A couple of weeks ago Leah and I (and our 11-year-old son Hayes) had the pleasure of visiting Swallowtail Farm & Dairy in Centerville, Washington. Kailey Rhoades is the visionary, owner/operator, farmer extraordinaire behind the operation and it was truly life-giving for us to hear her passion for animal husbandry and feeding people. Although the farm has only recently officially launched after being licensed by the state, Kailey has been dreaming/scheming/researching/planning in preparation to start this farm and dairy for 10 years. In fact, she’s been raising/breeding goats since 2011!
Swallowtail Farm & Dairy is situated on 20 acres on the flats of Klickitat County just outside Centerville. Kailey is running a modest but strong herd of 20 Alpine goats, a breed well known for their exceptional milk production. In fact, this tribe boasts SIX generations of well-bred goats. I just love these animals – smart like a working dog, playful as kids (pun intended), goofy cute, yet assertive and dare I say ornery at times!
While sharing her “why”, Kailey explained that her deep desire was to pursue something good, do it well, and for the betterment of others, while properly stewarding the land and animals in her charge. For those of you that know Gathered Harvest at all, you know that that’s exactly in line with our values and was music to our ears. This is exactly why we get to know our Farmers & Makers before partnering with them. Anyone can sell a product, but to offer an exceptional, natural need produced with integrity and conviction… well, that’s worth every penny.
If you didn’t know, goat’s milk naturally has smaller fat globules and a different protein structure than cow’s milk which allows some folks to drink goat who can’t seem to tolerate cow milk. Goat milk is also naturally A2/A2 and is nutrient dense with magnesium, potassium, and calcium (to name a few).
Kailey ensures that her goats stay healthy, primarily feeding them grass and hay while supplementing with grain-based feed to keep them at a healthy weight as they give milk. Herbal remedies are always her first line of defense against illness and she only uses antibiotics if medially necessary, and if so, removes the doe under treatment from milking until off the medicine and the milk has been tested clear of any residual. Kailey puts a lot of thought and intention in these decisions, relying on her experience caring for animals for years, the advice of trusted fellow farmers, and research on effective farming practices that are as close to the natural order as possible.
We also got to meet Jinger, one of the farm’s dogs. While she was friendly you could tell that she was very much on duty, seeing how she could “work” the herd while attending to her master. Sounds like an object lesson in faithfulness, doesn’t it?
Kailey is just getting started! Without over sharing, she has grand plans for the farm: from planting additional shade trees and building out paddock fencing, to maybe even adding other grazers in the future. Currently, she’s offering raw and pasteurized goat milk, chèvre, and yogurt drinks (and soon will add pastured goat meat). We’re proud to partner with her and will be excitedly offering Swallowtail’s products in the very near future, stay tuned!
If you’re so inclined, check out her website, give her a follow on Facebook, and even better go pay her a visit at one of the local farmers markets she’s in (right now that’s White Salmon, Camas, and East Vancouver). The smallest amount of support to a small farmer means the world.
Farewell, until next time!
~Peter Hatfield
P.S. If this post seems a little… unpolished, it's because I am! AI was not, and will not be used, to create or edit these blog posts :)