The Path That Led Us Here

Three years ago, we visited Ceago, a biodynamic farm run by the Fetzer family. Mandy was a magazine editor, John was along for the ride to take photos. What we experienced there was like nothing we'd ever seen, but it was everything we wanted.

The three-hour drive home was filled with hopes, dreams and visions of our own small farm, where people might visit, work the land, eat communally, and share and laugh the night away.

Eat, Work, Laugh, Grow were the words we most commonly used to describe the vision of our new farm. We knew we wanted our farm to be sustainable and small. Education, community and fun were components we wanted most.

We spent two years at Pedrozo Dairy & Cheese, Mandy's parents' farmstead dairy and cheese company. As manager, Mandy was cheesemaker, bookkeeper and communications director. As sales and marketing coordinator, John was head of sales, shipping, design and marketing.

We became adept at direct sales and marketing, focusing on farmers markets and retail sales while garnering national attention on the Rachael Ray show and international comraderie at Terra Madre, Slow Food International's gathering held every two years in Turin, Italy.

Together, we managed the complete operation while Mandy's stepfather recovered from cancer surgery. We milked, moved the cows on rotational pasture, made cheese, and prepped and sold it at farmers markets.

During that time, the seed that was planted at Ceago firmly took root; owning and managing our own sustainable farm was no longer a far-off dream, it was a reality. We soon realized we are not only willing and able to do the work--we're knowledgable enough to make it happen.

Today, we are completing our own business plan and putting the skills we garnered at Pedrozo Dairy & Cheese to work. We're searching out properties, researching the heritage livestock we want to raise, and keeping an ear to the ground for cheesemaking and milking equipment. The goal is to have our own farm and be married on it by autumn 2009.

Until then, we're putting those sales and marketing strategies to work by helping the small farms and businesses who know and like our style and need help in the marketing area. We're fortunate to have such a foundation of support in our community and are more than happy to give back whenever we get the chance.

*Pic of John and Mandy borrowed from Canyon of Cheese.