“And I don’t want to overbuild.”
Rebecca smiled.
“Most suppliers tell me yes before calculating.”
“I did that with fencing once.”
“How’d it go?”
“Goats taught me math.”
The relationship strengthened.
Meanwhile, Calvin Reed became quieter.
Not friendly.
Quieter.
Then January arrived.
Deep cold.
Feed costs rose again.
Calvin’s corn crop from the previous season had been poor after heavy spring rain.
His fertilizer bill remained high.
One afternoon his truck entered Miller’s Farm.
Alone.
Ethan saw from the barn.
Calvin stepped out.
No coffee.
No audience.
That mattered.
“What can I do for you?”
Calvin looked toward the goats.
“How much produce do you collect?”
“Varies.”
“Weekly.”
“Five to eight thousand pounds total stream.”
Calvin’s eyebrows rose.
“All feed?”
“No.”
“Maybe thirty percent direct goat feed depending on mix.”
“Rest?”
“Human recovery.”
“Chickens.”
“Compost.”
“Occasional silage.”
Calvin nodded.
He kicked mud.
“How much did your feed bill actually drop?”
Ethan looked at him.
“You came for numbers?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Calvin’s jaw tightened.
“Because my feed bill is stupid.”
Ethan waited.
This was not a moment for triumph.
Calvin continued.
“I’ve got cattle.”
“I know.”
“Not goats.”
“I know.”
“Could some of it work?”
“Yes.”
“Some.”
“Different animals.”
“Different requirements.”
“You need nutrition balancing.”
“Storage.”
“Food-safety protocols.”
“You can’t just dump vegetables in.”
Calvin looked almost relieved that Ethan did not sell him a miracle.
“How do I start?”
Ethan pointed toward the office.
“Coffee.”
Calvin blinked.
“That easy?”
“No.”
“The coffee is easy.”
They spent two hours reviewing numbers.
Ethan showed everything.
Fuel.
Labor.
Shrink.
Rejected loads.
Cleaning.
Insurance.
Containers.
The hidden costs Calvin had mocked.
Then savings.
Feed substitutions.
Disposal fees paid by two suppliers.
Compost value.
Fertilizer reduction.
Additional revenue.
Calvin stared at one spreadsheet.
“You track all this?”
“If I didn’t, I’d have no idea whether it worked.”
“You always were weird.”
“There he is.”
Calvin smiled.
The hostility softened.
Not vanished.
Enough.
Calvin began small.
One produce stand.
Damaged pumpkins after fall season.
Cattle consumed limited amounts mixed with ration.
No miracle.
He saved some money.
Then asked about compost.
Ethan helped again.