It’s a membership to get raw dairy from our farm. We both sign a membership agreement allowing you, the customer, to get raw dairy from your own cows, by making you part owner in the farm. Matt and I retain all of the control, decision making, and care of the herd. Don’t worry, you don’t have to come out to the farm at 4:30 am and 4:00 pm all year long to help us milk! You pay a boarding fee for us to take care of your part of the herd. What the herd produces is divided up into shares. The more dairy you want, the more shares you buy.
1 milk share = 1/2 gallon = 1 bottle/jug = $7.50
1 yogurt share = 1 quart = 1 jar = $6.50
If we have excess milk, we will also have cream and butter shares. Cream shares are 1 pint and cost $8. Butter shares are 8-10 oz and cost $6. They are available first come first serve - you do not order them ahead of time.
Cash ONLY.
Yes, you can make a one time purchase of one half gallon without joining. You must come to the farm - bring your own container and $7.50 in cash.
1. Decide how many shares you plan to use. This is not designed to fluctuate from week to week, but if you find you need to adjust at first to get the right amount, you can - just give us proper notice.
2. Text Amy and confirm that there is an opening that will work in both of our schedules.
3. Pay a $10 fee and sign the membership agreement.
4. Pay deposits on glass, if you’d like to use glass ($7 for milk bottle; $3 for yogurt jar). Glass deposits are only made once. As long as you bring all the bottles or jars back CLEAN, you do not pay the deposit at each pickup. If you break or lose one, you will have to pay additional deposits. If you don’t want to use glass for milk, we also have plastic jugs. They cost 25 cents each and are not reusable - you pay for them each time.
Farm pickup is at 2506 90th St, Plato. You can put “Humble Beginnings Family Farm” into Google Maps.
It is from 8 am to 8 pm, daily. You can pick up biweekly (most common) or weekly.
You do not have to be here on the same day every time, but rather, you have a block of days when you can pick up and you must show up during that block.
Blocks are Monday/Tuesday, Wednesday/Thursday, and Friday/Saturday/Sunday.
Dropsite pickup is biweekly only and during a 30 minute window on certain Wednesdays. There is also a delivery fee of $3 each time.
If you decide to quit, increase, or decrease the number of shares you have - give me one week’s notice before your next pickup.
Because this part of the herd is reserved for only you, it cannot be sold to anyone else. If you are going to be out of town or unable to pick up, you will need to find someone else to pick up your shares or pay your boarding fee and skip that pick up.
Let’s say you want to join the Herdshare and pick up one gallon of milk every other week on the Monday/Tuesday block. You will text me to set up an appointment to meet you the first time, to show you where everything is, and answer your questions. At the first pickup, you will pay:
$10 membership fee, $14 for two glass bottle deposits, $15 for milk. $39 total - in cash.
At the next pickup, you will not have to make an appointment. Show up between 8 am and 8 pm on either Monday or Tuesday. You will bring back both of your glass bottles, clean, and pick up new ones. You will pay $15 for your 2 milk shares - in cash.
Cows don’t produce the same amount of milk all year long, and they each need a 6-8 week “vacation” from milking once a year right before they have a calf. If our production drops below projected levels and you are the newest member, I will contact you and put your shares on hold until we have enough shares again to bring you back, hopefully no longer than 6-8 weeks. Fortunately, we have never had to do this. Just know the possibility is there.