We are city slickers who are new to farming, so this all has been a learning curve. All that to say, this page will be updated frequently in-between us learning the ropes and how to operate a functional farm that gives as much as we do, while making it worth our while to keep stepping in chicken poop and getting kicked when we try to milk the cows.
We are a FAMILY farm, so we aren’t aiming to get rich. We just want to live the farm lifestyle, far out here in the country, and let our boys grow up in rural America. We do want to pay the light bill and afford feed for the bovines and birdies, though. So we did some research and found out that you can buy SHARES in a farm or an animal so that you actually own a percentage of the animal and you can keep however much of the products that animal creates based upon your ownership of it. Wow, right!?? News to us.
So if you want to invest in our farm to gain YOUR SHARE of the products when we are producing them, this page tells you how.
(This little farmer plans to plant the whole wilderness here with yummy edible, medicinal, and beautiful plant things once we figure out how to fence in our chicken garden assassins.) So there will be a lot more ways to get a farm share coming than just sharing part of a cow (watch for an update this coming summer 2021).
If you are interested in participating in the back-to-nature, back-to-basics, raw milk product revolution, and adopt (own a portion of) a cow in our herd, here’s how you can get on board:
COW SHARE PROGRAM
In a cow share, a shareholder pays a monthly fee (SHARE) that goes towards the costs of feeding, caring for the animal (vet costs, supplies, medicines, etc.), and a portion of the labor and boarding costs of housing, grazing, and milking the dairy cow. Each share comes out to a small percentage of ownership in the cow, which translates into owning a comparable percentage of whatever products the animal produces (minus the poop, unless you need garden fertilizer, of course). The owner of Tiny Texas Farm retains managing rights as to the animal’s welfare, even if we sell over 50% of the cow in shares, because we still own more shares than any single shareholder.
The contract fee allows you ONE share of the cow and a partner-ownership of the animal on the farm. How many shares there are depend on how many gallons of milk products the cow actually produces per week.
SHARE COST
Tiny Texas Farm charges $221.00 per cow share for the contract period of 6 months. This share entitles you to 26 total gallons of milk for the contract period from your cow/s. It translates into a weekly (1) gallon of milk per week for six months. If you were to buy milk at a store, at that rate, you would be paying 8.50$ a gallon. You can pay your share cost up front each six months as you renew your contract, or you can pay it per month. During your contract, there will be no decrease or increase in monthly payments (this makes sure your fee is locked in for 6 months without changes no matter what happens to the cost of grain, vet care, or any other variable on the farm). Share ownership may be sold and the current contract transferred to a new owner at your discretion. This rate will be updated on the site as changes are made, but your contract rate will remain the same until the next renewal if there is a change to this site during your contract. Before the six month period is up, you must notify the Farmer of your intent to continue or end your contract. If your contract expires, you run the risk of having someone else purchase your share.
Desiring multiple gallons per week translates to multiple cow shares.
MILK RECEIVED FROM A COW OR GOAT SHARE CANNOT BE SOLD PER STATE OF TEXAS LAW.
CONTRACT FEE
To enter into agreement with the farm, there is a contract fee of 50$ up front which is non-refundable. If you wish to purchase more than one share at a time (which would translate into more product), doing it all at once will save you additional contract fees. The contract means we are in agreement that you want to own a percentage of the cow and participate in her care. There is no fee for a renewed contract if it does not expire before you renew.
CONTRACT
The contract will state the following and must be signed and notarized in the State of Texas:
“I, YOUR NAME HERE (Shareholder) agreed and understand that the interest in a Cow in the Herd at Tiny Texas Farm is a limited interest and that the interest purchased by myself, the Shareholder, does not convey or vest in the Shareholder sole ownership of of any particular Cow in the Herd at Tiny Texas Farm. I further agree and understand that the specific Cow in the Herd may change over time as Cows die or as the Farmer/s add/s to or deletes from the Herd at his/her sole and absolute discretion; however, the Farmer/s shall not be obligated to add to the Herd to replace a Cow that dies, but may do so at his/her discretion. I understand that the Farmer breeds all the animals on the farm and retains sole ownership of all offspring. I shall not hold liable Tiny Texas Farm, nor the farmer/s or ranch/farm hands who work there under any circumstances should any individual become ill by using or consuming any product procured as a result of my shared ownership of any Cow/s in the Herd at Tiny Texas Farm. Consumption of raw milk or raw milk products shall be done at my own risk and any information regarding the health dangers or benefits of raw milk or raw milk products are solely the Shareholder’s (my) responsibility to procure prior to use of said products. I am aware that Tiny Texas Farm does not make any health claims about any raw milk product and are not doctors or healthcare practitioners. What I do with my share of any Cow’s product that I have a shared ownership in shall be my own responsibility and the risk is my own.”
PROBLEMS
There are no refunds, whether or not you received milk for the week!
For example: You forgot that it was your scheduled milk pick up day and you did not call… or pick up was not possible because of your schedule or due to weather or any other variable. The farm will make every effort to allow you to re-schedule a pick up time if you call prior to your scheduled pick up, however, due to the expiration sensitivity of raw milk and limited cold storage space, the Farmer reserves the right to dispose of your share of product.
If you do not wish to have milk one week because you have some left over from the previous one, you may substitute eggs or other farm products that are listed as available at the time, or you can ask for more milk the following week instead, if it’s available. If you fail to pick up your milk as scheduled and do not inform the Farmer, you can not ask for a substitution or extra milk on your next pick up.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
The Shareholder is responsible for procuring stainless steel milk pails that are wide-mouth and have secure sealing lids so that their milk and/or cream can be stored until pick up. The Shareholder is also responsible for disinfecting and cleaning the containers before returning them the next week to the farm for re-use.
We suggest this product, which can hold 2 gallons to save refrigerator space and give you the ability to utilize more than one share. We appreciate you purchasing via our Amazon link to further support our farm:
Thanks for your support of small farming, local farmers, and the State of Texas. Thanks for making life better for our animals and our family. YOU are part of the sustainable future of this planet with every dollar you spend on small farm products and every dollar you invest in caring for small farm raised flora and fauna.
We will update this page frequently with new farm products that are available, so check back with us every few months as the garden, herd and flock grow and change.