It’s hard to believe that it's been 10 years since we started this adventure. It has been amazing, challenging, rewarding, and unforgettable. When Jack and I first started, we had zero experience. Before meeting Jack, I had never even milked a goat! Neither of us had worked in a cheese company or on a farm (except for the few weeks Jack spent on a banana farm in college).
The first few years were so hard. Nothing about this business came easily. But what makes Stepladder special is that we do it all — we milk the animals, make the cheese, and sell it ourselves. That’s a rare thing these days. As first-generation dairy farmers, we are so proud of what we’ve built over the past decade.
The Early days
We started small with just 15 goats, one farmers market, a few retail locations, the occasional tour, and one or two employees. We both worked multiple jobs, juggling everything on our own. We had no idea what this business could become!
There were hardships, failures, and plenty of meltdowns. But despite the struggle, this has been the most rewarding journey of our lives. What started as an idea in Jack’s head (and a simple PowerPoint business plan) has grown into a thriving farm and creamery.
Over the years, we’ve adapted, learned, and grown, always with the same goals in mind:
- Make world-class cheese
- Give our goats the best life possible
- Create a meaningful, fair workplace for our team
- Find balance between work and life (this one took us a little longer to figure out!)
Then vs. Now
In the early days, it was just the two of us milking goats, making cheese, driving to farmers markets, and running the business all at once. It was exhausting! Now, we are lucky to have an amazing team that helps keep things running smoothly. We’ve gone from having it all in our heads to a well-organized system with binders, Google Docs, and our favorite SOPS → standard operating procedures.
We couldn’t have made it this far without the hard work of our team and our incredible animals. And of course, our families. Imagine telling your parents: "Hey Mom, I’m leaving my stable job with full benefits to start a goat dairy and cheese company… with no experience!" Their support, patience, and willingness to ride this rollercoaster with us means the world.
To Our Customers – Thank You!
We truly cannot thank you enough for supporting us, buying our cheese, and believing in our dream. Many of you have been with us since the very beginning, and new customers discover us every day. We hope to keep making cheese for you for many more years to come!
How We’re Celebrating
Farming and ranching are timeless traditions. Even with modern technology, some things never go out of style. So when we thought about how to celebrate 10 years, we wanted something classic. We decided on a limited-edition patch featuring the animals that have been part of our journey:
- Gus & Lily – Our original Anatolian Shepherds, protecting the herd since the beginning
- Almond – Jack’s first and favorite LaMancha goat
- And of course the Red Barn where all the action of making the cheese happens
Cheers to the Next 10 Years!
We are so grateful for your support. Thank you for being part of our journey. We couldn’t do it without you!
