High school senior turns love of goats into a business

By: Laura Nolan

Boyle County High School

Many high school students are involved in sports or clubs but very few run their own businesses. For Boyle County High School senior Joe Bremer, operating a business is just another daily activity. 

His involvement in the local 4-H Means Business club sparked his interest. The club teaches students practical business skills and guides them in creating, marketing, and selling their own products. 

This introduction into business inspired Bremer, then only 11 years old, to create Joe’s Bars and Suds, LLC. “We make and sell body soap, hand soap, and lotion,” Bremer said. He does all of this with 100 percent goat milk which comes from the 10 goats that he raises on his farm. He spends several hours a week caring for his goats to keep them well fed and in good health. 

Although he had previous experience in raising and showing goats, Bremer took on this business project with no idea of what to expect. “I was handed a gallon of milk and told ‘here’.” That simple beginning has developed into what is, so far, an eight-year undertaking. What initially started as “trial and error”, as he honestly put it, has developed into a successful venture. 

Operating a self-owned business can be much more challenging for a high school student than working a typical after school job. In order to manage a business with his now perfected products, Bremer must focus on marketing which sometimes includes traveling to fairs and festivals. At these events, he is able to promote his products and enter them into competitions. Joe’s Bars and Suds has received multiple awards including second place at the Kentucky State Fair in 2012.

Bremer’s award-winning products are easy for his customers to find. His Kentucky Proud products are on the shelves of several local retail stores which includes Burkmann Feeds, The Medicine Shoppe, and A&L Accessories. Bremer has even expanded his distribution outside of Boyle County into the towns of Berea, Harrodsburg, Liberty, and Brodhead. 

“I spend an hour a day working on (my business),” he says. But despite the responsibility, the work is still enjoyable for Bremer. “I like working with the goats the most.” 

To be sure that he can continue doing what he enjoys, he markets his products to the public through his website (www.joesbarsandsuds.com) and on his business’s Facebook page. 

From milking the goats to putting his products onto shelves and into homes, self-motivation drives this young entrepreneur. Though he is not exactly sure where Joe’s Bars and Suds will lead him in the future, he has definitely created a solid foundation from which to grow. No matter how large it grows, Bremer certainly hopes this project continues to be an enjoyable part of his daily routine.