Innovative farm evolves with the times

Oct 4th, 2022

It’s been 11 years since Mike Hoopengardner and his wife, Kristy Kikly, milked their first goat commercially and made their initial batch of goat cheese at their 57-acre farm in Spiceland, Ind. Kikly, a research scientist at Eli Lilly, and Hoopengardner, a stained-glass craftsman, officially created Redbud Farms and Caprini Creamery in 2011.

They were self-taught, building their operation themselves with no prior farming experience. But they grew from a small startup to a full-time operation, becoming a staple in the Indianapolis area with a variety of championship cheeses, including fresh chevre and feta. [continue reading]