As every producer in agriculture knows, starting a new farm is an expensive and complex process. Pauline Thiessen seems up to the challenge. She has worked at Ozark Natural Foods in Fayetteville, Ark., for 16 years, the last four as produce manager. During that time she put herself through college. Being in charge of $2 million worth of produce annually has taught her the value of careful and meticulous planning as well as general management skills.
Thanks to some inherited money in addition to money her parents had set aside for her when she was very young, Pauline is currently moving from a small dairy goat hobby farm operation east of Fayetteville to a recently purchased 70-acre farm outside of Berryville, Ark. The Berryville property contains structures built in the 1990s so renovation rather than new construction will be possible, a huge financial advantage.
Pauline has rented the Fayetteville property for the last six years. Her family roots are agricultural so the progression from living in Fayetteville to the small hobby farm outside of Fayetteville was in her blood. There she adopted a natural lifestyle, which included raising her own garden and a few dairy goats to produce milk for herself, her friends and neighbors. She started with three does and began what she calls her, “goatie adventures.” In other words, she had to immediately learn how to trim hooves, milk properly and rent a buck as well as manage breeding. Linda Coffey of Fayetteville, a successful dairy goat farmer, was of tremendous help. They met during an Armed Farm Conference for vets who want to become farmers, and she saw firsthand how it was possible to maintain a large goat herd in spite of its labor intensity. As part of her duties on the producers grant committee for the Southern Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education Program, which covers 13 states as well as the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Pauline traveled to another successful goat farm in Alabama which had two milk processing units, a system she intends to mimic.
Pauline said, “After six years here near Fayetteville, I decided I was crazy enough and loved goats enough to try this full-time. I work with farmers all the time and really want to be on the production side of the counter.”
Pauline has developed a detailed but time flexible five-year plan with the end goal being a fully productive dairy and cheese making facility with 40 milking does. She feels she has two major challenges. The first and biggest is to be well-versed and up-to-date on codes. She plans to convert the chicken house on the farm into a milking, processing and storage facility. That process is going to begin by cementing half of the house and providing appropriate foundation work. Pauline said, “I don’t want to run into problems like having to move an electrical box 5 feet.” Consequently Pauline intends to submit her plans before making any structural changes. Because codes are constantly changing, she feels it’s best to continually keep in close touch with the USDA for current standards.
Pauline feels her other challenge is maintaining the health and welfare of her animals including parasite control. The first step in that process is to develop a mobile solar electrical fencing system that will allow her to rotationally graze for natural parasite control. Another part of the process will be improving pastures by seeding with additional seasonal forage such as clover and chicory in order to round out their natural diet.
One of the advantages of Pauline belonging to several organizations as well as Ozark Natural Foods is her awareness of markets for raw dairy milk and cheese. In addition to farmers markets and local retailers, Pauline is hoping to eventually produce cheese for restaurants because that market will require less packaging due to a larger volume. She learned some of her cheese making skills, as well as canning and quilting from her grandmother who was also named Pauline. Her grandmother’s maiden name translated from German means seven mornings so Pauline has decided to honor her grandmother and name her new venture Seven Mornings Farm.
Pauline said, “I am ready to take on the next 30 years of my life. I am taking careful steps now so in 30 years I can sit under the trees I planted on this farm and sip lemonade while I watch raspberry zinger sun tea slowly brew in the hot July sun and goats play in the pasture.”
