Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Herdshares
What is a Herdshare? And why a Herdshare?
A Herdshare is when you buy into a temporary renewable ownership of a "share," or portion, of our herd.
You become a joint owner of the herd in exchange for paying a monthly boarding fee for the care and maintenance of the herd. You will receive a "share" of the herd's production which roughly equates to a half gallon of milk per week, per share.
The Why of a Herdshare is that it is not legal to deliver milk in Oregon. For small producers you need to go to a farm to purchase milk from a producer. A Herdshare enables you the owner to be able to pick up your share of your herd's milk at a drop point off farm.
What is the Cost of the Herdshare?
There is a one time payment to buy into our Herdshare because you are buying into a part of our dairy goat herd.
The Herdshare Purchase Fee is $40 to buy into our Herdshare.
This is a one time fee. If you decided to leave the herdshare, we will buy back your share. This is a cooperative model of membership that is renewable and by buying back your share it is refundable. We own this herd together, and you are paying a part of the cost of, and the expenses of maintaining the herd in exchange for a part of the herd's production of milk.
The monthly boarding fee to care for the goats in the herd, feed and supplies is $40 per month per share.
One share equates to roughly a half gallon (1/2 gallon) of milk per week. If you need more milk from the herd then you can purchase additional shares, and those will have an additional monthly boarding fee per additional share.
The Herdshare Purchase Fee and the first month's Boarding Fee ARE DUE at the same time, prior to receiving your first share of the herd's milk production for that week.
For one share your start up fee will be $80.
For two shares your start up fee will be $120
Monthly Boarding Fees will be sent by Email as an Invoice, and payment of Monthly Boarding Fees need to be paid within the first week of the new month, and be paid PRIOR to receiving your share of milk for that month.
If you no longer want to own a share of the Crack O' Dawn Farm dairy goat herd, we will buy back your initial Purchase Fee of $40.
Do I Need to Bring my Own Jars?
No, with your initial share purchase you are given one (1) half gallon jar per share purchased. You DO NEED to bring your jar and lid back to each pick up day, and it HAS to be CLEAN. Dirty Jars will have a cleaning fee added to the next month's Boarding Fee Invoice if you return a DIRTY jar. If you BREAK a jar, there will be a $2 replacement fee added to the next months Boarding Fee Invoice.
How Should I Handle my Raw Milk?
Raw Milk has to be kept cold. The share of milk that you receive from the herd is raw, and unpasteurized. We store milk at 38 degrees or colder, and when you pick up for share(s) make sure to pack an ice pack and refrigerate as soon as possible. Milk should last 7-10 days if kept cold.
Is Milk Available Year Round?
Usually milk is available 10 months of the year. If we are able to stagger breedings then we can extend our milking throughout the year, but sometimes we have goats that dry up too soon, or are bred out of schedule, and the herd will have much lower production, a limited amount of milk towards winter, or will be dry completely until they kid and the milk cycle starts up again.
You are purchasing a share of a herd, and care and feeding continue even when the herd is not in milk.
Boarding Fees will be due even when shares of the herd's milk are limited or there is no milk being produced.
You may elect to SELL BACK your SHARE to us at the end of the milking season, and then RE-PURCHASE a share or shares next season. You do run the risk of not being able to re-purchase shares if there are no shares available at the time your are wanting to buy back into the Herdshare. There are a limitied number of shares available each season and the number of shares available is dependent on how many goats are in the herd and how much milk the herd is producing each season.
If You Have More Questions
Please email us at [email protected]
A Herdshare is when you buy into a temporary renewable ownership of a "share," or portion, of our herd.
You become a joint owner of the herd in exchange for paying a monthly boarding fee for the care and maintenance of the herd. You will receive a "share" of the herd's production which roughly equates to a half gallon of milk per week, per share.
The Why of a Herdshare is that it is not legal to deliver milk in Oregon. For small producers you need to go to a farm to purchase milk from a producer. A Herdshare enables you the owner to be able to pick up your share of your herd's milk at a drop point off farm.
What is the Cost of the Herdshare?
There is a one time payment to buy into our Herdshare because you are buying into a part of our dairy goat herd.
The Herdshare Purchase Fee is $40 to buy into our Herdshare.
This is a one time fee. If you decided to leave the herdshare, we will buy back your share. This is a cooperative model of membership that is renewable and by buying back your share it is refundable. We own this herd together, and you are paying a part of the cost of, and the expenses of maintaining the herd in exchange for a part of the herd's production of milk.
The monthly boarding fee to care for the goats in the herd, feed and supplies is $40 per month per share.
One share equates to roughly a half gallon (1/2 gallon) of milk per week. If you need more milk from the herd then you can purchase additional shares, and those will have an additional monthly boarding fee per additional share.
The Herdshare Purchase Fee and the first month's Boarding Fee ARE DUE at the same time, prior to receiving your first share of the herd's milk production for that week.
For one share your start up fee will be $80.
For two shares your start up fee will be $120
Monthly Boarding Fees will be sent by Email as an Invoice, and payment of Monthly Boarding Fees need to be paid within the first week of the new month, and be paid PRIOR to receiving your share of milk for that month.
If you no longer want to own a share of the Crack O' Dawn Farm dairy goat herd, we will buy back your initial Purchase Fee of $40.
Do I Need to Bring my Own Jars?
No, with your initial share purchase you are given one (1) half gallon jar per share purchased. You DO NEED to bring your jar and lid back to each pick up day, and it HAS to be CLEAN. Dirty Jars will have a cleaning fee added to the next month's Boarding Fee Invoice if you return a DIRTY jar. If you BREAK a jar, there will be a $2 replacement fee added to the next months Boarding Fee Invoice.
How Should I Handle my Raw Milk?
Raw Milk has to be kept cold. The share of milk that you receive from the herd is raw, and unpasteurized. We store milk at 38 degrees or colder, and when you pick up for share(s) make sure to pack an ice pack and refrigerate as soon as possible. Milk should last 7-10 days if kept cold.
Is Milk Available Year Round?
Usually milk is available 10 months of the year. If we are able to stagger breedings then we can extend our milking throughout the year, but sometimes we have goats that dry up too soon, or are bred out of schedule, and the herd will have much lower production, a limited amount of milk towards winter, or will be dry completely until they kid and the milk cycle starts up again.
You are purchasing a share of a herd, and care and feeding continue even when the herd is not in milk.
Boarding Fees will be due even when shares of the herd's milk are limited or there is no milk being produced.
You may elect to SELL BACK your SHARE to us at the end of the milking season, and then RE-PURCHASE a share or shares next season. You do run the risk of not being able to re-purchase shares if there are no shares available at the time your are wanting to buy back into the Herdshare. There are a limitied number of shares available each season and the number of shares available is dependent on how many goats are in the herd and how much milk the herd is producing each season.
If You Have More Questions
Please email us at [email protected]
