Looking for the following:
Type of opportunity:
Sale (Standard), Sale (Owner Financed), Lease (5+ Years), Lease with Option to Buy, Business Partnership, Employment with Transfer.
More info: We are a cheesemaker / dairy farmer couple with combine 30 yrs experience, looking to start our own farmstead creamery. Open to goat or cow, depending on land suitabililty; willing to relocate to anywhere grass grows. We bring diverse experience in sustainable land and water management; dairy, meat, orchard and veg production; food processing, sales and marketing; carpentry and mechanics.
Equipment & infrastructure:
Fencing, Well / Pond / Other water source, Livestock facilities, Farmer housing.
More info: Able to construct all needed infrastructure for dairy and creamery, though some existing animal housing and fencing is preferred.
Housing onsite is ideal, but not required.
Current production on farm:
Cattle (Dairy/Beef), Hay or pasture, Sheep/Goat (Dairy/Meat).
More info: We can work with pasture in any state, but productive land that has been managed sustainably is ideal.
Current farming practices:
Ecological production but not certified.
More info: Prefer land that can be certified organic, but can work with transitional.
Qualifications and goals:
Previous farming experience:
Manager
Number of years experience:
15
Other qualifications:
Academic degree in agriculture or related field.
More info: Cheesemaker with 10+ year experience. Cheese has won national awards. Extensive food safety training.
Dairy farmer with degree in Hydrology. 20+ years experience in ecological land and water management.
Production goals:
Cattle (Dairy/Beef), Hay or pasture, Sheep/Goat (Dairy/Meat).
More info: Primarily dairy and cheese processing. Beef, meat kids, meat chickens if appropriate. Possibly other dairy products, fruit and vegetable production if land and market can support.
Personal experience and production goals summary:
After 10+ years of managing farms and cheese plants, with a focus on turning troubled operations toward health and profitability, we are now positioned to start our own venture. We look forward to combining these experiences to build an efficient, sustainable farmstead creamery.
Depending on available land and infrastructure, we are open to either: 1) a small goat dairy, producing lower volume of cheese and focusing on retail sales, or 2) a larger cow dairy, larger production volume and focus on wholesale market.
We ultimately plan to run a diverse, healthy farm that can sustain our family and employee. While in early stages we will focus on building dairy production and sales to a profitable scale, adding other components and complexities as the core operation stabilizes. Other possible ventures include: compost, vermiculture, orchard fruit, specialty vegatables, non-dairy meat livestock.
