Market helps make dairy farm feel part of community

by Angie Wotton
    One would expect something larger than a Nigerian dwarf goat to land Houlton on the international map, but a goat it was, thanks to some jumping antics uploaded to YouTube around the time of the 2012 Olympics. What started out as a personal video to show friends back in Chicago aspects of Rob Lawless and Kathryn Harnish’s dairy goat farm quickly became viral and was even taken up by NBC’s “Today” show. To date, the YouTube video of the 5-week-old goat has had 6.7 million views. Aside from the media attention and Buttermilk’s picture screenprinted on T-shirts, Took A Leap Farm’s star is their goat cheese.
Contributed photo
PART OF THE COMMUNITY — Rob Lawless and Kathryn Harnish’s dairy goat farm, Took A Leap Farm, was put on the world map thanks to one of their more rambunctious Nigerian dwarf goats — Buttermilk.
    But first, some history. Rob and Kathryn met in Chicago and decided soon after that 1) they wanted to get married and 2) they wanted to buy a farm. Land in the Midwest proved beyond their means and they began looking in Maine, due in part to the fact that Kathryn has relatives in central Maine. They made some appointments with a realtor and looked at places for three days. On the last day, at the last place, they knew. Pulling into the driveway, Rob looked around and said to Kathryn, “I think we have to buy this house.”
    They moved to the house on the “B” Road the following spring, found jobs and began the dream of one day having dairy goats. They traveled the state talking to other goat farmers, learning the art of cheesemaking. They decided on the Nigerian breed for their small size, docile temperament, and high butterfat content — great for making cheese. Talking with other farmers also helped them model a business plan for their farm.
    Took A Leap Farm, plan in hand, began selecting goats from Maine and Vermont and working toward state of Maine certification to become a licensed cheese facility.
    This past spring, nine years after moving here, Rob and Kathryn took another leap and began milking their goats, processing the milk into goat cheese, also known as “chèvre.” They began selling their plain and flavored cheeses each Saturday at the Houlton Community Market, figuring they would sell some and probably be eating much of the remainder themselves. They were wrong. Both Kathryn and Rob remarked on the support of the community and how the Market has been such a great venue for them to meet people and build a customer base. Most weeks, they sold out of cheese sooner than they would have liked.
    Since selling goat cheese, they feel much more integrated in the community. Before beginning Took A Leap, both Kathryn and Rob worked jobs, Rob in Mars Hill and Kathryn remotely from home, and they didn’t know many people. With the farm, not only are they part of the community, they do their part in supporting it as well by helping animal rescue operations with proceeds from farm sales, providing a chance for the community to learn about agriculture by hosting open farm day events, and, by chance, being a mentor to a neighborhood boy.
    The boy, Riley, became drawn to the goats after a visit to the farm and now regularly helps Rob and Kathryn with milking, feeding and cleaning. In return for his help, he was recently presented with his very own goat, Millie. It is these kinds of connections between people in rural living that inspires Rob and Kathryn and validates their decision to take the leap.
    Took A Leap Farm’s store is located at 243 B Rd, Houlton and is open Saturdays from 10-4 until Christmas. www.tookaleap farm.com.
    Editor’s note: Angie Wotton loves her work as district manager for the Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District. She also raises pastured pork and vegetables with her husband on their small West Berry Farm in Hammond. She can be reached 532-9407 or via e-mail at angela.wotton@me.nacdnet. net.