CLINTON — A Clinton family found a creative way to offset the rising costs of running a small hobby farm: turning their Highland cows into the centerpiece of a photography business.
Sam Kelley and her husband Randy Blake raise a herd of four Highland cows on their family farm, where they also grow vegetables. Like many small farmers, they've felt the pressure of rising agricultural costs.
"It takes about $60 to get them through for about two weeks on milk supplements and then through the winter it takes about 60 pounds a day between hay and feed supplement, which is not cheap," Blake said.
Kelley came up with a solution.
"I have millionaire dreams and trailer park pocketbook. So I got creative," Kelley said.
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She launched Moo Lady Photography, a business that books families, couples, engagements, and themed events — all starring her Highlanders.
"I take a lot of candid stuff. You may not be looking at the camera for every picture because I am not trying to capture your face. I'm trying to capture a moment and a feeling. Whenever you leave here, I want you to look at your pictures and remember what it felt like to have the cow's fur in your hands," Kelley said.
For Kelley, the business is about more than money.
"I'm not trying to get rich. Like this is, I'm not going to be a millionaire taking family photos, but I am going to have a lot of people that have core memories, and that's more important than any amount of money to me," Kelley said.
Visitors can also simply spend time with the animals. One of the calves, Dottie, was born this past July.
"It's very therapeutic actually. They're really lovable and at the end of the day they don't tell your secrets," Blake said.
To make ends meet, Kelley works multiple jobs — including housekeeping and driving for Uber — while Blake works full-time in retail.
"You've got to have 15 streams of income to survive in this day and age. The world is not getting cheaper," Kelley said.
