I am sitting in a tree house on Kave Rock Alpaca Farm in Rehoboth, Massachusetts and Karen Medeiros is pouring us tea. Outside, by the door is a sign that says “Grammy’s Tea House” and inside there are tea cups and saucers lining the walls, tea pots and a small table she’s set for the two of us…with cookies.

I’ve known Karen and Dave Medeiros for years, since we did an Alpaca Carbon Farming Cohort with a Fibershed grant back in 2019. This project is actually featured in Rebecca Burgess’s book Fibershed: Growing a Movement of Farmers, Fashion Activists, and Makers for a New Textile Economy.

It was a great project where we all got to learn about sequestering carbon using a number of “practices” including composting, rotational grazing and silvopasturing. We also learned a lot about how we talk about all of these things in layman’s terms. We have to find neutral places to learn from each other or we’ll all be stuck with the same old people doing the same old things right?

What I like about Karen and Dave is that they are always open to new ideas and when they commit to something, they go 110%. I can still remember Karen trying to wrap her brain around carbon farming and her saying “It’s not just a new trend or buzz word. When farmers understand that there are simple steps that they can take to enhance their farms while impacting the environment, I think they will be pleasantly surprised. Farmers work hard for little rewards. They look at something new and ask, ‘how will this benefit me?'”

Which is where Karen and I start as I we sip our tea and Dave, down below zips around on a 4 wheeler doing farm chores. I had a few questions for Karen, here’s what she had to say:

You’ve said in farming you go up and down and back again. You have to always reinvent yourself. What have been key moments where you’ve done that?

We have had some major health issues in the past which, when arise, take top priority. Thankfully we got through them but those situations make you look seriously at your life and priorities. You change a bit to get by but you keep adding quality and respect the consumers.

After the Covid shutdown, many of the mills used for products had difficulty getting themselves back on track. The production is still not where it had been pre-Covid. Our customers wanted the products they were used to but we couldn’t fulfill orders. We had to close down our website for a while. Obviously, that was financial business nightmare. In addition, we had to search for products from other retailers. We kept the business open, advertised more and offered more events and activities on the farm. We kept our fingers on the pulse of customer needs.

Collaboration is a big part of your business. Do you think it’s something businesses often look at it as a threat?

We collaborate with other farmers and organizations whenever we can. This is your greatest resource. I did learn that you cannot always take a role as an active player. You must prioritize. Family and farm come first. Time is money. Yes, we have had some push-back from others who feel that if we collaborate, their business may be compared to ours or that they may take a loss. Again, I feel collaboration is a great resource. You need to keep learning.

What is the strongest part of your business and why do you think that is?

We are out in public and support our community. An event at a local library may not be very profitable but we are seen as a business that appreciates our community. We hold a big holiday event each year and our small community looks forward to it. Profits from a raffle at this event are given to our local food shelter. Local alpaca farmers have contacted us for support and we welcome that. Our reviews state we are friendly and welcoming. That is a top priority for us.

Best advice for a new business based on what you’ve learned over the years?

NUMBER ONE: Be flexible! Expect the unexpected. Keep a fund for rainy days. Listen to your gut. Go out and visit like businesses. Gather resources even outside of your immediate business network. Don’t give up and ask for help if needed. Keep smiling.

 

Learn more about Kave Rock Farm here.