The numbers had stopped adding up long ago — the hours in a day, the equity left to spend, the credit available to just keep things going. For the Reece family, there was a time when almost nothing was left. It was at Justin and Siska Reece’s lowest point that an act of faith changed everything.
Siska Reece’s family began building their Idaho dairy when she was just 12, surrounded by five brothers. They began milking cows in 1999, and by 2018 a decision had to be made between her and one of her brothers as to who would be the next generation. The best option was to split, leaving Siska and Justin Reece to take over the farm.
Entering 2020, the Reece family was struggling through the buyout.
“It seemed like we could barely hold our head above water,” Siska Reece recalls. “COVID was disastrous for the dairy industry. We had used up all of our equity, all of our extra feed, and I had sold all of our extra heifers. We thought, ‘how much longer can we go backwards without losing the farm?’”
It was time to either sell while they could still pay off the debt or figure out a different way to make money. Reece and her husband prayed fervently for the right answer, and she says it was that act of faith that gave them the clarity they needed.
“Separately, we each felt we weren’t meant to be done with the dairy yet,” Reece says. “The terrifying part was we still didn’t know how to make money.”
Yet within weeks, many friends and neighbors were asking, “When are you guys going to start selling your own milk? Making your own cheese? Why can’t I just buy my ice cream from you?” This had been the dream for 20 years, but her ever-transparent response was always, “Yes, someday when the dairy starts making enough profit, then we can invest in a new business.”
Reece had a feeling once again that a plan greater than her own was at play.
“We thought, ‘maybe God’s trying to tell us something. We should look into it at least,’ so the first call I made was to planning and zoning, and every single question I asked, every step I tried to take, God had completely opened the pathway before I even made the call,” she says.
The miraculous opportunities kept coming. From acquiring a building they loved and could afford, to unheard-of timing on the well drilling to having final permits in place just hours before opening, there was no question this had been the right choice. The Copper Cow Creamery was ready for its first customers in less than eight months.
Today, the creamery produces non-homogenized A2A2 milk, cheese and ice cream using milk from their Jersey herd. The drive-thru also serves espresso drinks and breakfast items — a lifelong dream coming to fruition.
“I designed the coffee shop model at age 15 in the back of my mom’s car on the way to Idaho,” Reece says.
The results have far exceeded the dream. Customer demand quickly outpaced their original setup, growing into a full-time operation open six days a week, with a staff of 15.
“I had expected that we would be there selling milk and cheese to one customer per hour, and the rest of the day I would take turns homeschooling my kids one at a time,” Reece says. “But in the first week, I needed five employees in there. I remember crying in happiness — not only is our dream coming true, but it’s profitable, sustaining itself and doing amazing.”
While everything with the store fell into place better than planned, life didn’t stop. The Reeces homeschool their five sons on top of managing the dairy, the creamery and store, ag tourism activities, a small herd of Scottish Highlands, and countless sports, church, and 4-H activities.
“There are always points of burnout,” Reece says. “Every day something breaks down or some fire needs to be put out. Often times, I’m exhausted. Sometimes it feels like I’m running ragged on getting supplies and parts, learning to run all the equipment, managing people-facing employees instead of cow-facing employees, so I daily learn to rely on God to help me through it all.”
Thankfully, the Reece family has an incredible support system, especially within their own family.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve woken one of my kids up at 4:30 and said, ‘Hey, somebody called in, you’re going to go serve coffee and cinnamon rolls,’ and they cheerfully do it. They know it’s our livelihood, I know I can count on them and that’s why we can function,” Reece says.
She also credits her parents, in-laws and hardworking employees.
“Their commitment to the creamery and constant support has been unmatched,” she says. “We could never have done it without them.”
On the long days, Reece grounds herself in her goals for her family and remembers: It’s just a season.
“The buyout and going through COVID — it was just a season. Any one of us can do anything for a season,” she says. “I know I’m not going to have to work 23 hours a day indefinitely. Soon I’ll be able to homeschool more like a regular homeschool mom again.”
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