DENNIS TOWNSHIP – For Nikki Savkov, the owner of Meraki Farm in Court House, the Greek word “Meraki” isn’t just the name of her business, but a phrase to live by.
“Meraki” speaks to the essence of something – it implies that we put a fragment of ourselves into the work that we do and the things we love. This is the foundation of how Nikki sees her work at her farm in Court House, just a quick stop off the scenic Route 83. She wants to put her very best into the farm, her products, and the care that she gives her animals.
Nikki doesn’t see her goats, who provide the milk for her all-natural goat soap, as a means to an end. She bought her first two goats – Hansel and Gretel – twelve years ago on a whim. She lived in North Jersey on a small farm for most of her life and dealt with an ever-worsening predator problem.
She knew that donkeys, incredibly territorial animals, scare off smaller pests like coyotes, bobcats, and foxes. Nikki came home with that donkey, but also with two unexpected goat friends who were irresistibly cute.
When COVID hit and her father became deeply ill, she took a moment to re-evaluate her priorities. Though farm life has always been a big part of who Nikki is, it faded out of focus as her corporate job took priority. With her father’s illness as the backdrop, she left that job in fast-paced corporate America and moved to Court House, where she got right to work on what would eventually become Meraki Farm.
She now lives on the farm with her parents, who work alongside her to feed the animals, mow the grass, maintain the barn, milk the goats, and all of the other hard work that comes with farm life.
Right now, Meraki Farm has 14 goats that wander the large property, with more on the way. Nikki recalls many sleepless nights helping her female goats give birth and making sure that the young ones have their needs met.
“The work never stops, but I love it. It’s part of who I am. If you get sick or get a stomach bug, those goats still need to eat. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” she said.
It took nearly two years of work to get the goat farm off the ground, and Nikki still has big plans for the future. The farm store is the main draw at present, but Nikki looks forward to one day hosting a camp where kids can experience the joy and hard work of farm living.
The farm store sells fresh eggs, handmade candles, fresh goat milk soap, hand-made products made by Mud Girl Studios in Atlantic City, and more. Mud Girl helps disadvantaged, homeless, and at-risk women find steady work.
Nikki wants every product she sells to be ethical at every stage of production. She and her family, who deal with skin issues, find that fresh goat milk soap is great for sensitive skin because it lacks the chemicals that are common in consumer products.
This local-first attitude extends even to the construction of the store itself. “We did all of the renovations here ourselves,” Nikki explained. “We ripped up the old fences to make room for better goat-proof ones, and the wood from those old fences now make up the paneling on the shop’s walls. We used old pallets to make the checkout counter. I try to put a piece of myself into everything I do – I want to stand by my products 110%,” Nikki said.
Nikki Savkov and her family have a big piece of themselves invested in Meraki Farms. She hopes that visitors will find the same joy here that she does. The farm has a big family day planned for June 24 along with a fundraiser for TLC Animal Rescue. Events include arts and crafts, a chicken egg hunt, face painting, and pictures with baby goats. Finding joy on the farm won’t be a tall order.
Meraki Farm
1520, Route 83, Court House
www.meraki-farm.com
(609) 846-5309
Middle Township – Seems like every nice neighborhood has one or two houses that get let go and start looking overgrown, dirty, unkempt etc. Don’t be that neighbor. Respect your home and neighbors and spruce it up. If…
