Heritage Farm Upgrade Project
Donation protected
We are a homeschool family of 6 and started farming in 2006 when we moved to Carroll County. We both came from families with lots of farming/gardening background and we really wanted to get back to that lifestyle. Though our original intent was just to homestead for ourselves and build a new heritage for our children the economic collapse of 2008/2009 put Greg basically out of work as a commercial construction contractor. We were faced with the reality of losing the home/farm or finding another way to make it a viable lifestyle. We started with produce (radishes of all things!!) and pastured chickens and little by little we have built it up to multiple produce items, serveral pasture based proteins, raw milk, eggs, cheese, and baked goods from our children and other vendors.
Our goal for this fundraiser is to help expand our dairy operations, storage and organic whole food delivery service in our local as well as surrounding markets. We believe that it is only through the efforts and expansion of smaller farms that the local, sustainable and whole food movement will stay alive and prosper.
Normally we allow for our Spring CSA and farm share sales to be our main fundraiser for the year but for this project we cannot wait until spring. The additions and improvements need to be done over the course of our slowest season which is the December to February time frame. As a rule we usually spend this time of the year working our farm truck service, caring for the animals and just sort of planning and recharging for spring so we can hit the ground running. We have found that in past years this works well as long as we have no monumental tasks or projects in front of us. The problem is that this expansion will consume more time and man hours than we can adequately dedicate to it in the spring season. The spring sowing, fertilizing, planting, fencing, animal needs, etc. already capture most of the available resources we have for that period. So as much as we would like to “rest” during the winter we must forge ahead through this one and get this project done…..That’s where your help comes in!
For those of you who have known us for a while you know that we are of the belief that we should be self sustaining to the furthest degree possible. We do not believe in, nor have we ever used, government grants or loan programs, because, in our humble opinion, that is a forced taxation of our fellow man that they may or may not want to participate in. The USDA has not been well known for the economical and efficient use of taxpayer dollars so we have just chosen not to deepen the federal trough by participating in it. When we have needed expansion or capital we have relied on our savings, private grants, gifts or product sales (such as CSA’s and the like) to meet those goals. This is one of those times!
What we are hoping to accomplish is the addition of a dairy parlor to process cream, butter, buttermilk and raw cheese. We will also use the dairy addition to implement a glass jar rotational system for our milk to reduce the use of plastics in our operations. The addition of a concrete and covered milking pad for our milk girls (cows not kids), the addition of a larger refrigerated/frozen storage area so we can process larger amounts of our meats at a time (thereby reducing our carbon footprint and making the processing more economical), the addition of some solar panels on the barn roof for supplemental power and the addition of a larger refrigerated transport trailer so we can more efficiently deliver our products throughout our service areas. Not only will this expansion help us in our goals to a more economical and efficient operation but it will also reduce our carbon footprint and further our sustainability goals. By traveling less to processors we save time, fuel and labor. Being more efficient in the dairy means less waste and more use of the milk by products, more efficient and economical delivery saves on product loss and transport times, solar power reduces fossil fuel use and saves energy dollars.
Heritage Farm and the Hutchins Family have now made a 8 year commitment to organic and sustainable based agriculture and food service. Our foods are raised the right way and always to the highest of standards. No hormones, no antibiotics, no commercial fertilizers, no steroids, no nitrates, no gmo’s and no soy. We are free range, pasture based and grass fed the right way! For those of you that have known us for a while you know we work exceedingly hard to make good food a reality for as many people as possible. For those of you that don’t know us we hope you will take this opportunity to invest in us, get to know us and build a relationship on mutual trust, knowledge and respect. Please take this opportunity to support us and continue our efforts to get more nutrient dense, local and whole foods to our area.
Thank you!
Heritage Farm
Tyus, Ga.
For more about us check out these links below:
Heritage Farm
Heritage Farm and Friends
Heritage Farm on Facebook
Our goal for this fundraiser is to help expand our dairy operations, storage and organic whole food delivery service in our local as well as surrounding markets. We believe that it is only through the efforts and expansion of smaller farms that the local, sustainable and whole food movement will stay alive and prosper.
Normally we allow for our Spring CSA and farm share sales to be our main fundraiser for the year but for this project we cannot wait until spring. The additions and improvements need to be done over the course of our slowest season which is the December to February time frame. As a rule we usually spend this time of the year working our farm truck service, caring for the animals and just sort of planning and recharging for spring so we can hit the ground running. We have found that in past years this works well as long as we have no monumental tasks or projects in front of us. The problem is that this expansion will consume more time and man hours than we can adequately dedicate to it in the spring season. The spring sowing, fertilizing, planting, fencing, animal needs, etc. already capture most of the available resources we have for that period. So as much as we would like to “rest” during the winter we must forge ahead through this one and get this project done…..That’s where your help comes in!
For those of you who have known us for a while you know that we are of the belief that we should be self sustaining to the furthest degree possible. We do not believe in, nor have we ever used, government grants or loan programs, because, in our humble opinion, that is a forced taxation of our fellow man that they may or may not want to participate in. The USDA has not been well known for the economical and efficient use of taxpayer dollars so we have just chosen not to deepen the federal trough by participating in it. When we have needed expansion or capital we have relied on our savings, private grants, gifts or product sales (such as CSA’s and the like) to meet those goals. This is one of those times!
What we are hoping to accomplish is the addition of a dairy parlor to process cream, butter, buttermilk and raw cheese. We will also use the dairy addition to implement a glass jar rotational system for our milk to reduce the use of plastics in our operations. The addition of a concrete and covered milking pad for our milk girls (cows not kids), the addition of a larger refrigerated/frozen storage area so we can process larger amounts of our meats at a time (thereby reducing our carbon footprint and making the processing more economical), the addition of some solar panels on the barn roof for supplemental power and the addition of a larger refrigerated transport trailer so we can more efficiently deliver our products throughout our service areas. Not only will this expansion help us in our goals to a more economical and efficient operation but it will also reduce our carbon footprint and further our sustainability goals. By traveling less to processors we save time, fuel and labor. Being more efficient in the dairy means less waste and more use of the milk by products, more efficient and economical delivery saves on product loss and transport times, solar power reduces fossil fuel use and saves energy dollars.
Heritage Farm and the Hutchins Family have now made a 8 year commitment to organic and sustainable based agriculture and food service. Our foods are raised the right way and always to the highest of standards. No hormones, no antibiotics, no commercial fertilizers, no steroids, no nitrates, no gmo’s and no soy. We are free range, pasture based and grass fed the right way! For those of you that have known us for a while you know we work exceedingly hard to make good food a reality for as many people as possible. For those of you that don’t know us we hope you will take this opportunity to invest in us, get to know us and build a relationship on mutual trust, knowledge and respect. Please take this opportunity to support us and continue our efforts to get more nutrient dense, local and whole foods to our area.
Thank you!
Heritage Farm
Tyus, Ga.
For more about us check out these links below:
Heritage Farm
Heritage Farm and Friends
Heritage Farm on Facebook
Organizer
Greg Hutchins
Organizer
Bowdon, GA
