In an economy where loans are harder to come by, some businesses are getting creative. That's why a cheese producer in Albemarle County is logging online to ask for donations to buy more equipment.
Caromont Farm in Albemarle County is in its fifth year producing artisan cheese. Milking the goats is just one of Austyn Bessette's daily duties that starts very early in the morning.
"You have to milk them twice a day," Bessette said.
Every drop is used to make wheels of farm-fresh goat cheese. Gail Hobbs-Page owns Caromont Farm and says their cheese is found in grocery store chains and on restaurant menus up and down the east coast.
"The demand has been absolutely mind boggling," Hobbs-Page said.
Keeping up with that demand is difficult to do with a processing vat that only holds 30 gallons of milk. That produces just seven wheels of cheese at a time.
So to up production, Hobbs-Page is buying a 125 gallon vat with a $35,000 price tag. It's an expensive investment she hopes loyal customers will pay for online using
KickStarter.
The online funding platform is a place where viewers can pledge money toward a project. As of August 8, Caromont Farms has raised almost half of the money needed to buy the new vat.
"Some of them come as far away as Seattle, Washington. We've had some from New York City," Hobbs-Page said.
Although it sounds easy, applicants must go through an approval process before receiving money. The farm had to make a video of their project for KickStarter's approval. Then time becomes a huge factor. Caromont Farm only has 30 days to get $35,000 in pledges. If they reach the goal they keep the money. If they don't every penny is refunded.
"That's the Catch-22 and that's the reason you have to be very serious about your goals," Hobbs-Page said.
Caromont Farm has until August 25 to get $35,000 in pledges. They can be as little at $1, or as generous as imaginable.
To fuel donations the farm has offered some incentives. A Caromont Farm T-shirt comes with a $25 pledge, $100 includes a cheese tote and cheese board, and a $1,000 includes a dinner for ten people at Caromont Farm.
If you would like to help Caromont Farm reach their $35,000 goal, go to their
donation page.
Wednesday, the gourmet grocery and cafe
Feast! is giving people a chance to try the farm's newest batch of Esmontonian cheese.
This limited-production cheese is aged for about 120 days until it is semi-firm, and as it ages it's rinsed with Virginia white wine vinegar to develop a pungent and grassy flavor.
Gail Hobbs-Page will be on hand at the event. It takes place at Feast! just off West Main Street from 4 P.M. to 6 P.M.
