Monday, March 8, 2010

Goals

Nick and I have been talking about plans, goals, and priorities; I thought I would share them. Where to start?

*In no particular order

Organic In order to be certified organic our cows need to eat 100% organic food for one year. They are currently eating 80% organic feed and 20% conventional. We are planning to grow enough corn starting this season and to feed the herd year round. That will enable us to feed 100% organic feed without having to transport feed from up north. Goal: to be certified organic by fall of 2011.

Sales Our goal is to be selling 2000 pounds of cheese per month at local farmers markets, restaurants, and other retail locations.

Charity When we reach our sales goal we will begin to give 3% of our gross sales to three local organizations. I am currently researching which three.

Cheese I want to continue to develop my cheesemaking skills, and produce a wide variety of fabulous cheeses that reflect the seasons, the weather, the grass, the cows, the kids and calves and love, everything that is our farm. Our cheese is going to grow and change and progress, like our family, like me, like you and yours. Together. Better.

Green I want to be able to improve and get more efficient, at everything. We make as many sustainable and ecologically sound decisions as possible, we grow most of our own food, cloth diaper, drink tap water, compost, recycle, use a sustainable woodlot, but there is so much more we would like to do. We have the capacity to grow a fuel/feed crop, make biofuel, feed the byproduct to the cows, and have a carbon neutral fuel to produce and distribute our cheese. We plan to harness the hydro power of Raccoon Creek to generate our own electricity and get chickens. We also would like to use methane digestion to heat our boiler and our home.

Homeschooling maybe


Night all

Celeste

PS: I made* poutine, so should you.

*and photographed, but I’m rural and have to wait until I’m in town to email pics from my cell phone.

3 comments:

  1. Great post! Thanks for sharing your lives with us.

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  2. Great post, would like to know the scoop re: your cloth diapers---are they the regular old fold-it-yourself type? Like I used to use? I'm asking because my daughter, who is contemplating a future baby would like to do cloth, so I'm wondering what moms use now. thanks

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  3. This is amazing. It makes me so excited for you guys. I know your family can do it all!

    And keep me in mind when your business starts to grow and you need to hire a larger cheese making staff! ;)

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