Travis and Allison Cardoza (continued)

All the Cardozas needed then were cows and they wanted Jerseys. They found out about Oregon Organic Valley farmer Jon Bansen, who milks Jerseys and sometimes sells young stock. "When we went up to Jon's to get the cows, it was the first time I had ever actually set foot on an organic farm, and it was amazing. All that time I believed that it could be done, because there's no way that a cow's going to be better off in a free-stall barn on concrete. I believed this could work. You hear the old timers talking about their dairies and how they never had mastitis and these other problems. It's just common sense to connect it all to the way the animals were being fed and handled."

A little over a year into the beginning of their farm, the Cardozas are milking 75 cows, mostly Jerseys. Travis is working on some cross breeding with milking Shorthorns, and eventually Normandies. They employ intensive rotational grazing, which means the cows are moved to fresh grass every twelve hours. "In our conventional operation, we had sick cows all the time: pneumonia, mastitis...you name it. I haven't had a sick cow. Along with the grass, they get free choice supplements with kelp and salt. I don't have syringes or needles here."

Still they had a tough time with their calves in the beginning. "But we figured out that we needed to give more colostrum and that only the colostrum from the calf's mother goes to that calf, instead of mixing it all together. Now they do great. Plus, Allison manages the calf care."

They just started their organic garden this year, and raise free range chickens for meat and eggs. And they're creating new dreams as they go. "We have a long term goal for alternative energy," Travis says. "I'd love to see my barn lined with solar panels and we're in a great area for wind power."