What does it mean to be part owner in a dairy herd?
For us, it means we are fulfilling mankind’s purpose of responsibly being trusted to care for his creation, having dominion in his image, imperfect as we may be.
The Bible says:
“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (Genesis 1:26, NIV)
It means that YOU:
–have purchased part of a real, living, breathing, eating, dairy cow!
–are guaranteed part of the whole fluid milk that that animal produces!
–are responsible for your cow’s care by paying board to the trustee (us) who will make sure all of your cow’s nourishment, milking, medical, shelter and reproducing needs are met- 24x7x365.
–get to observe your cow’s condition and well-being every time you visit the farm to pick up your milk!
–are entitled to transparency regarding the trustee’s practices in regards to care of the herd and bottling and handling of your milk.
This also means that:
–the animal is cared for by the trustee, and all her needs are met, even when you are in Florida on vacation with your family and not picking up your milk. You still partially own the animal! (do you cancel your cable and electricity while you travel?)
–if you need more milk than you are currently guaranteed, you need to purchase additional ‘cows’ to meet that need, so that you are guaranteed more milk.
–if you no longer need all the milk you are currently receiving, you can reduce your board by forfeiting that share to another member.
Also:
–A quality, A2A2, healthy, cow is not cheap and only provides for a limited number of owners. Dry cows who are preparing to give birth, provide no milk, but still require care.
–One-time buy-in fees help us obtain quality cows to provide for our co-owners and also cover veterinarian and breeding costs for them. None of those costs are passed on to our owners.
–Board covers recurring costs- feed, minerals, software subscriptions for cow monitors, and our livelihood (wage, health & dental insurance, utilities, taxes, payroll for employees, administration fees. etc.)
–The trustee is not permitted to sell unused share milk from our privately owned herd, so if you aren’t picking it up or paying board, the trustee is caring for that animal without any income to cover those costs. Cow shares that aren’t being provided for are forfeited and offered for sale to new or existing owners.
–The trustee takes on all of the risk in this situation, and it comes from all directions- members, the state, and this requires the trustee to pay dues to legal organizations to make sure they are protected.
–The trustee cares for the number of cows that co-owners have committed to providing for, so owner commitment is paramount.
We hope this helps explain some of the policies that we hold firm to as we navigate the intricacies of herd ownership together. We’ve been doing this quite a while now, and we want to be transparent with all of you about how this all works.
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