SOIL Sangre de Cristo awarded its second round of zero-interest farm and ranch loans to Badger Creek Ranch and Jumpin’ Good Goat Dairy, LLC on March 14. To date, SOIL Sangre de Cristo has awarded $20,000 in its first year.
Badger Creek Ranch’s corrals. Photo credit Chrissy McFarren
Dave and Chrissy McFarren and Andrea Evers, the owners of Badger Creek Ranch, purchased the ranch in 2015. Their goals are to practice regenerative agriculture and raise livestock humanly and organically. The ranch was previously overgrazed for years. The goal now is to restore the pastures through managed grazing on the land.
The McFarren’s plan to use the $5,000 loan to purchase a small used tractor for a new farm garden project which will be used for hauling compost and spreading. It will also be used for the pastures and doing “the heavy lifting” to save on manual labor.
The garden will be farmed using the regenerative farming methods which use no tilling or plowing. Badger Creek Ranch sells their products at the Salida Winter and Summer Markets and through their online store.
Jumpin’ Good Goat Dairy, LLC was founded in 2002 by Dawn Jump as a farmstead goat cheese creamery with three does and one buck. By 2014, the herd has grown to over two hundred milking does, producing 35,000 pounds of cheese a year.
Today Jumpin’ Good Goat Dairy has partnerships with two Amish dairies providing quality produced milk from humanely raised animals. They have been able to shift focus to sustain and grow the artisan creamery with the same quality Colorado milk supply and farming methods intact.
JGGD Sunset Store. Photo credit in the public domain.
Loan funds will be used in conjunction with other funds to add an additional 320 square feet to the south-facing side of the existing store. Specifically, they will be used to finish the interior of the prefab building and retail fixtures such as shelving and coolers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus of in-house dining declined, shifting to the retail market. This market will continue to increase through 2021 and beyond. Expanding the retail area of the store will assist in this growth.
SOIL Sangre de Cristo members voted at their recent membership meeting to disburse the funds which are raised from membership contributions. Local farmers and food producers who are members of SOIL are eligible to apply for no-interest loans. Loan application finalists pitched their proposals “live” at the virtual March 14 meeting. The loans are repayable over three years and as they’re repaid the money will roll back into the available funds for future rounds.
SOIL Sangre de Cristo’s mission is to unite the communities of South-Central Colorado through direct support for local farmers, ranchers and food producers, improving food security and resiliency to all residents.
To learn how to become a member of SOIL Sangre de Cristo, click here.
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