Raw Milk Herd Share

Herd Share Basics

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Think of a herd share like buying stock in a company. Then apply it to a local farm. You, the person who wants access to local raw milk, can buy shares of our dairy cow herd. Each share purchased entitles you (the herd share member) to a set amount of milk each week for as long as you want. These are like the dividends you would receive if you owned stock in the open market. The more shares you buy, the more milk (dividends) you get each week.

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When you buy these shares, you are part owner of our herd and can consume your fair share of the milk from the herd you are now part-owner of. We retain ownership of the majority of the herd. We also house, feed, and milk the cows, process and store your milk, and cover any and all expenses related to the cows and milking equipment. Each member pays us a monthly boarding and care (BC) fee for this.

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Info About Flat Branch Farm Herd Share

• Our herd share program began September 1, 2023; We currently share with about 45 local families.

• We use ½ gallon Ball glass mason jars and leak-proof Ball lids. You purchase jars from us the first time then trade them weekly…no plastic waste! 

• Our herd consists of a variety of cattle breeds: Purebred Jersey, Jersey x Norwegian Red, and Guernsey x Angus; some are A2/A2, some are A1/A2, but they are all happy, healthy cows. Once you're finished learning about the herd share, you can read more about our cows here!

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Benefits of Our Herd Share

• It’s raw milk. There are too many benefits to list here! Check out this blog post to see a few, though.

• You will have a consistent, reliable supply of milk all year long.

  • When you join the herd share, you are in until you cancel. No asking if we have milk available or when you can come pick it up. All that is already set. You just pick up your milk at your designated place/time and that's it! 

• It makes finance planning / grocery budgeting easy.

  • You pay for the boarding and care of your cow share(s) once a month, so it is easy to budget that cost because it is the same every month.

• Herd share members will have early access to other farm products (eggs, beef, pork, poultry).

  • We are a small farm and not a huge grocery store, so our farm products are limited. If you are already a herd share member, you will be the first to know when we have half a hog or a fresh supply of Ribeye steaks available.

• We offer drop sites.​

  • Don't want to drive all the way to rural Taylorville to pick up your milk? No problem! We have four weekly drop sites that you can join. Although, members who do come to the farm to pick up their milk get to see the cows and goats. And if you could use a nice drive in the country once a week to have some quiet time, this might be a welcomed "errand" that you have to run.

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Important Info / Logistics

• Each share costs $25 when you sign up. This is a one-time fee and is non-refundable. It covers the purchase cost of your share(s) and your first set of jar(s) and lid(s), as well as some administrative costs and leg work to get you set up in our herd share system.

• Each share entitles the member to ½ gallon of milk each week.

• You can buy anywhere from 1 to 8 shares (2 shares = 1 gallon).

• When purchasing your shares, please be intentional. It is difficult for us to monitor supply and meet demand if members are frequently changing the amount of milk to receive. (Helpful hint: If you are not sure how much to start with, keep track of how much milk your family drinks and uses for 7 days before deciding on how many shares you want to buy.)

• Boarding & Care (BC) fees are paid in addition to the one-time share purchase cost. These are charged monthly and must be received before you get your milk for the first time each month. As of 1/1/25, current BC fees are $20/share.

• Payments accepted: Cash, Personal Check, Venmo, PayPal. Venmo & PayPal payments will incur a processing fee of $1 per share per month. There is no processing fee for cash or check, we ask that you put these forms of payment in an envelope with your name on it for our convenience.

• You can cancel at any time, but we kindly request at least a month’s notice if you are going to cancel.

• We have 6 options for weekly milk pick-up. When you sign up, please select one of the following. That will be your pick-up every week. 

  • Monday @ 11:45 am in Blue Mound

  • Tuesday @ 4:30 pm in Springfield

  • Wednesday @ 11:45 am in Assumption

  • Thursday from 4 - 7 pm at our farm

  • Friday @ 2:00 pm in Springfield - CURRENTLY FULL

  • Saturday from 9 am - noon at our farm

• Members are expected to pick up every week and be on time.

• If you have something scheduled and won’t be able to make your pick-up/drop, you must give us a minimum of 24 hours' notice. Failure to give advance notice or "no shows" results in your milk having to be discarded at your expense. (You still have to pay for milk discarded.)

• Anyone who "no shows" frequently and/or two weeks in a row without communication with us prior to or during that time will be dropped from the herd share.

• Jars and lids must be returned every week and should be in clean condition. 

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Still have questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions document.