Saving the Dairy

Hi, I'm Carol, owner of Slow Turtle Dairy Farm and Creamery in Eustis, Fl

We are one of only 2 grade A goat dairies in the state of Florida, making small batch, artisanal cheese and bottling milk.

2022 has been a tumultuous year with ups and downs.

Costs of doing business have gone up and our farmer's markets income has seen a drastic decline. We can normally offset these fluctuations, tighten our belts, and muscle thru, but 2 hurricanes and now a major freeze have done the totally unexpected. The herd is officially too dry to make any cheese. This has not happened in many years and certainly not since the creamery licensed to a grade A at the beginning of the pandemic.

To keep the animals fed until the does start producing milk again, beginning in approximately 6 weeks, I have crafted a 3 step plan with the help of a master cheesemaker and a restaurant owner, to continue our permitting to include a licensed commissary.

We will add sales of our toppings that we use for our cheeses, add a goat milk fudge (which takes much less milk than cheesemaking), and we will add a farm to table dinner event.

To do this, we need to continue paying for hay and feed while we add these features and wait for babies to be born so that we have milk again. Monies received will go directly to making these changes happen.

In return, we will be able to remain within the community, adding new cheese types and fudge to our traditional Chèvre and Feta.

You will receive a personal thank you card and we will schedule an open house for donors to come see why we love what we do and why we will go to any lengths to continue.

We can never precisely predict the future when dealing with nature, but with your help, we will be able to overcome this new obstacle, making 2023 a better a truly successful year.

Thank you,

Carol

at Slow Turtle Farm