We have been very on the edge about continuing our dairy operation or not for the past few weeks. The thought has been running through our minds because as fall continues to roll right in, we’ve started to really think about our options for next year as we transition off of Willow Brook Farm. There are so many pros and cons with both scenarios that it has been a tough decision to make. It’s so funny for us to think back to when we started this at the beginning of 2016, and when we started here at Willow Brook Farm. We would never thought back when we learned how to raise goats and make cultured dairy products in a small kitchen of a rural homesteader in amish country Pennsylvania, that our products would be loved by so many. Our intention with the dairy products in the beginning was just to be able to have product to bring to market since our vegetable gardens were way behind in production. But slowly over time we got better at making the dairy products, and our customers started noticing and started spreading the word for us. The fact that we have been very consistent with the dairy has helped us a ton at developing a loyal customer base. So we’ve decided after almost two years of creating and working on the dairy aspect of our business, that it would be silly to quit and let it all go to waste. Recently our demand for our dairy products has gone up dramatically! As families have started to settle down from summer vacations and activities, we’ve noticed more steady foot traffic at the farmers markets we go too. And because of this we’ve had a shortage of milk lately, so last week we added two more Nubian goats in milk to our herd! We couldn’t have been happier with their personalities and how well they browse our pastures/woodlands. Their previous owner raised them completely organically so we’ve had a very easy transition for them at our farm.
