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!

Before "Stranger Things" made it famous, this farm was already a legacy in the making.

In this episode of Dirt & Drive, I sit down with the sisters behind Sleepy Hollow Christmas Tree Farm - the real-life corn maze and farmland where Stranger Things was filmed, including Hopper's cabin. But long before the cameras showed up, this was a Christmas tree farm started by their dad back in the 1970s.

We talk about what it was like watching their family land turn into a worldwide filming location, how it brought tourists from around the globe, and - more importantly - how they've built a business that goes far beyond the fame. From pumpkin patches and escape rooms to birthday parties, farm photography, and animal encounters, this family has figured out how to turn every inch of their property into an experience that keeps people coming back all year long.

This is a story about hard work, family, and how a small homestead can grow into something bigger than anyone imagined - Stranger Things or not.

In this episode we cover:

• How Sleepy Hollow Farm became a Stranger Things filming location
• Building Hopper's cabin and hosting the corn maze scenes
• Turning a Christmas tree farm into a year-round experience business
• Pumpkin patches, escape rooms, birthday parties, and more
• Why experiences - not just products - might be the future of the small family farm

Follow Sleepy Hollow Christmas Tree Farm:

https://www.sleepyhollowtrees.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SleepyHollowTrees

https://www.instagram.com/sleepy_hollow_farm/

https://www.escapewoods.com/

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!