Farms: Small Dairy Startup

If you have thought about starting a small dairy in the Midwest, this workshop is for you. Set at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery, Illinois' first licensed farmstead goat dairy, you will hear detailed presentations on herd management, marketing, food safety regulations and more from farmowners Wes Jarrell and Leslie Cooperband, as well as Mark Hostetler, farm manager at Traderspoint Creamery in Zionsville, Indiana. You will also be able to ask your pressing questions of these small dairy experts, see the inner workings of a successful goat dairy and cheeserie, interact with the tools and equipment of the trade, and taste a sampling of the farmers' products. You will leave the workshop with a deeper understanding of the resources and skills needed to start a small dairy in the Midwest, including basic knowledge of animal husbandry, dairy processing, food safety, infrastructure needs, and marketing.