JEFFERSON TWP., Pa. – This holiday season, the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance and the Berks Agricultural Resources Network are encouraging people to shop locally. They published a guide to Christmas food and gifts, highlighting a number of local products and services.
Dove Song Dairy in Jefferson Township has been around for a quarter century and is now a multi-generational operation.
“We are primarily a goat dairy, so we milk goats 365 days a year,” said Lena Schaeffer, who owns the farm with her husband.
The couple, along with their three children and their families, manage the 85-acre farm and produce an abundance of fresh organic food products.
“We have a raw milk license, so we sell the milk,” Schaeffer said. “I also make yogurt. I make kefir. I make hard cheeses and fresh goat cheese.”
They also raise animals for various types of grass-fed meat and make other items, such as homemade soups, jams, and goat’s milk soaps.
Dove Song Dairy is one of many local vendors featured in the holiday food and gift guide. Links people to all kinds of providers throughout Berks County.
“On the one hand, you are saving the money in the local economy rather than sending it to some company in a foreign country,” Schaeffer said of the importance of supporting local businesses.
He also said that the food is as fresh as possible.
“You can talk to the person directly and know exactly what you are eating,” Schaeffer said. “You know it’s clean and healthy food, and you can see it right there.”
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