It’s been 11 years since Mike Hoopengardner and his wife, Kristy Kikly, milked their first goat commercially and made their initial batch of goat cheese at their 57-acre farm in Spiceland, Ind. Kikly, a research scientist at Eli Lilly, and Hoopengardner, a stained-glass craftsman, officially created Redbud Farms and Caprini Creamery in 2011.
They were self-taught, building their operation themselves with no prior farming experience. But they grew from a small startup to a full-time operation, becoming a staple in the Indianapolis area with a variety of championship cheeses, including fresh chevre and feta. [continue reading]