Dairy cows. The one animal I swore we would never have because I thought we didn’t need them. But as with everything we farm here, it’s not what we think. It’s what God guides us to.
It became pretty apparent after our son was born that we would need to supplement him with additional milk. So by 6 months old he had his own goat. And when he started to max her out, we began searching for a cow that we “didn’t need.”
I stumbled upon Guernsey cows on the Livestock Conservancy website. I loved their rich red color, and the more I read about them the more I was convinced they were the breed for us. Not only do they produce more nutritional milk than any other breed of cow, but their milk also contains high levels of beta carotene. Our bodies convert beta carotene into vitamin A, which is way more beneficial than taking a vitamin supplement. Beta carotene has also shown to be beneficial for cancer patients. You see, my dad had been diagnosed with melanoma cancer that had spread to his liver earlier that year and was undergoing treatment. So a Guernsey could definitely benefit our family, and more importantly my dad.
We found our first girl on a small commercial dairy farm in Florida. I knew nothing about dairy cows then, but she was closer than any other farm and I wanted to take a chance on her. So Cam and my dad loaded up one Saturday morning and headed south.
Dad loved everything about that trip. They got to tour the dairy while there, and even check out the creamery. I remember Cam texting me to say he was ready to go, but turned around to find dad headed across their pasture with the owner (who we’ve now become friends with). He loved looking at farmland and talking to people about farming. We didn’t know it at the time, but it would be the last trip he’d go on to collect a new addition to the farm.
A few months later we very unexpectedly lost him. That was by far the hardest season we’ve been in and sometimes it still is. Dad was the biggest help to us here, both physically and in knowledge. We debated selling out and quitting the farm multiple times. We’d been at it for years, never once drawn a paycheck from the work we did, and had lost our biggest help to boot. But in the midst of our struggles, God showed us a need in our community.
When they brought Cinder home, I immediately vowed I wasn’t milking her. She was WAY bigger than the goats I was used to, but boy did she have the most gentle spirit. We didn’t realize what a diamond she was, and she taught us so much in our first year. Ole Cinder was intended for our family but she sparked a whole lot of interest from our community. Before we knew it, everyone was asking if we’d be selling raw pet milk.
So that one girl led to three within a years time. And we’ve steadily grown since.
Our operation looks much different now than it did just two years ago. Last year we started our official “micro-dairy” and obtained our commercial pet food license to sell our raw pet milk direct to consumer. We still produce pork, eggs and raw milk soap, but now also provide raw pet milk to 80 families a week with even more on an ever-growing waitlist. The state of Alabama doesn’t allow raw milk sales for human consumption, so we produce raw pet milk for our customers under our state issued commercial pet food license. That one girl has grown to a small herd of Guernsey cows, and we hope to soon be the only registered breeder of Guernsey cattle in the state.
Branching into the world of dairy has also allowed the farm to grow in ways we didn’t expect. Last fall we began our first ever semester of Farm School, which is a series of lessons on the farm for elementary aged kids. Each lesson gives them hands-on experience with a specific breed, product, or aspect about our operation. So far getting to hand milk one of the Guernsey’s has been the biggest hit! Today’s society is so far removed from our food sources. Farm School has been a great opportunity to educate the next generation and hopefully inspire some future farmers!
We’ve learned a lot along the way. We’ve had hard losses, but also gained so much knowledge through those experiences. Dairy cows have been good to us. If only my dad could see our [his] dairy now.
