Got Milk?
- Herdshares -
What are you waiting for? Join the herd!
What is a herdshare anyway?
It's just that.. we share our herd!
Herdshares were designed to make raw milk accessible to people living in states where purchasing it directly was not legal. To date, nearly all states have developed regulation around obtaining raw milk. While some do allow it through direct sales from farm to consumer, others, like Ohio, allow it to be available through herd-sharing. But did you know- just because you enter into a herdshare doesn't mean you have to take the milk raw. We also offer pasteurization. The choice is yours!
What's it taste like?
Well it tastes like milk of course! .. but not just any milk. We hear time and time again from our members, 'It's DELICIOUS!', 'It's INCREDIBLE!', 'It's AWESOME!'.. and our favorite response of all time, 'Are you sure this isn't cow milk?' We can 1,000% assure you, we are not hiding a cow in our barn!
Goat milk often gets a bad rap, being described as 'goat-y' but that's because it's not 'done right'. With proper care and thoughtful attention to a well-balanced diet goat milk can absolutely taste DELICIOUS, INCREDIBLE, & AWESOME! The quality of our milk is a direct result of Jacob's knowledge and expertise.. and the goats deserve some credit too!
How it works
By buying into our herd, you become co-owner of our goats, entitling you to a designated portion of milk produced each month.
Each share provides up to 2 gallons of fluid milk each month and costs an initial $25 to join. From there on out your membership will remain active with a $20/mo boarding fee which helps us offset the costs in caring for the goats. You may have as many shares as are available.
Our herd is made up of 10-20 dairy goats with approximately 10-15 active milkers at any given time. They have 24-hr access to their pasture and are fed a well balanced diet formulated by our founder, Jacob Copelin.
Learn more about the Herdshare program in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below.
Our Milking Process
We admit.. the first year of milking we did it by hand and although we were only milking 3 goats, this got quite tiresome quite fast! We soon upgraded to a milking machine, which allowed us to milk 2 goats at a time but was still a cumbersome process since we added milkers to our herd. Needless to say, with the completion of our parlor, it felt like a dream to milk 6 goats efficiently at a time!
Milking
When it's time to milk, the goats come into the parlor and take their position in the stanchion. They are fed a grain mix to occupy their time and their teats are sanitized using a natural food grade approved lactic acid solution. Using a vacuum pump to mimic a calf’s nursing, milk hoses are hooked up to the goats for a gentle, comfortable milking. During this process milk is transported to a sealed bucket via hose lines which are later flushed out and sanitized using commercial grade food safe cleaning solutions. After milking, the bucket goes into our kitchen where the milk is immediately filtered, poured directly into our members' jars, and stocked in the fridge.
Testing
Milk is tested weekly for bacteria counts to help monitor that our practices are up to standards. We use Standard Plate Count (SPC) and Preliminary Incubation Count (PIC) testing to identify the bacterial status of the milk. The SPC estimates the number of living microorganisms to assess sanitary quality, spoilage, and the potential safety risks (e.g., in dairy, the SPC indicates bacterial levels from contamination). We follow the Raw Milk Institute's guidelines of aiming for a count of 5,000 cfu/ml or less, with regular test results reporting as low as 1,000 cfu/ml, which is considered excellent quality.
Pasteurizing
Every milking performed at our facility is done so with intent to consume raw. That means every step in the process is performed with meticulous care. So is pasteurization necessary? Well, we don't think so, but if raw milk makes you feel a little uncertain, we're happy to pasteurize it for you! We also understand that those living in the same household don't always see eye-to-eye on this topic.. if that's the case for you, we can split your share- providing half your allocation raw and the other half pasteurized.
There are multiple ways to accomplish pasteurization, each using unique temperatures and times to complete the process. By using the Low Temperature Long Time method, also known as VAT Pasteurization, the milk is gently heated to 145° for 30 minutes and then cooled immediately. Of the different ways to pasteurize, this method keeps the milk closest to its raw form, preserving not only its natural flavor, but studies show that this method also does a better job retaining certain proteins, enzymes, and vitamins. Using a higher heat method is typically intended to prolong shelf life, but these methods are known to inactivate enzymes, cause partial denaturation of proteins, and significantly alter the flavor of goat milk. Because you will always get farm fresh milk from us, the LTLT method is by far our favorite choice!
LTLT
Low Temperature Long Time
Heats milk to 145° for 30 minutes
HTST
High Temperature Short Time
Heats milk to 161° for 15 seconds
UHT
Ultra High Temperature
Heats milk to 280° for 2 seconds
HHST
Higher Heat Shorter Time
Heats milk from 191°-212° for .01-1 seconds
Products you can make with your milk
Cheese
You'll find our goat milk and cheese is rich in flavor and with the absence of that 'goat-y' taste. This is attributed to a clean healthy diet for the goats and also because we do not keep a buck penned with our milking does.
We are happy to process your milk into a soft cheese- plain or seasoned, you can eat it with pretzels or chips, spread it on a bagel, or mix it into some ground beef.
No matter how you decide to eat it, we think you'll love it! *Feta cheese coming soon!
Kefir
What's Kefir? In the most simplistic description, it's liquid yogurt! Drink it for breakfast for a quick, easy, and HEALTHY start to your day! How do you make it? It's easy- we'll supply you with kefir grains, a soft jelly-like substance filled with healthy bacteria and yeast. When mixed with the milk your kefir grains will transofrm the liquid into a probiotic, ready to drink in a day or two. Blend it with some frozen fruit and you are left with a delicious masterpiece! Kefir products in the store are in excess of $3 per drink. Why pay that much when you can make your own for a franction of the price!
Soap
Goat milk soap is known to offer many benefits to the skin offering hydrating and moisturizing properties due to its nutrient-rich composition.
Create your own unique bar by developing your own recipe, choosing from the many different oil combinations available to you, or simply purchase ours!
But wait.. there's more!
On occasion, as our farm grows, we may have an over abundance of vegetables. These will be available to our herdshare members for donation only. You can expect tomatoes, peppers, jalapenos, onion, garlic, snap peas, & more!
We work with a local organic farmer and can provide farm fresh eggs with your milk!
*Coming Soon* Our bee-hives have been placed. We will have limited honey available in the fall of 2026!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cancel at any time?
While some farms will require you to be a member for a certain period of time, your membership with us runs on a month-to-month basis.
How do I get my milk?
First and foremost, you need jars. You should have enough jars to swap out with us between your pickups. If you do not have them we can supply 1/2 gallon wide-mouth glass mason jars for $5 each. *Note- your jars need to be returned to us clean and dry- we do not clean them. You will always get your same jar back. In the event you forget your jar/s, you will either need to make arrangements to get it/them to us before your next scheduled day, or purchase ours.
You can pick up directly on the farm or we are happy to offer weekly delivery in several locations as a convenience to members who live a distance from Wooster. In the years of doing so we have realized the effort and cost associated with this service and have priced our delivery fees accordingly. One piece of our consideration is the IRS's recommendation of $0.70 per mile (2025) which takes into effect fuel prices, increased maintenance on our vehicles, & depreciation. We have also invested in many resources to keep your milk safe and cold during transport- quality coolers, separators, ice packs, reusable ice cubes, and temperature gauges to name a few. The final piece of determining the value of our delivery service is TIME. Including the time it takes to pack up the cooler (and unload when we return), most of our deliveries are a 2-3 hour round trip for us. So while the cost to make delivery is certainly not low, we pool the delivery fees of our members in order to keep your cost down and therefore charge based on cooler space. We are happy to deliver up to 2 shares worth (1 gallon) for $5 per delivery. If you require additional shares, additional delivery fees will apply as well.
Delivery locations: Canton, Dover, Lakewood, Lodi, Medina, or Wadsworth.
Not close to any of these areas and Wooster is too far? We have waiting lists for other potential drop-points so be sure to let us know where you are! *Bi-weekly deliveries may be available in your area. Minimum $10 monthly delivery fee. Delivery fees may vary based on locations and are subject to change at any time.
How do I get cheese or kefir?
If you are interested in both fluid milk and cheese you can split your share and take 1 gallon of milk plus an 8oz container of soft cheese. Many of our members opt for multiple shares in order to get the maximum quantity of both. There is a $5 processing fee for cheese. As far as the kefir goes, we can supply you with the kefir grains and teach you how to make it with your milk.
Can I skip a month?
You most certainly can skip a month however keep in mind that your membership fees are still due in order to keep your share active. Remember that you are not buying dairy products from us. You are co-owner to our herd and therefore incur the costs of the goats regardless of picking up your milk or not.
Do I get milk all year round?
Milk production will be at its low during the fall season and will pause January-February. Our membership prices are set to account for this break in production. Boarding fees will still be due during this time to secure your herdshare.
Is the amount of milk consistent?
As production slows we will do our best to provide as close to 2 gallons of fluid milk per share on a monthly basis however you should be prepared to see a slight decline during this time.
As a herdshare member, can we visit the farm?
Yes or course! We encourage all of our members and potential members to come out and visit the farm to meet the goats first hand before joining the herd. Regular visits are also permitted. You co-own them afterall! We just ask that you schedule a time with us to visit as we are often working in the barn.
Contact us
Inquire about a Herdshare