A Goat's Milk Cheesemaking Business

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The Aiellos are already licensed to buy milk, and—during August 1981, when a MOTHER staffer talked with them—they expected to base the price they'll pay for raw goat's milk on the liquid's butterfat content. (The butterfat percentage is a fairly good indicator of the milk's protein content, and hence of cheese yield.) Jerry estimates a cost of perhaps 25¢ a pound for 5% butterfat goat's milk.

While it's likely that many small-scale goat owners would choose to sell milk to Belle Terre rather than invest in their own cheesemaking facilities, the Aiellos would like to see more homesteaders making farm cheese. According to their calculations, it would require a herd of about 20 does to reach the break-even point. At the other end of the spectrum, 30 seems to be the maximum number of does that a family-sized operation can manage without bringing in additional help.

The idea of competition doesn't bother the Aiellos at all. "On the contrary, I think it'd be great if four or five farms in Virginia were to start making different varieties of goat's milk cheese, perhaps under one label, so that there'd be an entire product line," Jerry asserts. "It would help the state's goat industry immensely." If such a venture came to pass, it could lead to cooperative advertising and marketing ... both of which can be quite expensive fora single homestead operation.

WHY SUCCESS?

At this point, small-farm owners who've tried fruitlessly to start homestead businesses are likely wondering exactly why Belle Terre is having the success that's eluded other enterprises. There seem to be several very good reasons.

First of all, Jerry says, "We had a plan for each year and learned what we needed to know before we did anything. Second, we had no outside labor costs. Third, Suzanne, who is a physical therapist, has continued to work while I ran the farm ... her income financed the venture and we could eat. Fourth, we took a businesslike approach by establishing our cheesemaking operation to conform with dairy regulations ... and that helped us gain the support of our banker."

And, finally, the Aiellos aren't afraid to look into the future and see where they want to be . . . or to invest time and energy researching their goals. Their five-year plan just may be the key to finding success on 55 rolling acres in Virginia.

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