In previous generations, farmers raised their children to be farmers. In the 21st century, however, the path to growing vegetables and raising livestock for a living is as varied as the products produced in today's agrarian movement.

Ed Lobaugh, for instance, is not only the co-owner of the Old Windmill Dairy in Estancia, he also is a busy mental-health nurse practitioner in Moriarty. His life and business partner, Michael Lobaugh, was the general manager of Residence Inn in Albuquerque before the pair decided to start the dairy operation with a couple of goats.

That was in 2007, when Ed Lobaugh would take bottles of goat milk to his colleagues at St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. In return, his colleagues would write checks in support of the partners' dream: The establishment of a fully operational dairy and production facility.

It was a dream Ed Lobaugh took his time making a reality. Raised in Anaheim, Calif., he spent summers at his grandparents' dairy farm in Twentynine Palms, where he learned the rudiments of cheese-making as a young boy. He detoured into a career as a commercial photographer in Los Angeles before moving to Pecos and enrolling in the nursing program at Santa Fe Community College.

In the five short years since Ed and Michael acquired their first two goats, Old Windmill is now a Grade A dairy, with some 80 goats on-site as well as a herd of dairy cows in Bernalillo County. Of 37 different cheeses, their primary product is the flavored chévres, including Country Thyme, Pesto and Pine Nuts, Pumpkin Pie, and Holy Chipotle and Lime.

The dairy cows produce milk for fresh mozzarella, which Ed Lobaugh will often start as curd at the dairy and then finish for customers at his booths at various farmers market.

"You have to heat it so it stretches like taffy," Ed Lobaugh said during a visit to the Eldorado Farmers Market one Friday evening as he prepared for a mozzarella demonstration.

Home-style cream cheese, cheddar and flavored Goudas are among their other cow's-milk cheeses. In addition, the Lobaughs are now awaiting to contract a bottling company so they can begin to sell raw cow's milk.

Ed Lobaugh said he and his partner started their dairy operation while still working full-time. "We would work all day, milk and make cheese all night; we slept about two hours a night," he recalled. "Mike was able to quit his job after the first year, but I never wanted to give up nursing, so we have separate duties that allow me to keep working as well."

Michael Lobaugh runs the day-to-day dairy operation, while Ed sells at farmers markets in Santa Fe, Eldorado and Los Alamos. Ed Lobaugh also is in charge of making deliveries to many local stores, including La Montanita Co-op, Whole Foods and Sunflower Farmers Markets as well as Flying Star Cafe, Amavi Restaurant and other eateries. They also attend many statewide fairs and food festivals, selling their cheeses and handing out generously sized free samples. On Labor Day weekend, the Lobaughs will have a booth at the Harvest Wine Festival in Las Cruces.

"Probably the best thing we did was start working with the inspectors before we built the dairy," Ed Lobaugh said, noting that he and Michael always had an entrepreneurial spirit.

"We've tried to be very realistic as businessmen," Ed Lobaugh said. "We are simultaneously tapping three markets — direct selling [at the markets], in the stores and restaurants, and at the food shows. We've basically matched our own growth every year."

To meet the demand for the flavored chévres, the pair now buy bulk goat's milk from another farmer in addition to using milk from their goats. The two also have invested in high-tech equipment, including monitors for underground caves where their cheeses ripen.

In addition, the pair rely heavily on volunteers to help run the day-to-day operation. Cheese-making classes, farm tours and a cheese-buying club keep the men busy, but they haven't forgotten their primary reasons for dairy farming.

"They're like my kids," Ed Lobaugh said of his goat herd. "The animals get treated like pets. They all have names ... they're very affectionate."