Spotlight_Vol 23_Issue_2

were made with locally sourced ingredients. The entrepreneur inside of Ashley kicked in. She knew from the feedback that she had received from her goat’s milk products that there was a potential market for her product line, and this was an excellent opportunity to utilize the excess supply of goat’s milk. Ashley began going to the farmers market in 2011 as a vendor and selling her products and absolutely loved the atmo- sphere it presented. She loved engaging with customers and her story about her products and listening to customer feedback which gave her ideas about new products.

“my oldest daughter was struggling with a lactose allergy. We had tried every- thing, so we ended up buying a goat named Emma. My daughter could drink the goat milk without any issue.” “When his father passed away in 2010, we began to do some major work on the farm. We had talked long and hard about the direction we wanted to go. We repaired the barn, and then at the same time, my oldest daughter was strug- gling with a lactose allergy. We had tried every- thing, so we ended up buying a goat named Emma. My daughter could drink the goat milk without any issue.” However, for all you non-farmers out there, goats have a drying-off period when they’re expect- ing more young, so they don’t produce milk. So, Ashley began buying it at the store and quickly learned her daughter couldn’t drink processed goat milk. So, it did not take her very long to realize that the family farm needed more goats. So, they purchased more goats and begin milking fresh goat milk for themselves. However, they soon realized that they were producing more goat milk than the family could use for their own needs. “I think because of our children, and my daugh- ter’s sensitivities, we became more aware of what and how things are grown and produced,” said Ashley. Given that she had an excess supply of goat milk, she began experimenting and started develop- ing her own line of products with goat’s milk. “I was making laundry powder, goat’s milk soap, and more. As time progressed, I was gifting the soap to friends and family, and everyone loved it,” said Ashley. Seeing that others felt the same way as she did and were looking to purchase products that

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VOL 23 ISSUE 2 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE

SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 23 ISSUE 2

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