AR-News: (US MO) Owners of small family farms believe diversity will assure their surviva

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

GUILFORD, Vt. (AP) -- Just up the hill from the Gaines dairy farm stands a 
small building that looks a lot like a sugar shack, the kind of thing many 
Vermont farmers rely on to supplement their income.

But this one-story building houses a human crematory run by a couple of 
former back-to-the-landers who say they want to provide a personalized end-of-life 
service.

The owners, Jim and Ellen Curley, say their new venture is a small family 
business that will provide options to the community and also help their 
neighbors' seventh-generation dairy farm survive.

"I view it as a service to my generation and the older generation," said Jim 
Curley. "We're a low-volume small scale operation with a beautiful setting."

Diversification is practically a necessity for small farms these days -- 
particularly small dairy farms. Milk prices hit a 25-year low last year.




full story:

http://newstribune.com/articles/2004/04/11/business/0411040023.txt 
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