Hello,

My name is Kathy Ambrose-Coonrod. I live in the U.P. of MI on our small family farm, 2by2 farm. I have been running a herdshare program for about 6yrs now with my sweet Alpine herd to provide healthy milk for currently 20 families(infants to seniors :)). Despite having a knee replaced 3yrs ago, the other needing surgery, and other health issues, I know that this is what I'm supposed to be doing at this time in my life. Even tho some say to give up, I will not. This is what I can do to feed the hungry. I may be 2 goats past normal however.

If God brought me to it, He will bring me thru it in His time.

Prosper the work of my hands oh Lord. I am trying to hold on for the next generation; my grandkids are now learning to care for and milk the goats now...

The cost of providing good hay and other supplements to care for the herd continues to rise, as do many things lately for all of us. Thus I have hesitated to ask this of anybody and am struggling to ask.

By God's grace, we were able to get 925 bales of hay and have a lil time to pay for it. The bill includes a fuel charge this year and about a 36% increase per bale to $2.50ea and is about $2563. However, we need at least another 200 to make it til next summer's hay season. The immediate need is to purchase an additional 280 bales @ $3-ea from someone who has offered it for sale as a whole this last week of August. I also need to pay the kids who helped with the hay; the balance for them is $390. It's costing about $152 to feed 1 goat hay for 1yr this year.

Any help towards this goal will go to these first, then the balance of our hay bill. Then, if by a miracle there is any above this, I will use it to hire help to clean out the barn for the girls this year and/or towards their grain bill(my recipe, non-gmo, especially for them).

Any questions please feel free to contact me.

Thank you in advance for supporting food choice and may God bless you and yours abundantly.