CUSTOMER FEATURE: Appetite for Change. This Minneapolis-based non-profit is one of our newest partners. Its mission is to use food as a tool to build health, wealth, and social change in North Minneapolis. The organization brings people together to learn, cook, eat and grow food, creating change that lasts.
 
Access to fresh food has been a longtime challenge for North Minneapolis. At one time there were many grocery stores in the community, now there are mostly fast-food places.  The one grocery store remaining was shut down for several months due to damage from the George Floyd protests. 
 
Appetite for Change co-founders Princess Haley and LaTasha Powell recognized chronic health conditions are often linked to a poor diet. If a community has limited access to fresh food, it makes it more challenging for folks to heal and overcome these health concerns.
 
“If health is linked to how we eat, and people in [our] community have little access to fresh food, they cannot be well in other ways,” said Haley in a recent Minnesota Public Radio story.
 
Since the pandemic, Appetite for Change has been partnering with Minnesota Central Kitchen and Loaves and Fishes to provide free community meats for North Minneapolis and the Twin Cities at large, producing 7,500 meats a week. 
 
In addition to its own farm plots, Appetite for Change also sources ingredients from other regional farms. Appetite for Change kitchen manager and chef Jim Pfeffer recently used our goat meat with several recent community meals: dirty rice featuring goat offal and goat curry served with corn on the cob and coconut rice (see in photos). 
 
Appetite for Change offers a variety of programs, including

• 7 farm plots across North Minneapolis, which the fresh fruits + veggies are distributed to the community
• Community Cooks: workshops on preparing and enjoying new ingredients and recipes; 400+ homes receive Community Cooks Meal Boxes that go along with the workshops
• Training: Programs focused on leadership, urban farming, culinary, advocacy, job skills 
• Northside Fresh: Network of community members, organizations, and businesses working together for food justice in North Minneapolis

The organization also has several food ventures: Breaking Bread Catering + Café, Station 82 Drink + Eatery, and the West Broadway Farmers Market. 
 
To learn more about Appetite for Change and the compelling stories of its founders Haley and Powell, visit my profile link to read or listen to the feature MPR article, A garden is the frontline in the fight against racial inequality and disease by Yuki Noguchi. 

Learn more about Appetite for Change:

• Website
• MPR Story: A garden is the frontline in the fight against racial inequality and disease

Article source: MPR: A garden is the frontline in the fight against racial inequality and disease, by Yuki Noguchi, November 2020. www.mprnews.org/story/2020/11/27/npr-a-garden-is-the-frontline-in-the-fight-against-racial-inequality-and-disease

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 6-8 hours
Cuisine: Indian
 
Ingredients:

• 1.5 Tbsp garam masala (I use Ancient Indian Spice)
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp smoked paprika 
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 2 lbs. goat stew meat or goat shanks or goat leg/roast cubed (Cylon Rolling Acres)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp. minced garlic (I use the refrigerated jar)
• 2 tsp. ginger
• 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
• 1/3-1/2 cup of coconut cream (I like Thai kitchen) more to mellow the heat
• Cayenne pepper as desired, for more heat

 
Serve with rice and naan (my bread machine flat bread/naan recipe here). 
 
Instructions: 

1. If using a leg of goat or goat roast, cut to 1-2 inch cubes. The recipe will take longer to cook if it’s not cut up.
2. Mix garam masala, cumin, turmeric, smoked paprika, sea salt, pepper and cayenne pepper (if desired for more heat). Rub the mix on the goat meat. Any remaining seasoning can be put into the slow cooker.
3. Heat the butter in a pan over medium heat. Sear most of the sides of the goat meat in the pan. As meat finishes, place pieces into the slow cooker. Depending on how much meat is used and the size of your pan, you may need to cook in two batches. 
4. Once the goat meat is seared, place the onion and garlic in the same pan. Cook until translucent and the ends are slightly brown.
5. Add ¼ cup of water in the pan with the onions. Scrape the pan to loosen any remaining seasoning or meat. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker. 
6. In the slow cooker, add the ginger and tomato sauce. Stir until well mixed.
7. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. More time may be needed for larger cuts of meat (up to 8 hours). If possible, stir 1-2 times during the cooking time. Cook until tender and the meat easily shreds with a fork. 
8. If your cuts of meat had bones, take out the bones as you separate any meat from the bones. 
9. Add the coconut cream. Use more cream for a mellower, less spicy flavor.
10. Serve over rice with a side of naan.

 
Adapted from www.thekitchn.com

​You may not believe it, but our goats do pretty well in the winter. In fact, our goats seem to do better with cold over heat and humidity. 

So how are we keeping them cozy with our current cold snap?

1: Keep the barn + shelters bedded down with straw. Keep layering it over the old stuff. It acts as insulation and as it breaks down it also gives off heat. 

2: Keep access to hay 24/7 to help keep their rumens (tummies) warmer. 

3: Keep up decent airflow in the barn/shelter. It can be tempting to try to keep the cold air out, but it can potentially do more harm. It can cause condensation and even lead to respiratory issues, which can be hard for goats to fully recover from. Keep them dry + away from drafts, then you're good 

 ILearn more about what cuts of goat meat come with a whole goat order from our farm.

A standard whole goat order typically comes with 25-30 lbs. of meat, offal and bones including:

• 2 - Leg of goat (about 3-3.5 lbs. total)
• 2 - Shanks (2 per pack) (about 2-2.5 lbs. total)
• 2 - Roasts (2.5-4 lbs. total)
• 2 - Rib chops packs - 1 lb. each (about 2 lbs. total)
• 2 - Chops packs - 1 lb. each (about 2 lbs. total)
• 2 - Shoulder steaks packs - 1 lb. each (about 2 lbs. total)
• 3 - Ground 1 lb. packages (3 lbs. total)
• 3 - Stew Meat 1 lb. packages (3 lbs. total)
• Bones and offal (liver, heart, kidneys and tongue) about 7 lbs.

If you're interested in ordering a whole goat, visit our online store. Deciding if a whole goat order is right for you? Read our blog post: 7 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Whole Goat.

​Q. When your pasture is dormant, how do you feed your goats? A. Bale grazing! 

Bale grazing has been an incredible practice for us on our farm.

Feeding our goats outside had allowed us to keep our barn cleaner. It reduces the need for equipment use since the bale residue and manure stays outside. 

Aside from nutrition, it also encourages the goats to get exercise, which is good for muscle (meat) development. More time in the fresh air also helps reduce respiratory issues.

Once we have snow the bale residue is also a great ”sunning” spot for our goats. We’ll often find them hanging out in these areas since it's nice and dry.

Finally, probably the best benefit (yes I'm a nerd), is the leftover bale residue and the 🐐 manure and urine. What?! Yep. The bale residue adds more organic matter to our pastures and adds to the seedbed. The goats are doing the fertilization for us.  In the spring the bale grazing sites will start to work their magic helping us strengthen the health and quality of pastures without the need for any further seed or nutrients.

This bale is strategically placed in an area with minimal topsoil. We don't have a bale feeder on it because I want more residue in this area.

All winter bales will be strategically placed in our pastures where there is a greater need for the soil. A bale is always placed in a new site to maximize its full potential.

P.S. If you're wondering if we only have one goat in this pasture, we don't. Our young stock/market goats are always a bit wilder than our breeding stock since they haven't been handled as much 😆. I assure you this goat has many friends. 

One of the best parts of living in Wisconsin is our wide range of seasons. Well, at least I think so. When it comes to winter, I often get questions on how my goats handle the cold weather and snow. They do just fine. 

In November our weather will usually start to make the transition to winter with temps in the teens to single digits, snowfalls are common. January through February is usually our coldest weather of the season with temperatures usually in the single digits or below zero. Often there’s a stretch of weather -25, which usually lasts only a few days. In March the weather starts to gradually warm-up.

It Starts with the Herd
Livestock are a lot heartier than we may think. While my goats are farm animals, goats themselves in the wild original as mountain animals. They originally were designed to live in a rugged environment with a range of temperatures, including cold weather. 

On our farm, we’ve bred in the Kiko breed to help build a heartier herd (which is a Boer-Kiko cross), that thrive on pasture and is self-sufficient, including handling nature’s elements. 

Transitioning to Winter
We help our goats adjust to winter by keeping them outside on pasture as long as possible as the weather transitions from fall to winter. This helps their bodies adjust to the temperatures and grow a thick coat to help keep them warm throughout winter. At first, they aren’t fans of the temperature change and they’ll bleat at me about it. Then, after a few weeks later, they’ll be adjusted and don’t make much of a fuss. 

During this time, they’ll still have access to pasture shelters, which keeps them dry and blocks them from the wind. We’ll bed those shelters with straw to keep it clean and dry. 

Additionally, we feed hay in the winter. The hay ferments in their rumen, creating heat for the animals, helping them stay warm from within. Between their body heat and snuggling together, they keep fairly warm in the shelters.

Once our weather is consistently in the single digits, we’ll transition the herd to the barn for their winter shelter. We have a flap on the door to keep block the wind and keep snow out. They would do fine in their pasture shelters as long as they’re kept bedded and dry. We have the barn, so we choose to use it.

The herd will continue to feed on round bales out in the pasture, to make sure they are getting adequate exercise and help keep the barn cleaner. As a side benefit of feeding outside the leftover hay and goat fertilizer helps our pasture thrive the next season by adding to the seedbed and providing more nutrients.

With exposure to fresh air, they also tend to have fewer respiratory issues. Moving back and forth from the feeders to the barn also helps them generate more body heat. 

In the Barn
While the goats have full access to the barn, we will bed their pens regularly to make sure it stays clean and dry. We keep adding to the bedding throughout the winter season. This “deep pack bedding” acts as an insulator and generates heat as it gradually breaks down at the base. 

We’ll also keep an eye on the airflow in the barn and condensation and run our ventilation system when needed as well. We will make sure the barn is free of drafts as well. It’s also important to not have the barn close too “tight” as well. Some flow of fresh air is good.

The water source in our barn is a frost-free hydrant. We don’t use automatic waterers. I like to just use the low 60-gallon tanks or the “muck” tubs for smaller pens. We use drop-in heaters to keep the water from freezing and a heated hose for filling the tanks in the main barn. 

In our machine shed, we have an overflow pen, but we don’t have water in that barn. We will use three 100-foot expandable hoses with shut off valves (like the “as seen on TV” hoses) to fill the tank in the other barn from the hydrant. When we are done, we’ll coil up the hose and put it in our heat milk house room in the barn so it doesn’t freeze. This has worked better than hauling buckets or filling a large tank.

Severe Weather: Extreme Cold or Major Snowfall
If we hit a really cold stretch or anticipate a big snowstorm, we may close the barn door and feed the goats inside. 

If it's an especially snowy winter, we will also plow paths in the pasture to help the goats get to their hay feeders. We’ll also strategically plow snow to create windbreaks. 

We also try to keep an eye on the snow load on the barn roof as well, to make sure we don’t have a collapsed roof issue and then have to figure out how to house our animals while it gets fixed.

Health Concerns
We see fewer health issues with our goats in the wintertime than in the summer. High heat, wet summers and temperature swings in the spring are harder on the animals (pneumonia, parasites, other pathogens, etc,). 

It may be natural to think that we should keep our goats in an insulated, heated barn, however it can lead to more health problems. An enclosed barn without ventilation can run the risk of respiratory issues such as pneumonia.

We also do not kid in the coldest months in our Wisconsin winters to avoid the risk of pneumonia or hypothermia. There are goat farms who do kid in winter, we just choose not to do so. It’s easier on the goats and ourselves as farmers. 

If it is a late “spring” from Mother Nature and kidding as started, we may use jackets for our goats for the first week. Then we will transition them off to help the goats get adjusted to the temperature. In general, jackets are usually not necessary. We’ll also use heat lamps with kidding stalls and infrared heaters in the creep area to keep kids warm and safe from the bigger goats.


Livestock are hearty animals. Ruminants do a great job of keeping themselves warm from within through fermentation in their rumen. As farmers, we make sure they have access to dry, draft-free shelters and they do quite well throughout the winter months.

Drop in tank heaters / deicers: We use a variety of tank heaters depending on the size of the livestock  water tank and the placement (is it outdoors, is it near an open door, inside, etc.). I try to size the heater to the tank and also minimize the wattage (check the box for the size) to keep our electric bill down and not overload our electric circuits in the barn. 

I prefer to use drop in heaters vs buckets with heaters built in because sooner or later the heater will die. I'd rather replace the heater than everything.

The Perfect Bucket Heater by K&H Pet is my favorite for the muck bucket tanks (see picture). It's small and only uses 80 watts. Why use a big heater if you don't have too?

​I also like having a couple extra heaters on hand. I always seem to have one that decides to stop working in early spring when most farm stores stop restocking their shelves with winter supplies.

Heated hose from K&H Pet, 40 ft. We use this at our hydrant to fill our main livestock tank in the winter. We will plug it in before we need to use it and then it's ready to go. Each time we use it we make sure to keep the end that screws on the hydrant "up" so excess water doesn't freeze in the opening, making it hard to unthaw. We've been using this hose year-round for hour seasons.

Expandable hose by XHOSE, 3 100 ft hoses to run from the water hydrant in our main goat barn to our machine shed to all for filling up the water tank in our overflow pen.

When we use heat lamps I really like the Prima Heat Lamp from Premier 1 Supplies since it is durable and has a number of features that make it safer than the traditional heat lamp. Caution should always be used with heat lamps in barns to avoid fires.

I really like the Sweeter Heaters, they're an infrared heater. No lamp, just heat. They're much safer than using a heat lamp, to help avoid the fire risk. A bonus is that they are owned and manufactured by a family in northern Wisconsin!

This blog post was originally published 2/14/20 and was updated 11/30/20.

Today we welcomed the 73rd Alice in Dairyland (Julia Nunes) to our farm as part of our celebration of Goatober. We were able to talk about how we raise our goats on pasture, goat meat trends, and how we direct market our meat.

For our non-Wisconsin friends, ”Alice” is a one year, full-time public relations position with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Julia, the current Alice, spends her time promoting all things Wisconsin agriculture.

We were excited to be able to host her at the farm and make a short trip north to the Farm Table Foundation to learn about their work with local food culture and tour their facility. I am one of many farms in a 40-mile radius that supplies the Farm Table with hyper-local food.

This recipe is more of a guide to cooking goat stew meat with a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot. You'll find that after you follow the directions, you may make adjustments on when you add ingredients and other seasonings (before the pressure cook or after), as well as how much cooking liquid to remove.  

By using the pressure cooker, this is a no fail way to easily cook your goat meat so it's tender and flavorful without spending hours in the kitchen. It allows you to use your favorite goat recipe or keep it simple with a seasoning kit or a jar of sauce from the grocery store. 

Ingredients 
1 lb. – Stew goat meat or roast or shanks chopped into cubes – order here
1 tbs. – Butter or your favorite fat/oil for sautéing 
1-2 cups – Bone broth – goat or beef, bullion/water mix or water
 
Your choice of sauce, curry or scratch sauce recipe 
Your choice of veggies
Your choice of side rice, noodles, flat bread, tortillas 
 
Directions

1. Thaw goat meat if frozen. Lightly salt and other seasonings to the meat, if desired.
2. In the pressure cooker’s inner pot with the lid off, sauté the meat on medium heat in butter or your favorite fat or oil to brown the meat. It does not need to be fully cooked.
3. Add any chopped vegetables for the purpose of adding flavor to the meat during the cooking process. I added chopped onion. You can sauté them with the meat, or just add with the next step. This is optional. If you’d like vegetables in your dish as a side, wait to add them after the pressure cooking is complete. 
4. Add any sauces or seasonings, pre-made or scratch recipe. If the sauce includes any cream/milk (dairy or coconut) or yogurt, wait to add them until after the pressure cooking. After following this recipe, you may find it more ideal to add your seasonings or sauce afterwards or before. 
5. Add 1-2 cups of bone broth (bullion/water or water) to the mix. If you’re not adding a sauce until after the cooking is complete, add 2 cups of broth to make sure the meat is completely submerged. Mix ingredients in the inner pot until everything is combined.
6. Put the lid on and properly secure it. Set it for 45 minutes, high pressure, with a natural release (let it slowly release the pressure on its own).
7. Once the natural release is complete
   1. Your dish is ready if it’s already seasoned and no vegetables need to be added. You may wish remove half of the liquid, but it is not necessary. 
   2. If your recipe calls for cream/milk/yogurt, remove at least half of the liquid (about 1 cup), then mix in the cream/milk/yogurt and any other ingredients and vegetables. Set to the simmer setting at medium with the cover off. Cook for about 15 minutes. Stir frequently to make sure it doesn’t stick. Turn down temperature if needed. 
   3. If you want to just add vegetables, remove about half of the liquid (about 1 cup), then mix in the vegetables. Set to the simmer setting at medium with the cover off. Cook for about 10-15 minutes. Stir frequently to make sure it doesn’t stick. Turn down temperature if needed.
8. You’re ready to serve your dish with your other sides of choice, such as rice, noodles, flat bread or tortillas, depending on your type of recipe. 

Other tips:

• If you want an easy, no fuss option, you can opt for a sauce in jar. When I made this recipe last, I used a Tikka Masala Curry that I bought off the shelf at the grocery store. 
• This works well with curries or for Mexican or other Latin American dishes as goat barbacoa for tacos or birria. There are a lot of options.

Not all pastures are created equal and that goes for pastures for goats as well. When I looked to find the best combination of pasture diversity for our farm and species of livestock, it was hard to find examples specifically for meat goats. I found some university extension resources on what works for goats, but it was pretty limited. 
 
My overarching decisions have been based on goats’ dietary preference for about 20% forages (grasses/legumes), 20% weeds, and 60% browse (brush/trees/woody plants), according to the Pastures for Profit: A Guide to Rotational Grazing (Undersander, D. et al., 2002).
 
As a result, my approach for our goat pasture has been to use what works with our climate, as well as:

• Plant species native to the prairies long ago in our area
• Plant preferences for goats: forbs (weeds), legumes vs. grasses
• Potential antiparasitic properties
• Pasture diversity

 
Pasture establishment, renovation and enhancement
Overtime our goats have helped us renovate our pastures, which were in CRP and then never farmed after that point.  With grazing, we’ve reduced the scrub brush and helped bring back new plants from the existing seed bed. We’ve done some interseeding to add more diversity in grasses, legumes and forbs.
 
After that first season of grazing, it was impressive to see the goat’s work and the existing seed bed start to come back. The following year in areas that needed a little more work or were too bumpy from gopher mounds, we lightly tilled select areas of the pasture and planted seed with our grain drill. With light tillage, we were able to also maintain the existing species since the plants weren’t fully terminated with the light tillage.
 
Another year we were unable to rent a no-till drill, so I took a “no-till” approach to our grain drill. With the drill placed as low as possible, we planted into select areas of the pasture that was grazed low or areas we cut low for hay. Two seasons ago we rented a no-till drill from a friend to interseed into our pastures and hayfields. Surprisingly the modified “no-till” approach worked better in our pastures. Some time we’ll get our own no-till drill, but knowing that we have a good approach with the equipment we have makes it less of a priority.
 
We also work to enhance our pasture each winter with out-wintering our herd of goats. We strategically place round bales of hay on the pasture. Goats will eat all winter outside, rather than in the barn. The hay residue offers additional seed and the goats help fertilize the pasture. It’s pretty amazing to see how our north pasture has continued to improve simply based on out-winter feeding. A bonus is that we need to clean the barn less in the winter.
 
Pasture mix
While I like to have a diverse mix of species, I’ve paid more attention to the legumes and forbs since the goats have a greater interest in those plants. 
 
I’ve observed that goats tend to eat more legumes over grasses, based on both in the pasture and hay consumption. They’ll still eat grass, but we’ve focused on adding more alfalfa and clover to both our hay fields and pastures. Since our goats are always growing babies, lactating or growing for meat, they’re never in “maintenance mode.” More of a grass mix may work for goats with less demands on the performance of their bodies. 
 
We’ve planted or I’ve observed these species in our pastures: white clover, red clover, sweet clover, alfalfa, chicory, plantain, birdsfoot trefoil, tall fescue, meadow fescue, Italian ryegrass, perennial ryegrass, Alaskan brome, meadow brome, Timothy, festulolium, orchard grass and more.
 
About special plant species 
Chicory
Since goats prefer forbs, as in weeds, chicory was an obvious choice to incorporate into our pastures. As a high-quality forage, it has good feed value for our goats on pasture. It’s also drought tolerant, we see it thrive mid-July to August, as the rest of our pasture species start to slow down in growth. 
 
Chicory also contains tannins, which have the potential to have an antiparastic effect on parasites. An Ohio State University study with lambs suggests there might be evidence to support this idea (McCutcheon, J. et al., 2012).
 
As a bonus, its pretty purple flowers add to the overall aesthetics of our pasture.
 
Birdsfoot Trefoil
It’s taken a while, but this little plant is starting to take hold in our pastures after seeding 3-4 years ago and naturally occurring in other areas.
 
While hard to establish, birdsfoot trefoil is a great legume to add to your pastures since it doesn’t cause bloat and has good feed value, according to a North Central Regional Extension publication.
 
Research is also being done to study the anti-parasitic effects of birdsfoot trefoil with the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) Project, “Forage-Based Parasite Control in Sheep and Goats in the Northeast U.S.” 
 
Preliminary studies show improved resilience to barber pole worm for sheet and goats, but no effect on decreasing fecal egg counts. Those leading the study indicate more research needs to be done. 
 
Plantain
I chose to add plantain into our mix based on its ability to provide a number of mineral, including calcium, sodium, copper and selenium. Our soils are low in selenium and goats tend to need more copper than their small ruminant counterparts, sheep. This plant is one way to address these nutrient needs. 
 
Why pasture diversity?
We aim to have a diverse pasture to balance out the forage availability throughout the entire growing season, from spring to late fall. Additionally, the diversity also helps maintain feed for our goats even when we are especially wet or a dry stretch. And, what if there are weeds in the pasture? I don’t care! The goats will eat them. That’s the same with trees and brush I don’t want to keep long term (some of the trees will stay for cover). 
 
Sourcing seed
We have had good success with Prairie Creek Seed’s Diversemaster mix and blending in their Forage Feast (Chicory) and Tonic (Plantain). We’ve also used Forage First’s Alfalfa Hay and Pasture mix and Orion XL ladino clover (from La Crosse Seed), sourced through our local co-op, Countryside Cooperative.

Whether you’ve been farming for a while, just getting started or looking to branch off a new part of the farm business, you might be wondering about what you “need to do” to get your farm business formalized. 
 
1. Taxpayer ID number or known as an EIN (Employer Identification Number):  If you’re a sole proprietor, you can use your social security number. But you can still opt to request an EIN to use instead. This number is often used with tax forms (W9, 1099, etc.) if you’re receiving a payment from a customer or renter, opening a bank account, and even applying for business licenses. 
 
Here’s where you can apply for your EIN from the IRS.
 
2. Business Structure 
Determine what your business structure should be. 
 
Sole Proprietor is by default what one would be with no formal formation of a business. It's just you doing business. You can still use a business name, which formally would be Your Name dba (doing business as) Your Farm Name. 
 
LLC (Limited Liability Company) or as an S corporation helps limit your risk in your business by protecting your personal assets from business liabilities, debts, or judgments (lawsuits) brought on by the business (Farm Commons., 2018).
 
Other legal resources at Farm Commons, free once you create an online account
Farms Guide to Choosing a Business Entity, Farmer’s Guide to LLCs, Farmer’s Guide to S Corps and Farmer’s Guide to C Corps
 
3. Financials Records
Use a program like QuickBooks to record your farm’s income and expenses. Set up the accounting system’s chart of accounts (or categories) to correspond with the IRS Schedule F tax form, then break it down into other categories to use for business making decisions.
 
By corresponding your chart of accounts with the Schedule F tax form, it’ll be much easier to complete your tax returns for you or for your accountant (saving you money on the time they spend going through your financial records for the year).

As a current QuickBooks user I'm able to offer an online code for 50% the first 6 months of your subscription.
 
4. Separate business checking account: Even if you’re operating as a sole proprietor, it’s also important to keep your finances separate. This way you can have a true account of your profit and loss for your farm and know where you can make adjustments in how you’re running your operation.
 
This is also important if you’re just starting out and want to “invest” personal funds into your business as a way to get started. You can transfer your investment, owner’s equity (money), into your account (also recording it in QuickBooks) and then use the funds for the purpose of your business.
 
5. Business Email: Once you have your farm website domain purchased (see below), then you can set up your official business email (name@yourfarm.com) with G Suite. You do not need to have your website designed. You just need ownership of your domain, such as www.yourfarm.com. 
 
Not only does this add further legitimacy to your business, but it is also important for once you set up your email list/newsletter provider for your farm. Using an email with a verified domain (such as name@yourfarm.com vs. name@gmail.com or name@yahoo.com) will help increase the delivery of your email marketing messages into your customers' email boxes. 
 
Create your business email here.
 
6. Wisconsin Farm Premise ID: This system allows for faster tracing if there is an outbreak of an animal disease or an animal-born human disease. This ID number is specific to a farm location and isn’t a unique animal identification. 
 
This is mandatory if you’re in Wisconsin and includes the following livestock: cattle, swine, poultry, sheep, goats horses, farm-raised deer and other cervids, gamebirds, bison, llamas and other camelids, ratites such as emus and ostriches and fish. The premise or location includes farms, hobby farms, veterinary clinics, stables, animal markets, and any other location where livestock are kept or congregated. 
 
More information and how to register here. 
 
If you live in another state, contact your Extension office or Department of Agriculture to determine if there are similar requirements.
 
This premise/farm ID is the same farm number that’s listed on your scrapie tags, if you raise sheep or goats.
 
7. Scrapies tags. If you raise goats or sheep, you can find more information on the scrapie eradication program and requirements by state: http://www.eradicatescrapie.org. These tags are required by law in most situations when selling goats and sheep.
 
Marketing Basics
Think of your marketing approach as a wheel, with your website as the hub and your strategies as the spokes (email marketing, social media, markets, events, etc.). 
 
8. Website: all your content, what you offer your customers, your products, where/how to purchase lives here. Think of this as the “hub” of your marketing. All of this information lives on this site. Your social media posts are redirected to this site or mention this site. In conversation, you refer folks to this site. Your email marketing will tie back to this site. I think you get the point! Unlike social media, you own your site. It cannot be taken down or hidden from viewers.
 
You’ll need to purchase the domain (www.yourfarm.com) and decide on a service where it will be hosted and you can design/manage it. You can purchase these in the same place, or separately. 
 
When you go to purchase your domain, be ready to buy it as soon as you do the search. There are bots watching repeat searches and they’ll buy up those domains and then try to resell them for a much higher fee. 

• Website domain options: name.com, google.com, and many website editing service providers will also offer the option to purchase a domain. 
• Website Hosting/Design/Management Services: This is the tool that allows you to create your website. With today’s technology, most of these services are “drag and drop” so it is something that most people can do on their own. I currently use Weebly but have heard great things about Squarespace. 
• Ecommerce options: If you choose to sell online, there are several options to look at including SquareSpace, Shopify, Barn2Door, GrazeCart, and others. We use GrazeCart. Depending on where you are at with your business this may be a feature to add on at a later time.

 
9. Email List: Use email as your main tool for doing formal business (sales) with your customers. Using an email newsletter service provider like MailChimp is a good way to make sure you are following legal rules for email marketing, such as allowing your subscribers to opt-out at any time. BCC emails for marketing are illegal, are more likely to end up in a junk folder, and will eventually get shut down. 
 
MailChimp is a good service to start since it has a free option. 
 
Once you have it set up, add the sign-up form to your website, and look for ways to encourage others to sign up for your list. Then, set up a regular schedule for your email communication with customers. Monthly is a good place to start.
 
Just like your website, you own your email list. This is yours. It is not “rented ground” like social media. Your email ends up in an inbox for your customers to see and read at their choosing, vs maybe never seeing with social media.
 
10. Social Media presence: This is at the bottom of the marketing list because, yes it is important, but it shouldn’t be the center of the marketing work. 
 
Which platform should you use? To start, pick one and do it well. It’s an unoffical expectation to be on Facebook, but Instagram is one of the fastest-growing platforms. 
 
Use social media appropriately, applying the 80/20 rule. 80% relationship building and inspiration with 20% sales. It can seem natural to want to post market updates, promotions, and other sales posts, but it can actually be a turnoff and many social platforms will hide your posts if your content is sales focused. They want you to pay-to-play. But, with your followers, most people come to social media for inspiration and a break from life, not to be sold too. Use it as a relationship marking tool and you’ll find that prospective customers will come to you when they are ready OR will be more receptive to your occasional sales pitches. 
 
For more of my favorite marketing and business, resources click here.

​If you’re interested in learning more about what we do on our farm raising goats for meat, join our online community here.  ​

References: 
FAQ: Building the Right Business Structure for Your Farm. Farm Commons. (February 2018). Retrieved from: 
https://farmcommons.org/sites/default/files/FC_FAQ_Business_Structures_Final.pdf