06/23/2024
NO MORE MILK UNTIL APRIL 2025!
Yes. You read that right.
We are having a REALLY hard time keeping up with demands and, if I can get a little personal with you, I would like to share our side of this. Because from the outside looking in it may seem simple. It’s not.
1. We only have one cow in milk. It’s not enough milk to keep up with customers. Fact.
2. Our son started to get sick October of 2023, resulting in a hospital stay this winter and a HUGE LIFE CHANGE! Cows weren’t bred. The pigs didn’t farrow. The garden was neglected. But Henry is ok. That’s what matters.
3. We are barely able to drink our own cows milk. Having only one cow, we put about 3 gallons out a day and it’s often gone within the hour. GONE! Then I get messages and complaints from customers. Which I am very sorry about. But I never claimed we would have enough milk to feed all of Addison County. I would need a much bigger barn! Which is expensive!
4. It’s super expensive. Everything is expensive right now. Just the insurance alone to cover raw milk is expensive. But the jars, SO EXPENSIVE! Grain and hay are doable! Because they’re local. But! The sales aren’t covering the costs. Then! I’m still buying in personal dairy from the store. Which is expensive! That’s silly! I milk a cow every day!
5.. Even if I didn’t sell raw milk, I would still have a small herd of cows. I love swimming in milk and butter and cheese and cream and and and, you get the picture. Not being able to even get a jar of our own milk feels silly. So to protect our own farm and family, I’m just going to call it! When all the cows give birth this spring and I’m swimming in milk again, I’ll give it another shot.
I’m sorry. I really am. We got so popular so fast and then had a life changing year. The farm stand is still open! We have loads of good stuff offered every day! 8am - 8pm!
Thank you for understanding,
The Hart Family
