Alpaca and sheep farmer talks struggles of local business in the midst of inflation
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — Deb Schoenberg owns a boutique style farm in Lexington, where she raises merino sheep and alpaca, later using their wool to produce other good.
“I not only sell raw fleeces, I put them into manufacturing at fiber mills, and I pay for the actual processing myself. So I have finished products to sell if I needed to or wanted to, as part of my business model, I also sell it to a co-op, but they’re based upon the quality of the of the raw material. So I spend a lot of money on, on quality feed,” said Schoenberg.
She adds that in order to keep producing quality material, she typically spends more money on quality feed, but the costs don’t stop there.
“My business model also has animals for sale, so breeding’s, so the cost of animals is an another increased cost. And if you want to constantly be replacing your breeding herd or your production herd, you need to always be adding additional animals,” she says.
She believes raising her prices in material could mean people not buying her product.
“As a producer of the raw material, I don’t get to charge more money for, for products based upon increases in my cost, it’s whatever the market will bear. The annual expenditure about is about $60,000,” she explained.
She also reminds people that quality items cost more, especially when they’re produced locally.
“I’d like people to know that quality, quality finished products and goods, they are, they’re worth every dollar that it costs you to, to pay to purchase them. Because when you look at all of the effort that goes into manufacturing, and coming up with a raw product, there’s so many so much that goes on behind the scenes that you just don’t recognize, you don’t see. And it really demonstrates the commitment to, to a sustainable lifestyle and sustainable practices for consumers,” says Schoenberg.
Schoenberg owns Violet Hill Farm in Lexington, it’s located at 4129 Willow Lane.
For more information on her store click here.
