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family dairy farms were not doing well, and he decided that to be
profitable, he had to find for his farm a niche in the market
that would let it compete as to product and price. After much
research he decided to raise Normande cattle. The dairy farm
idea had materialized and was operational by the end of 2001 and
accordingly expenditures would not be considered to be startup
expenses.
During 2000, Zane purchased 225 additional acres of farmland
nearby and called it the Columbus Dairy. The Columbus Dairy
became the organic dairy farm. At the Columbus Dairy, Zane built
a milking parlor and other buildings for the milking operation.
Zane also reclaimed the pastureland and built miles of fencing
for the organic dairy operations on the Columbus Dairy property.
Milking started sometime in 2002.
Normande cows are good producers of milk in France but are
largely used for beef consumption in the United States. After
visiting many farmers and ranchers throughout the United States,
Zane acquired a herd of Normande cows that he believed would be
the best milk producers. He intended to further breed the
acquired herd so his activity could become competitive in the
dairy farming industry. Zane had a 7-year business plan
involving the importation of bull semen from France, as he could
not import Normande cows to breed with his cows to produce more
and better milk. At the same time, Zane was working to convert
his land from a conventional to a certified organic farm. Zane
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