Today we’d like to introduce you to Hope Boatright.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The farm was started in the early 1990s by our mother, Sara Bolton, and by my father Denny Bolton. At first, Pure Luck was growing cucumbers, culinary herbs, and later cut flowers that were sold to area stores and florist shops in Austin and San Antonio. It was one of the first certified organic farms in the state!
Mom, who originally was from northern California, was introduced to goats by a friend in the 80s and fell in love with the curious and kind creatures. She began making cheese as a hobby, but in 1995, established a grade A goat dairy in Dripping Springs. It just so happened to coincide with the emerging food scene in Austin and there was a desire by local restaurants and grocery stores to support local artisans and producers.
The farm has always been a family business, with all four of the girls working within the organization at different periods and in different capacities. Currently, three out of the four girls work on the farm. Amelia serves as the CEO and runs the cheesemaking operations and heard management, Hope is the director of social media, leads classes and tours, and milks the goats several days out of the week, and oldest sister Gitana attends two of the Dripping Springs Farmers Markets, the Dripping Springs Farmers Market on Wednesday and the Hill Country Farmers Market on Sundays.
All the girls grew up on the farm. Amelia began making cheese with mom in 1997, and I grew up milking in the cheese plant and always among the goats.
Our mother has since passed in the 2010s, and Denny sold his part of the business, but the farm remains in the hands of the four girls, Gitana, Amelia, Claire, and myself, Hope. Amelia’s husband Ben is an integral part of the daily operations as well. After leaving his Austin tech job in the 2000s, he committed to working full time on the dairy and makes sure that every piece of machinery runs as it should, every employee gets paid, makes cheese deliveries to Austin, and attends the Texas Farmers Markets in Cedar Park and at Mueller every week.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Farming is never a smooth road! Every day is filled with challenges and some days are more challenging than others. From sick animals, plumbing issues, equipment failure to staffing, and of course the everyday challenges of running a small business, each day offers and new opportunities and the inevitable bump in the road. And of course, this past year all the daily challenges were umbrellaed by a global pandemic. For many, the pandemic forced us to shift production, there were supply chain disruptions (it was VERY hard to find bleach during the start of the pandemic which is vital for food production operation) coupled with an overall sense of anxiety and uncertainty. There are many bumps in the road for small businesses. However, we have survived 2020, we have continued the family legacy after losing our mother in 2005 to cancer, and have weathered many, many storms and will continue to do so.
We’ve been impressed with Pure Luck Farm & Dairy, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Pure Luck Farm and Dairy is a nationally award-winning farmstead goat dairy located in Dripping Springs, TX. Our farm is home to around 100 happy and healthy Nubians and alpine goats that we currently milk once a day. Pure Luck has been making cheese for over 25 years and is considered a farmstead dairy meaning the cheese is made from the milk collected on the same farm where the cheese is produced. All of the milk from goats goes directly into the cheesemaking. Since becoming a Grade A Got Dairy in 1995, Pure Luck’s dedication to quality and the family’s love for the goats have resulted in several national cheese honors awarded by the American Cheese Society. The American Cheese Society holds an annual judging competition that awards top honors to cheeses made in North America. We have won a handful of blue ribbons for our cheese which is always an honor and delight.
Pure Luck is known for beautiful, high-quality and delicious cheese, like fresh, creamy chevre, feta, and seldom made, but equally delicious, aged cheeses like Ste. Maure and our highly sought-after hopelessly bleu. We started as a family-run business and still are a family run business. Amelia Sweethardt serves at the helm of the organization and runs day-to-day operations. Her cheesemaking career started in the 1990s when our mom asked her to work alongside her in the dairy. Amelia has since continued her cheesemaking education through university classes and educational courses. She is a highly respected, driven and accomplished cheesemaker with a quick wit and a love for fine bourbon and good cheeses.
For everyone that works on the farm, there is a deep sense of responsibility to the high standards our mother set not just for the quality of the cheese but also a strong sense of responsibility to the overall care and well-being of the land and the goats.
All of the four girls still live on the farm and each one has a respective family. There is nothing quite like seeing a second generation of kids enjoying the same simple pleasures you grew up loving: climbing the strong branches of a live oak, playing in the clear waters of Barton Creek after a good spring rain, snuggling a soft as silk baby goat, and eating a whole tub of creamy goat cheese!
During non-covid times, in the winter and early spring, we host cheesemaking workshops and baby goat snuggling sessions. It is a wonderful way for us to introduce folks to our business, our sweet and adorable goats, and the wonderful world of cheesemaking. We also partner with the Antonelli’s Cheese Shop for their incredibly fun Cheese-y Bus Tours which we hope will return soon!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
The food scene is Austin has to be the best thing about this city! From shops like the Antonelli’s Cheese Shop to Chefs like Jesse Griffiths at Dai Due, there is always someone creating something delicious to eat.
As someone who is not quite an Austin local but also a person that was born and raised right outside the city limits, one of the toughest things to see is the growth. It is always sad to see another large plot of land get leveled and subdivided, to see more cars on the highways and witness the destruction of the most scenic areas.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.purelucktexas.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purelucktexas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pureluckdairy
