A Natural Next Step

Understanding why we started a herdshare begins with our family’s effort to produce more of our own food. That journey grew through gardening, raising chickens, preserving fresh foods, and learning to replace commercially prepared products whenever we reasonably could.

Adding dairy goats felt like another natural step. However, goats require a substantial investment of time, shelter, equipment, feed, veterinary care, and daily hands-on work. Since we knew how much effort milking would require, we chose the best animals we could reasonably afford. Ellie and Nessa come from high-quality, high-producing dairy lines, making that commitment worthwhile for our family.
Then they began producing more milk than we could use ourselves.

That abundance sparked the idea for our herdshare.

Sharing the Choice

Not everyone has the room, property, time, or physical ability to keep dairy animals. Even a small herd needs secure fencing, suitable housing, reliable care, and someone available every day. A herdshare gives members partial ownership in a dairy animal rather than making them customers purchasing milk.
That distinction also matters under North Carolina law. The state does not allow raw milk to be sold directly to consumers for human consumption. Raw milk sold as animal feed must carry a non-human-consumption label.
However, North Carolina General Statute § 106-266.35 allows an independent or partial owner of a cow, goat, or other lactating animal to acquire raw milk for personal use or consumption. For someone who does not own and care for a dairy animal at home, a herdshare provides a legal path to make their own choice about whether to use their share raw or heat-treat it themselves.

Small and Personal by Design

Our small, personal farm naturally fits this arrangement. We keep shares limited so we can protect the goats’ welfare, maintain our standards, and know the people who share ownership in our herd.
Members can learn about Ellie and Nessa, see how we care for them, follow everyday farm life online, and eventually visit during member events. We want them to receive more than a jar of milk. We want them to feel connected to the animals, the work, and the farm behind it.
We did not create the herdshare as a path to quick profit. Member fees help offset part of the feed, supplies, and ongoing care, but they do not come close to covering every expense or hour of labor.

Ultimately, why we started herdshare comes down to choice, abundance, and connection. It allows us to share what our goats produce while giving a few local families a closer relationship with their food and the animals behind it.