanting to raise dairy goats and looking for an outlet for their milk, soap makers are a good connection to make. They will buy frozen milk, allowing the farmer to stock pile it and advertise on craigslist, ect when they have enough to make a sale worthwhile. Selling fluid milk in milk shares or even as pet milk is also an option if one takes the time to read up on the laws and regulations for their area. An inspected production facility to make cheese or pasteurize milk is an expensive option, but if goats become your passion it might be a path worth pursuing.

      Young dairy stock can be sold as breeding stock, slaughter animals at the stock pen, or trained to a cart and sold as working goats!

     Conclusion

      Whew! I am tuckered! This is not my favorite end of the business, but it is this end that allows me to enjoy these marvelous creatures at all! Understanding the "end" from the "beginning" gives a farmer confidence that their endeavors are wise investments....because one thing new farmers learn quick is that farming is the biggest gamble there is. 

      

Raising Goats!

Disclaimer: We love goats!

        

         We have been raising goats for the last 3 years now and love, love, love our goats. As farm animals go, they are personable and fun loving. Their size makes them manageable for just about any farmer, with a land requirement that is lower too! But most importantly, with the right market, they pay for themselves with some profit left over.