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Opportunity to live in a homestead and run your own micro-dairy business

 
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Background - I breed and raise a rare breed of dual purpose cattle - the Native Milking Shorthorn. This breed has a special section within the American Milking Shorthorn herdbook. It was set up in the 1990's by a group of Shorthorn breeders who were concern at the amount of outcrossing that had taken place over the years - beef breeders outcrossing to other beef breeds and dairy breeders outcrossing to other dairy breeds with the goal of 'improving' the Shorthorn breed. Meanwhile, the original breed type was being diluted to the point that type was on the verge of extinction. The breed is still classified by the Livestock Conservancy as 'threatened'. The specification for the Native Milking Shorthorn is that all points of its pedigree must trace back to the original 1822 Coates herdbook - essentially stock originally imported from England and early generations from that stock.

The Native breed is highly grass efficient, compliant, low key and friendly. I have been breeding for several years and this year will have enough lactating cows to establish as a certified raw milk dairy. I am looking for someone who might want to come live on my farm and make a business of selling raw milk and raw milk products. This would essentially be an agricultural tenancy. You wouldn't own the land or the animals - which lowers the business risk for someone keen on dairying.

We have over 100 acres and have been slowly implementing permaculture features and improving pasture. There is a large farm garden, shared with two other tenants. There is lots of opportunity for other homesteading type activities - poultry, rabbits, mushroom growing, etc. You would need to have your own RV, but a pad, water, and electric is available. Also available are two milking machines, barns and other equipment.

My interest is in breeding, expanding and promoting the breed. But its a shame for these lovely cows to not be employed in producing clean, nutritious raw milk for the community. Raw milk in the Idaho Panhandle is selling for $15+ per gallon and there seems to be a good market for product. In Idaho, raw milk produced under an Idaho license can be sold retail as well as direct to the consumer.

Applicants MUST be experienced in dairy production, love cows and have the desire to start up and run your own business. Might suit a small homeschooling family as there is a fantastic homeschooling network in this area.

Located north of Saint Maries Idaho.

If interested, send an email to mary.combs@btopenworld.com
 
pollinator
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Mary Combs wrote:Background - I breed and raise a rare breed of dual purpose cattle - the Native Milking Shorthorn. This breed has a special section within the American Milking Shorthorn herdbook. It was set up in the 1990's by a group of Shorthorn breeders who were concern at the amount of outcrossing that had taken place over the years - beef breeders outcrossing to other beef breeds and dairy breeders outcrossing to other dairy breeds with the goal of 'improving' the Shorthorn breed. Meanwhile, the original breed type was being diluted to the point that type was on the verge of extinction. The breed is still classified by the Livestock Conservancy as 'threatened'. The specification for the Native Milking Shorthorn is that all points of its pedigree must trace back to the original 1822 Coates herdbook - essentially stock originally imported from England and early generations from that stock.

The Native breed is highly grass efficient, compliant, low key and friendly. I have been breeding for several years and this year will have enough lactating cows to establish as a certified raw milk dairy. I am looking for someone who might want to come live on my farm and make a business of selling raw milk and raw milk products. This would essentially be an agricultural tenancy. You wouldn't own the land or the animals - which lowers the business risk for someone keen on dairying.

We have over 100 acres and have been slowly implementing permaculture features and improving pasture. There is a large farm garden, shared with two other tenants. There is lots of opportunity for other homesteading type activities - poultry, rabbits, mushroom growing, etc. You would need to have your own RV, but a pad, water, and electric is available. Also available are two milking machines, barns and other equipment.

My interest is in breeding, expanding and promoting the breed. But its a shame for these lovely cows to not be employed in producing clean, nutritious raw milk for the community. Raw milk in the Idaho Panhandle is selling for $15+ per gallon and there seems to be a good market for product. In Idaho, raw milk produced under an Idaho license can be sold retail as well as direct to the consumer.

Applicants MUST be experienced in dairy production, love cows and have the desire to start up and run your own business. Might suit a small homeschooling family as there is a fantastic homeschooling network in this area.

Located north of Saint Maries Idaho.

If interested, send an email to mary.combs@btopenworld.com



Amazing opportunity!!

Wanted to bump this where the right person might see it.
 
Mary Combs
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Thank you Karen. So far no one has come forward to talk about doing this micro-dairy business.

Hopefully someone will find this to be of interest to them!
 
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Location: Stone Garden Farm Richfield Twp., Ohio
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We do much the same thing here in N. Ohio. Just wanted to say to anyone considering selling milk as nature intended it, we make a whooping amount of income selling to many happy buyers. It is a great business.
 
pollinator
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Perhaps more details about what work and skills are needed or can be acquired.
What is needed to actually sell milk, health requirements etc.
 
 
Mary Combs
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Hi John

Here are some additional things to think about.

We are in resilience mode at the farm and in this region of North Idaho generally. The region has become a homesteader destination with many people preparing to survive whatever comes next in the current crazy situation the US finds itself in. We are in about as safe a location and community setting as is likely to be available over the next few years, and that should be an equally attractive feature as the actual business opportunity itself.

Anyone taking up this opportunity needs to come prepared to work at being self-sufficient rather than thinking there will be 'training' available. We are about 3.5 hours drive from Wheaton Labs for anyone wanting to top up on their training. The residents on the farm are all learning together - albeit, I have 2 PDCs and have been developing permaculture features on this farm for 10 years. Applicants need to already have the right to live and work in the US and must not be legally precluded from exercising their 2nd amendment rights (rural area = predators).

Raw Milk dairying does carry risks and liabilities that can be mitigated through scrupulous hygiene. The business opportunity would favor someone who is already well familiar with dairy cows - even if that is conventional rather than raw milk production. I operate a 'closed herd', albeit I would consider buying in a calf to obtain fresh genetics - but never an adult. We already have a biosecurity program in place that periodically tests for cattle diseases.

For anyone contemplating making the change from conventional to Raw Milk in Idaho state, some key references to read up on would include:

  • https://www.rawmilkinstitute.org/purpose
  • https://agri.idaho.gov/main/animals/dairy-bureau/raw-milk/
  • https://www.today.com/food/what-a2-milk-everything-you-need-know-today-t213875


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