Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Beth Johnson.
Hi Sara Beth, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Unlike most businesses, Flying Pig Cattle Co. didn’t start with a business plan. It started with a passion for agriculture and has evolved over the years through trial and error, trying new things, learning from both successes and failures, and a determination to build a farm business our family could be proud of.
I grew up around agriculture and the rodeo world, and farming has always been a part of who I am. My grandparents operated a dairy farm and raised beef cattle. Growing up, my family had horses, goats, and a few cattle. My husband, Colton, was also raised around cattle and row crop farming. Agriculture was simply in our blood.
We started Flying Pig Cattle Co. in 2015 as a beef cattle operation and also raised a few meat goats. At the time, we were focused on raising quality livestock and building our farm one step at a time while both working full-time jobs off the farm.
Around 2020, my mom and I decided to diversify our goat operation by adding a few dairy goats to our herd. With her experience growing up on a dairy farm, she was excited to try milking goats instead of cows. It wasn’t long before we had more milk than we knew what to do with, so we started researching ways to use the extra milk. That’s when I discovered goat milk soap.
The next few years brought a lot of change for our family. I changed careers at the end of 2021. Our daughter joined our family in 2022. My husband left his job to stay home with her, and then in 2023, the day before our daughter’s first birthday, I was unexpectedly laid off from my job.
Instead of immediately looking for another career, we spent a lot of time praying and talking about what we wanted for our family’s future. We decided to take a leap of faith and see if we could turn our farm into a full-time business.
One of the first things I did—somewhat impulsively—was buy a dairy cow. My thought process was simple: if we were already milking goats every day, why not add a cow to the mix? A few months later, we began selling raw cow and goat milk directly to families in our community. Today, we’re milking two cows, soon to be three, and selling milk both through our farm store and at a local farmers market.
A few months after the layoff and adding the dairy cow, I set up at my first farmers market as a soap vendor. What started as a way to use extra goat milk quickly became a business of its own. Since then, I’ve participated in farmers markets and vendor events across the state and expanded beyond goat milk soap to include lip balm, lotion sticks, beard oil, and other skincare products.
At the end of 2023, I decided to try something completely different and hosted our first “Sip and Snuggle” event on the farm. We invited people out to enjoy a hot cocoa bar and spend time with our goats, and the response was incredible. People came from all over the state to snuggle with our goats and connect with farm life. Since then, we’ve expanded our events to include Sip and Snuggle experiences, goat yoga, and private goat parties and appearances. Honestly, what started as a fun idea has become one of my favorite parts of the business. I’ve hauled the goats across Arkansas to do goat birthday parties and bachelorette parties!
Today, Flying Pig Cattle Co. is about more than milk or soap. We believe people want to know where their food comes from and who makes the products they bring into their homes. Whether someone is purchasing milk, using our skincare products, or visiting us at an event, our goal is to help families build a connection with the farm where their food and products come from. It’s been an unexpected journey, but we’re grateful every day that we get to share a small piece of farm life with our community.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. Starting off, my husband and I were both working full time jobs off the farm, so time on the farm to work both on our business and in our business was limited. Then, in 2023 after I got laid off, our financial situation changed and that was a struggle in itself. Any kind of farm business also has challenges with weather, animal health, and all sorts of things that aren’t always under our control.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Flying Pig Cattle Co. is a diversified family farm specializing in raw cow and goat milk, handcrafted goat milk skincare products, and hands-on goat experiences. Our goal is to provide high-quality farm products while creating opportunities for people to connect with agriculture in a meaningful way.
Locally, we are known for our farm fresh raw milk. People in our community love knowing they are feeding their family delicious milk from a family farm. They’ve met Apple and Daisy, and know exactly where their milk comes from.
We’re also known for our goat milk soaps. We have customers that will only use our soaps now. They love the high quality products we make, and again, love supporting a small family farm business.
The most fun thing we are known for is our goat events. We host events at our farm like Sip and Snuggle, where people can come sip on a a drink from the hot cocoa bar and snuggle with the goats, and Goat Yoga where people can chill with the goats, while stretching their body and grounding themselves. We also travel with the goats and have helped make birthday parties and bachelorette parties a little more memorable.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
While I consider myself completely obsessed with agriculture, I have a black thumb and struggle to keep even succulents alive.
Pricing:
- Farm Fresh Raw Milk starts at $10/gallon
- Handcrafted Goat Milk Soaps $8/bar
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.flyingpigcattleco.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/flyingpigcattleco
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/flyingpigcattleco
