The Cure For Retirement

A Chamber Member's Story

JIm Tanner of Bonnie Blue Farm finds himself busier than ever in his second career as a Tennessee goat farmer.

Jim Tanner wears many hats on his 317-acre goat farm, including midwife. "We have a new doe going into labor. I'm the OBGYN, so I may be called away," he said at the start of the interview.

Bonnie Blue Farm is really three businesses—the only licensed Grade A goat dairy in the state, an agritourism destination, and a cheese manufacturing facility producing 5,000 pounds of award-winning cheese each year, including feta, several varieties of chevre, and three hard cheeses. The cheeses are made by Tanner's wife, Gayle, using only milk produced on the farm and are available at farmers' markets, specialty stores, and more than 20 upscale restaurants from Memphis, Tennessee, to Oxford, Mississippi. Gayle has a degree in culinary arts.

The Tanners are former business owners who discovered the farm while looking for a place to retire. Jim was a building contractor in the Sacramento area, and Gayle owned a competition swim shop. In 1995, they bought 110 acres in rural Wayne County, 136 miles east of Memphis. The only structure on the property was an old chimney dating back to before the Civil War. "Our thought was, well, if it doesn't work out, we'll at least have a nice hobby farm," says Jim. Since then, it's been nonstop, but satisfying, work. In 2007, the couple together put in 9,000 work hours. "We don't take days off, and we don't take vacations. It's absolutely unrelenting, but we enjoy it. We like being successful."

From the beginning, the Tanners worked closely with state regulators to ensure that their facilities would meet or exceed regulatory requirements. For example, the milking barn had to have at least seven feet of headroom over animal platforms and floors that slope toward a center drain. Finding equipment was another challenge since most milking and cheese-making equipment is made for larger animals, like cows. "We had our vat pastuerizer imported from the Netherlands," says Jim.

There's also a tremendous amount of paperwork involved in running a successful farm. "We have to keep all kinds of records," says Jim, such as recording the temperatures of various equipment twice a day. "But there's a reason for it, especially for our own protection against any product liability claims."

The Tanners now share their farm with visitors from all over the world who rent the log cabin and take tours of the farm and cheese-making facilities. The Tanners have also made room for a slew of free-roaming animals, including two does born during the interview.

To share your Success InSight, e-mail Greg Galdabini at ggaldabi@uschamber.com or call 202-463-5563.

Member Facts

Owners: Jim and Gayle Tanner
Company Name: Bonnie Blue Farm
E-Mail Address: tanngoat@wildblue.net
U.S. Chamber Member Since: 2009
Company Founded: 1999
Number of Employees: 2
Address: 275 Dry Creek Road, Waynesboro, TN 38485
Phone Number: 931-722-GOAT (4628)
Web Site: www.bonniebluefarm.com/