MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2021

After starting their farm life with cattle, Jamie and Jeremy Gooch provided a calf for each child. The kids raised their calves, then sold the animals at auction. They started their own businesses with the proceeds.

Little Ruby Gooch feeds the hens at Gooch Family Farm near Troy. Ruby is responsible for gathering eggs, greeting visitors and helps around the farm.

Jamie Gooch stands inside the farm store at Gooch Family Farm. The store carries fresh eggs, beef and pork, lotions, cookies, salsas, jellies and much more. The Gooch family partners with other small businesses in Central Texas to offer an array of goods.

Kids help make family farm thrive

By DAVID STONE, Our Town Temple exclusive

The Gooch kids near Troy are getting an insider’s look at the world of agribusiness. One raises pigs, another bees and a third child is exploring her options.

According to Jamie, mother of the young entrepreneurs, she and her husband, Jeremy, had been dreaming of a simpler way of life and wanted their growing family to be connected to the beauty of nature.

“That dream led us to a beautiful piece of land in Troy in 2016,” she said. “I’m from Rogers, and my husband Jeremy grew up in Bryan/College Station. His grandfather raised cattle, and I think it is in Jeremy’s blood to be a great farmer.”

After starting their farm life with cattle, the couple provided a calf for each child. The kids raised their calves, then sold the animals at auction. They were instructed to start their own business with the proceeds.

“Brock will be 15 in November,” Jamie said. “He decided to go into beekeeping. He bought the equipment and bee hives, and he sells honey at our farm store.”

The middle Gooch child, Bryson, is 11. He decided to enter the pig business.

“He’s been raising pigs for about a year and a half, and he’s definitely getting there,” she said. “We sell Bryson’s pork products at the store as well. We’ve been selling bacon, breakfast sausage, pork chops and sausage links, but we plan to add pork roast and ham steaks soon.”

Ruby is the youngest of the Gooch siblings, and she is testing several waters. After all, she’s only 4.

“Ruby sold her calf but hasn’t decided on her business,” Jamie said. “She’s mentioned horses, but right now she collects our eggs, greets our guests and helps with chores around the farm and house.”

The Gooch Family Farm started as a cattle farm, and for now, beef is still king.

“We were selling sides of beef,” Jamie said. “But COVID changed that. When the pandemic started, grocery stores began running out of meat. We had people coming in for steaks and hamburger meat, so we started selling different cuts.”

A couple freezers and refrigerators in the family’s garage were used to store meat. Jamie decided they could do better.

“Jeremy is a Temple police officer and I told him: ‘Honey, you’re a cop and we’re selling meat out of our garage. It seems a little shady,” she said with a smile. “So, we had a storage building that we fixed up and converted into a store.”

The farm store now sells a variety of beef, including hamburger meat, stew meat, tenderloins, several cuts of steak, roasts and organ meat.

“Organ meat is really good for you,” she said. “Beef heart has all the B vitamins a person needs for a week.”

Jamie said all the beef sold in the farm store is raised on site.

“It’s all raised right here,” she said. “It’s grass fed until 90 days before slaughter. We finish on grain to add desired marbling — it makes the beef taste and cook so much better.”

The farm also raises chickens and sells the eggs collected by young Ruby.

“I designed a dream chicken coop for my girls,” Jamie said. “We eat the eggs, not the chickens.”

In addition to meats, eggs and honey, the store also partners with other small businesses and sells their items as well.

“We have a lot of quality partners,” Jamie said. “We sell jellies, pickles and salsas from Proctor Victory Garden in Belton, and we sell really good coffee.”

That coffee — the brand is Piggies — is made by Sam Thompson, another Temple police officer. The store also sells pumpkins in season courtesy of Robinson Family Farm in Temple.

“I also have a lot of recipes people can use to prepare food they buy here,” she said.

If you go to the Gooch store, be prepared to linger a bit.

“My husband calls it a modern-day beauty shop,” she chuckled. “People tend to gather and talk.”

Very cool. It all adds up to a sense of community, something Jamie strived to achieve.

“I grew up in a Baptist church in Rogers, and we were always having potluck dinners,” she said. “Food brought people of all ages and backgrounds together.”

“We knew we wanted to bring people together,” she said. “There’s joy in serving family and friends with locally grown food. We wanted to do that here.”

But according to Jamie, “here” may soon be two places.

“We’re busting at the seams,” she said. “Our store was a 16 x 20 storage building and we need more space — more freezer space, more display space…just more space.”

The Gooch Family is considering an in-town expansion, probably in Troy.

“We are considering a second store, and we would like to have a place where we could sell food,” she said.

Until then, visit the Gooch Family Farm store at 4117 Deer Creek Road near Troy. Items can be ordered in advance at goochfamilyfarm.com and picked up at the store.

Bryson Gooch, 11, has been raising pigs for about a year and a half, and his pork products are sold inside the family’s farm store.

15-year-old Brock Gooch has started a beekeeping business and he sells his honey and related products in the family’s little market.

This little store at Gooch Family Farm sells premium locally produced food and body care items made on the farm and at other small businesses around Central Texas.

The Gooch Family Farm started with cattle, and beef is still a prominent part of the business. The cattle are grass fed up until 90 days before slaughter. They are finished on grains to add desired marbling.

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What’s happening, Temple?

September 2, Thursday - Ladies Night at Moe’s Rail Yard Saloon, downtown Temple. 7-11 p.m.

September 2, Thursday - Central Texas State Fair, Bell County Expo Center. Wade Bowen. 5 p.m. to midnight.

September 3, Friday - Central Texas State Fair, Pat Green. Twisted Metal Mayhem Derby. Bell County Expo Center. 5 p.m. to midnight.

September 3, Friday - First Friday Block Party, Fire Base Brewing Company. Axe throwing and music by Dustin Brown & The Now. 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

September 3, Friday - First Friday downtown Temple.

September 3, Friday - Artist 2 Artist Showcase, First Friday, 5 S. Main, Temple. 4-9 p.m.

September 4, Saturday - Central Texas State Fair, Flatland Calvary, Professional Bull Riding. Bell County Expo Center. 5 p.m. to midnight.

September 5, Sunday - Central Texas State Fair, Aaron Watson, Professional Bull Riding. Bell County Expo Center. 5 p.m. to midnight.

September 7, Tuesday - Interested in learning to dance, but not sure how to get started? Be our guest and join us for a sample class, professional performances, social dancing, and hors d’oeuvres. This is a great opportunity to get introduced to Arthur Murray in Temple and finding out more about what we have to offer! Open to the public, RSVP (254) 721-9524

September 7, Tuesday - A Great Frontier Odyssey: Sketching the American West, Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum, A new traveling exhibition documenting the 1873 overland journey of artists Jules Tavernier and Paul Frenzeny, on display from September 5 to November 7. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

September 10, Friday - Josh Abbott Band live at Johnny’s Steaks and Bar-Be-Que, Salado. 6 p.m.

September 10, Friday - Clint Walker Blues Band, Fire Street Pizza, Belton. 6 p.m.

September 11, Saturday - A Sami Show Arts & Crafts Market, Bell County Expo Center. 10 a.m.

September 11, Saturday - Weird Science. Explore different adaptations animals have made through presentations, fun games, and activities. Bell County Museum. 11 a.m.

September 11, Saturday - Pink Fishing’s Reeling in the Cure, 6th annual bass tournament. Proceeds benefit breast cancer patients and cancer research. Cedar Ridge Park. 6 a.m. Call (254) 681-0102 for details.

September 11, Saturday - 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb & Ceremony. Wildcat Stadium. 7-11 a.m.

September 11, Saturday - Rescue Magazine’s Pet Adoption Extravaganza. There will almost 400 Animals up for adoption and fun for the whole family. Bell County Expo Center. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

September 12, Sunday - A Sami Show Arts & Crafts Market, Bell County Expo Center. 10 a.m.

September 12, Sunday - Rescue Magazine’s Pet Adoption Extravaganza. There will almost 400 Animals up for adoption and fun for the whole family. Bell County Expo Center. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

September 13, Monday - Third House Session with State Rep. Hugh Shine, Belton Area Chamber of Commerce, 7 a.m.

September 15, Wednesday - Tiny Thinkers, Kids 5 years old and younger are invited to the museum to experience the State Fair! Bell County Museum. 10 a.m.

September 17, Friday - Neal McCoy, Cotton Country Club, Granger. 9:30 p.m.

September 18, Saturday - The Chancers, O’Briens Irish Pub, 9 p.m.

September 18, Saturday - Harvest Celebration. Bring your family and friends to enjoy grape stomping, food trucks, music, and wine. This is a ticketed event. 3 Texans Winery. 6 p.m.

September 18, Saturday - Original Debonaires Reunion Dance, Cotton Country Club, Granger. 8:30 p.m.

September 21, Tuesday - Body of Christ Community Clinic’s Together We Heal Banquet, UMHB, Jimmy Dorrell, keynote speaker. 5:30 p.m.

September 24, Friday - Aaron Watson, Cotton Country Club, Granger. 9:30 p.m.

September 25, Saturday - Fun at the Fair! Join us at the museum to for fun at the fair! View the newest exhibit and take part in fun activities - explore symmetry by decorating a popcorn bucket, build your own mini rollercoaster, race your family in duck races, and visit our petting zoo! Bell County Museum. 11 a.m.

September 25, Saturday - Dale Watson, Texas Music Series,Cultural Activities Center. 7:30 p.m.

September 30, Thursday - TLC’s Celebration of Crazy, Sexy Cool with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Bell County Expo Center. 7:30 p.m.

September 30, Thursday - Funniest Comic in Texas semi-finals. Corky’s. 

October 1, Friday - Randy Rogers Band, Johnny Steaks and Bar-Be-Que, Salado. 6 p.m.

October 5, Tuesday - Temple’s National Night Out. Anyone interested in hosting a party in their neighborhood should register by Sept. 13 at templetx.gov/nno. 6:30 p.m.

October 7, Thursday - The Spazmatics, Schoepf’s BBQ, Belton. 6 p.m.

October 8, Friday - Painting with a Twist, 3 Texans Winery. 6:30 p.m.

October 9, Saturday - Shinyribs, Texas Music Series,Cultural Activities Center. 7:30 p.m.

October 9, Saturday - Oktoberfest 2021, Barrow Brewing Company, Salado, noon to 10:30 p.m.

October 11-17 - Hocus Pocus, The Beltonian Theatre, Belton. Noon.

October 16, Saturday - Oktoberfest 2021, Barrow Brewing Company, Salado, noon to 10:30 p.m.

October 16, Saturday - Michael Salgado at Schoepf’s BBQ in Belton, 6 p.m.

October 18-23 - The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Beltonian, Belton. 6-8 p.m.

October 23, Saturday - Don Gregory Memorial Lions Club Golf Tournament. Sammons Golf Course. Contact Jeffrey Thigpen Thigpen.jeff@gmail.com to register or for sponsorship opportunities. 4-person scramble begins at 8:30 a.m.

October 23, Saturday - Free Movie Night. Harker Heights Community Park. 5 p.m.

October 23, Saturday - Oktoberfest 2021, Barrow Brewing Company, Salado, noon to 10:30 p.m.

October 29, Friday - Season closing event, Domestics vs Imports, Little River Dragway, 7 p.m.

October 30, Saturday - Barktoberfest, Dog costume contest at 5:30; adoptable dogs on site. Barrow Brewing Co., Salado. 1-7 p.m.

October 30, Saturday - Bulls & BBQ, Live bull riding followed by concert with Jake Worthington and Keith Braxton. Schoepf’s BBQ, Belton, Noon.

November 4, Thursday - Spur Classic Sporting Clay Shoot, Weber Shooting Range. 8 a.m.

November 6, Saturday - Chris Hillman, Texas Music Series,Cultural Activities Center. 7:30 p.m.

November 13, Saturday - Market in the Vines. Take a walk through the vines and shop with over 50 vendors! Free to the public. 3 Texans Winery. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

November 18, Thursday - Taste of the Holidays 2021: A Candy Cane Christmas. Mayborn Convention Center. 10:30 a.m.

December 4, Saturday - Barrow Brewing Christmas Market, Salado. Noon.

Have an event you would like to promote? Email info to OurTownTemple@gmail.com with “What’s Happening” in the subject line. Keep it short and sweet — what, when and where. You may include a short description. You must include a phone number for verification purposes. The phone number will not be published unless requested by submitter.