IT ALL BEGAN WITH A COUPLE OF GOATS…
After serving over 21 years in the Marine Corps it was time for Joseph Bates to retire. Weary from his time in the service, and trying to overcome the medical issues that plagued him after two very trying battles with cancer, Joe wanted to just get away from people while dealing with the many medical problems from the cancer treatments. After discussion with his wife they decided to would move their kids to the Appalachian mountains of Virginia and start a small goat farm so that he could make some cheese while he dealt with his medical issues. The plan was he would attend college fulltime and use the money left over from his GI Bill to help ends meet and Shannon would get a part time job locally until his VA benefits were resolved.
Having no money and getting ready to retire from the Marine Corps Joe traveled to Virginia where he met a retired farmer who had a log cabin for rent. Joe asked if he could put a couple of goats on his land and rent the cabin and the farmer agreed as long as he fenced everything in himself. It was all set. They moved into the old log cabin they got the goats, Shannon got a part time job, and Joe also started raising chickens and produce to sell at the local Farmers market to help ends meet. built a barn and acquired the goats. The Business was created, unknowingly to them. Over the next year Joe began working with his goats and built a special bond with all of them. Not realizing it Joe was benefiting from his goats to help deal with his PTSD from the cancer. The goats being mischievous and always getting into things taught Joe that it was alright to make mistakes and to enjoy life. Even though they would make him mad at times he could not stay mad and constantly they were changing Joe's whole outlook. They broke him down emotionally and helped him to see life in a more positive way. That is when he realized they were also his therapy goats.
The next year the goats had babies and they began milking. That is when Joe realized that he started with too many goats. They had way to much milk for what they needed. They were having to dump out milk because there was to much. What were they going to do with this excess milk. Shannon came up with an idea. They had attended a class the previous year on how to make cheese and there was a small segment on how to make soaps and lotions using goat milk. Shannon said, "I think I can make it, but it will never sell or go anywhere". It took a lot of trials and failures but after a while Shannon could make the soaps and lotions and they began selling them at the farmers market along with all of the other farm products that they produced on the farm. They had no idea what they were getting into. Neither of them had a business background, they had no idea how to price their products, not a clue how to ship, but they were going to give it a go and sell the products along with their produce and eggs and maybe make a few extra dollars.
The third year they were doing well at the farmers market and at some fall festivals. Then a store asked if they could carry their products, and it began, they would start selling wholesale to stores. They got about 12 stores to carry their products that year and they began learning through trial and error how to sell wholesale. The funniest part of this is they did not even have a clue that they had a lotion business until a year later. One day Joe was working at the farmers market looked at how much he made from the produce and eggs and then how much he made from the lotions. The bell started ringing in his head they had a lotion business and didn't even know it. They weren't really making a lot of money, but they could survive with Joe's retirement and VA benefits that he was receiving and they decided to make the move. Shannon quit her job, Joe took a leave from college they began cutting back on the produce and chickens until it was eventually all gone. Over the next several years they acquired a new farm that had a building on it for processing along with plenty of area for the goats so that everything could be done right there on the farm. This year they have acquired a larger facility down the road for processing of the skin care products and will be converting the building on the farm into a creamery to begin selling cheese.
To this day Joe oversees the sales and marketing, while still dealing with his medical issues and Shannon is the working in the shipping department. They also have a General Manager (also a retired Marine) and a team of about 15 people that work with them in every aspect of the business. The son came back, and the daughter works part time while attending college. Every single drop of goodness that comes out of this business has touched their hands first, and they put all the love in the world into it. Their children while working at the farm are always encouraged to go forward with their lives and do what they believe will make them happy.
Welcome to the family!
OUR MISSION
We aim for perfection in the products we make and the service we provide. We value our customers feedback and will always work hard to please them.
