She was looking for goats. Instead, someone online was trying to give away a few alpacas... and Laura said yes. That one decision turned into L&R Alpaca Haven Farm, a full-blown alpaca rescue and breeding operation in Douglasville, Georgia.

In this episode of Dirt & Drive, I sit down with Laura to talk about how her farm grew from a spontaneous rescue into something much bigger. We cover what it actually takes to care for alpacas day to day: feeding, health, and handling their wool, and how rescue work is different from simply running a farm to turn a profit.

We also dig into how she funds it all: applying for grants, partnering with local businesses for fundraising, and hosting events right on the property! Including alpaca yoga, glass blowing, sourdough bread classes, art classes, and seasonal events throughout the year. If you've ever wondered what it takes to run an animal rescue as a real, sustainable business... or you just want to know what alpaca yoga is actually like... this episode has it all.

In this episode we cover:

• How L&R Alpaca Haven Farm started with a spontaneous "yes" to free alpacas
• The difference between running a rescue and running a farm for profit
• Daily care: feeding, health, and handling alpaca wool
• Finding grants and fundraising through local business partnerships
• Hosting events like alpaca yoga, glass blowing, and sourdough classes to fund the rescue

🦙 Follow L&R Alpaca Haven Farm:

https://www.silverliningsanimalrescueinc.org/

https://www.facebook.com/LRAlpacaHaven

https://www.instagram.com/lralpacahaven


🎙️ Follow Dirt & Drive:

https://www.youtube.com/@dirtanddrivepod

https://instagram.com/dirtanddrivepod

https://tiktok.com/@dirtanddrivepod

https://www.tiktok.com/@lralpaca

🐉 Follow Dragon Creek Ranch:

Shop Tallow: http://dragoncreek.org

https://facebook.com/dragoncreekranch

https://instagram.com/dragoncreek.ranch

https://tiktok.com/@dragoncreekranch

https://www.youtube.com/@Dragon_Creek_Ranch

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who’s building something from the ground up.

Dirt & Drive Podcast: Real conversations about building a business, working the land, and creating something that lasts.

Before you head out to pasture, remember, this is just people sharing opinions not medical, legal, or business advice. The opinions expressed here don't necessarily reflect the views of the host, Dragon Creek Ranch, or the Dirt & Drive Podcast. Always remember to do your own research. It's ok to get your hands a little dirty, but keep your rap sheet clean. Thanks for listening!

#AlpacaRescue #AlpacaYoga #DouglasvilleGA #AnimalRescue #GeorgiaFarm #DirtAndDrive

What does it actually take to turn a handful of backyard cows into a real, licensed, USDA-inspected beef business?

In this episode of Dirt & Drive, I sit down with the woman behind Ithica Beef, a small farm in Villa Rica, Georgia, selling six to seven cows a month straight from their own pasture to their on-site store. We talk about how it all started, what it took to get USDA licensed, approved, and inspected, and the real startup costs behind building a beef business from scratch.

We also get into the relationships that make this business worth it: why she loves hearing from customers that her beef doesn't upset their stomach the way store-bought meat does, and the pride of building something with her husband, right on their own property.

If you've ever wondered what it really takes to running an actual beef business, this episode walks through it start to finish.

In this episode we cover:

• How Ithica Beef got started, from a few backyard cows to a full operation
• Getting USDA licensed, approved, and inspected: the real process and costs
• What it takes to start raising and selling cattle
• Building trust and relationships with customers
• Running a family business, side by side, on their own land

🐄 Visit Ithica Beef:

https://www.ithicabeef.com/

https://www.facebook.com/p/Ithica-Beef-100064569053709/

https://www.instagram.com/ithicabeef/

https://www.pinterest.com/ithicabeef/

🎙️ Follow Dirt & Drive:

https://www.youtube.com/@dirtanddrivepod

https://instagram.com/dirtanddrivepod

https://tiktok.com/@dirtanddrivepod

🐉 Follow Dragon Creek Ranch:

Shop Tallow: http://dragoncreek.org

https://facebook.com/dragoncreekranch

https://instagram.com/dragoncreek.ranch

https://tiktok.com/@dragoncreekranch

https://www.youtube.com/@Dragon_Creek_Ranch

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who’s building something from the ground up.

Dirt & Drive Podcast: Real conversations about building a business, working the land, and creating something that lasts.

Before you head out to pasture, remember, this is just people sharing opinions not medical, legal, or business advice. The opinions expressed here don't necessarily reflect the views of the host, Dragon Creek Ranch, or the Dirt & Drive Podcast. Always remember to do your own research. It's ok to get your hands a little dirty, but keep your rap sheet clean. Thanks for listening!

Three years ago, a husband and wife team took their entire retirement savings and bet it all on a small local market. The first two years weren't even profitable. Today, Jojo's Fresh Market in Paulding County, Georgia is finally starting to turn a corner, and it's become something much bigger than a grocery store.

In this episode of Dirt & Drive, I sit down with the couple behind Jojo's Fresh Market in Dallas, Georgia to talk about what it really costs to bet everything on a small business :financially and emotionally. We talk about how they built relationships with local farmers and even backyard gardeners, buying produce from people with nothing more than a small home garden. We get into how they decide which local vendors and products make it onto their shelves, what it takes for a small producer to get a foot in the door, and why they believe so deeply in supporting small over big.

If you've ever dreamed of opening your own store, getting your products into a local market, or you just want to hear an honest story about what it takes to keep going when the numbers aren't there yet, this episode is for you.

In this episode we cover:

• Betting their entire retirement on a business with no guarantee
• Surviving two years without profit
• How they source from small farmers and backyard gardeners
• What it takes for a small producer to get into a store like theirs
• Why they believe in small business over big distributors

🥬 Visit Jojo's Market:

https://jojosfreshmarket.com/

https://www.facebook.com/p/JoJos-Fresh-Market-61557779307554/

https://www.instagram.com/jojosfreshmarket/?hl=en

https://www.tiktok.com/@jojosfreshmarket

🎙️ Follow Dirt & Drive:

https://www.youtube.com/@dirtanddrivepod

https://instagram.com/dirtanddrivepod

https://tiktok.com/@dirtanddrivepod

🐉 Follow Dragon Creek Ranch:

Shop Tallow: http://dragoncreek.org

https://facebook.com/dragoncreekranch

https://instagram.com/dragoncreek.ranch

https://tiktok.com/@dragoncreekranch

https://www.youtube.com/@Dragon_Creek_Ranch

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who’s building something from the ground up.

Dirt & Drive Podcast: Real conversations about building a business, working the land, and creating something that lasts.

Before you head out to pasture, remember, this is just people sharing opinions not medical, legal, or business advice. The opinions expressed here don't necessarily reflect the views of the host, Dragon Creek Ranch, or the Dirt & Drive Podcast. Always remember to do your own research. It's ok to get your hands a little dirty, but keep your rap sheet clean. Thanks for listening!