INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — When Kristy Kikly looked for a path to a second career in 2007, the road led her to a 57.5-acre farm in Spiceland, Ind., where she could enjoy her love of animals. The land was rented for soybean production, and soon she had two goats and two llamas frolicking about at Redbud Farm.

But the research scientist at Eli Lilly and Co. wanted more, something that would demand both her physical energy and intellect. She and her husband, Mike Hoopengardner, decided to raise dairy goats, and she would learn to make goat cheese.

“It’s a perfect blend of science and artistry, taking milk and turning it into all kinds of cheese,” Kikly said. “It all starts with milk, and is all science-based.”

Kikly shared her experiences of starting the creamery at a meeting of small-scale artisan dairy processors on March 6, sponsored by the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH). She and Hoopengardner grew their herd to about 100 Nigerian Dwarf and Oberhasli dairy goats.

“We chose the Nigerian Dwarf because of the higher fat contained in their milk, which will be a great asset in out cheese-making operation,” she said. “The Oberhaslis were a great find. We like them for their temperament and the larger quantity milk we receive.”

The 30-plus-acre soybean field was changed over to pasture for the goats, with another 10 acres in forest and 10 in hay. Kikly took a week of cheese-making classes at the University of Wisconsin that included hands-on cheese labs. She also visited other creameries to learn the craft firsthand and spent her nights after work practicing samples to take to co-workers.

A 32-by-56-foot pole barn was built to house the milking parlor, milk house and bulk tank room, and the “make” room where Kikly has a lab and makes and packages the cheese. An aging room is now under construction.

The couple did much of the construction themselves and the barn became a three-year project. Kikly insisted that plumbing not be spared, requiring the contractor to install more plumbing than in a house.

She advised others interested in an on-site facility to work closely with BOAH to build the facility to code. For instance, every surface must be washable in the milk house and make room, so plastic panels were installed on the ceiling.

“Engage BOAH early, because you don’t want to build something and have to tear it out,” she said.

Finding equipment for such a small operation was difficult. A pasteurizer was imported from the Netherlands. Kikly uses a former salad bar as a cheese-draining table, hooking a hose to the drain to collect the whey, which is sprayed on fields or fed into the septic system. For the aging room, she is now using deli coolers, but a walk-in cooler has been ordered.

In 2011, 20-25 does were milked one at a time. This year, they are milking 35 two at a time.

Hoopengardner said his farming skills have improved since they bought the farm. “The field was soy stubble when we went to plant grass,” he remembered. “When we hooked that drill up to the back of the tractor, I was scared.”

But a forage specialist from Purdue University came out and gave advice. “Use the resources the state and USDA have available. The specialists saved us so much money and they were excited to come out and help,” Hoopengardner said.

He handles the milking while Kikly is at work and said the process is about two hours long. “Prepping and cleaning the equipment can take more time than the milking process,” he explained.

Kikly returns from her job and works late into the night testing the milk and making the cheese. Each lot of milk must be tested for antibiotic residue. “Even though I don’t administer antibiotics, by law they must be tested,” she said.

Caprini Creamery officially opened in August 2011, offering Chèvre and feta cheese from the on-farm cheese-making facility. For more information, visit www.caprinicreamery.com