Mary Altieri, owner

Marys Milk Monsters

Astoria

Mary Altieri, 13, milks goats and operates Marys Milk Monsters, with the help of her mother Cynthia Altieri, to pay for their feed. As part of the Astoria Sunday Market and Clatsop County 4-Hs Young Entrepreneurs Club, Mary Altieri has sold her wares at the market each Sunday since 2010. She also makes appearances at the Ilwaco Saturday Market and the Astoria Winter Market, along with other select winter shows. Her business can also be found at www.marysmilkmonsters.com/ or www.etsy.com/shop/MarysMilkMonsters?ref=em.

What do you do?

I milk my goats, and then I make the milk into soap. I have about 10 (goats) right now. Five I had, and then five more I got on loan, and like seven babies. I make blackberry jelly with no seeds, and then I had some bubble gum kits, and then I also make goat chow bags, which are from the feed bags.

How did you get started doing this?

I was allergic to cows milk to start, and then we moved out to the country, and then we had land to do goats. So were like, OK, well do dairy goats. That way I can drink goat milk. They were making so much milk, once they started producing, that I couldnt drink it all. I couldnt sell milk cheese at the market, so I had to make soap, because you dont have to deal with the food laws. Ive been doing this 08 is when I got the goats; then a year later, they had their babies and I joined 4-H.

What are the volume and demographics of your business?

Usually my best customers are happy grandmas with fancy purses its usually at the cruise ship markets. It varies on the market, and then it also varies on the weather. Sometimes if its sunny out, we have to compete with the beach. At least since its raining today (Sunday), they dont want to go to the beach. So what else is there to do?

What are the unique challenges of your business?

I cannot do those three-day shows. It has to be close distance, because I have to go back, milk the goats twice a day. I cant go to Portland. I think the farthest I ever went was Tillamook that was a drive. If its a cruise ship, I have to get up early, at least an hour and a half earlier than before I would leave, to milk the goats. The goat milk, Im not allowed to process, make into cheese or transport or bring to the market. And Im not allowed to advertise it other than Oh hey; I have goat milk. And I can only sell it off my doorstep at my house. I have to have under nine animals in milk, which I have seven, so Im pushing it.