One of the things you are always taught in any social media training is connect with your audience and connect regularly.  Well here I am with my regular connection....about once every year or two!  Yes I realize that is probably not what they intended. 

This blog is an outpouring of my thoughts, a journal of changes, and a log of the trials and tribulations we have experienced over the years.  This past year has been one for sure.  

Our on-farm creamery has grown exponentially since we began almost 4 years ago.  Last summer we spent maxed out on what we could do.  We were fortunate to be awaiting larger processing equipment, but as we waited, we ran batch after batch in our small 30-gallon pasteurizer.  We spent more time in those 4 white walls than we did in our house.  I wiped more milk jugs than tears.  It was a hard season for us.  It was a blessing from God for sure that we had outgrown our initial goals long before we projected.  Those blessings also brought hardships...growing a business is hard...not only financially but it's also hard on your family and your faith.  It stretches you far beyond where you are comfortable.  Growing means even longer days and shorter nights.  It means less time for things that we enjoy off farm.  It means bare bones when it comes to traditional schoolwork.  It means short tempers and sharp tongues, for which we must beg for forgiveness often.  

2024 brought new equipment mostly installed and operating.  It has lessened the time we spend in the creamery and allowed us more time to eat meals with our children and sleep.  We haven't found the perfect balance yet...and let's be honest we probably never will.  But we are farmers...and we will keep chugging along because that is what we do...we face challenges, we pray, we figure things out and make do with what we have.  

Mentioning school...yes we still homeschool...somehow...somedays...we get by.  That is how I feel our home education has gone the past 2 years.  We made it through, but it wasn't pretty.  It wasn't what I planned or dreamed it would be.  Our oldest finished his first 2 years of high school.  His desire for knowledge isn't on topics found in textbooks and lesson plans.  He dreads the idea of traditional book work and well honestly any mention of school in general.  Our younger 3 still find joy in learning all the things.  Their spark of interest and self education still remains.  I pray that this year we will be able to rekindle that spark in our oldest as well.  

This year I am praying we accomplish 2 things on the homeschool front... 

1. More consistent family discipleship and improve family relations; which will lead our children to the foot of the cross...whether they decide to accept Jesus is between them and the Saviour, but we have to lead them to him.

2. Develop a desire for knowledge and self education...by tossing some traditional textbooks out the window and using more real books and digging deeper into their interest I am hoping to increase their desire for knowledge in all areas, expand their sphere of interest and help them be motivated to self-educate on some topics and areas of study.  

That might be asking too much but those are the goals I have for the upcoming school year.  

We have goals for the farm and creamery as well.  We are still putting those thoughts together as we navigate growing our business and our babies.  

 Some of you that read my blog may already know that last year at the beginning of the pandemic, The Farmer & I decided to bite the bullet on something we had been discussing, planning, and subsequently laying to the side for years.  Last year, we opened an on farm creamery.  We began in the spring and after working with delays due to Covid-19 finally got up and running in November of 2020.  

After 10 months of operating we have a little bit better idea of how to balance all the things that need to get done.  The creamery only processes a small percentage of the milk we produce on farm.  The remaining milk is sold through our milk cooperative.  That means it ends up on grocery store shelves like always.  

So if we are still shipping milk and you can still our milk at the grocery store, why would anyone purchase milk from our local retailers?  Well the milk we bottle on farm is different!  Plus, we partner with small mom and pop restaurants, farmers markets and businesses.

It's pasteurized (because pasteurization saves lives) but it is not homogenized.  What the heck does that mean?  Well when milk is homogenized it's basically shaken until all the fat particles in the milk are separated and dispersed to the point those particles can't reform the bonds they once had.  Non-homogenized milk allows the cream (or fat) to rise to the top.  It can be scooped off for coffee creamer, ice cream, making your own butter or whipped cream, etc.  Don't want to scoop to scoop it off...no big deal...just give the milk a good shake or 2 and the cream will disperse back into the milk.  

 Ok so I don't want the cream to rise...then why on earth would I buy this instead of 'regular' milk?  

Our process allows us to heat the milk to low temperature for a longer amount of time, which kills any bad bacteria which maybe in the milk but keeps the good bacteria (the kind that aid in digestion).  

When you purchase whole milk at the grocery store it contains 97%  fluid milk and 3% fat.  Yes, you have been buying milk flavored water if you have been buying skim all these years. Since our milk isn't skimmed that means that you get the full flavor and all the nutrients that come with that flavor.   There is nothing like a ice cold glass of milk on a hot day (or after a workout) to help quench your thirst and replenish your body with the needed nutrients.  

So now that you know a little more about the milk we bottle on farm, you might be wondering if whole milk is all we do.... That answer is NO!  We also do chocolate milk (which is kind of addicting) and buttermilk.  We hope to add more dairy products over the course of the next year, but we will have to see what is next.  

Interested in trying out some of our milk (if you are local)?  Check out our Facebook page Nance Farm Creamery to find out where you can purchase!

Until next time...May God bless you real good!

Caci