Creatures: Where Animal People Talk Business

Tara Pilonero is the owner of Stay A While Farm in Hinton, West Virginia, and one of the leading breeders of wooly miniature donkeys in the country. She has grown her herd to 60 donkeys over the last 20 years, shifted to online auctions in 2023, and nearly doubled her revenue two years running. In this conversation we get into the economics, the marketing, the genetics, and the myths.In this episode:Growing up as an animal kid and getting into vet school The $26,000 wooly donkey at the Elm sale in 2007 that changed her pathHow her wait list got so long she needed a wait list for the wait listThe move to online auctions and what it did to her pricingExporting donkeys to Australia, France, the UK, and the NetherlandsThe FGF5 gene and what we know (and don't) about the genetics of wooly coatsThe record $30,000 sales and the $40,000 wooly jack that raised the ceiling for the breedFind Tara:Website: stayawhilefarm.netFacebook: Stay A While FarmSpring 2026 auction: Saturday, April 25, 10am to 3pm Eastern: https://saw-donkeysales.w2auctions.com/homeMentioned in this episode:MGF herd (Barb and Jerry McRoberts, Nebraska)UC Davis Veterinary Genetics LaboratoryMegan Hensley's donkey farrier coursesJosh Mathias / HQ Ranch (Tara's recommended future guest)About the show:Creatures: Where Animal People Talk Business is a podcast about the people building real businesses and lives around animals. Hosted by Dr. Elliott Garber, veterinarian and founder of Creatures, a software platform and marketplace for animals at creatures.com. 00:00 Cold open00:44 Welcome and episode preview01:59 How Elliott and Tara connected03:08 Animal kid origin, vet school, and the first horse04:49 Starting with Luigi the rescue gelding in 199608:25 The $26K wooly donkey at the Elm sale10:53 Exporting donkeys to Australia, France, and the UK14:21 The shift to online auctions and the wait list for the wait list19:48 International bidders and revenue growth23:32 Marketing on Facebook, consignments, and record sales29:56 What makes a donkey "wooly" and the FGF5 gene35:45 Running a 60-donkey operation41:24 The Squeeze Chute47:19 Meeting the weanlings and outro

"Literally every dime I make is derived from camels." That's Doug Baum, who left a career drumming for country star Trace Adkins and opening for Brooks & Dunn to create a life and business centered around camels that has endured for decades. In this episode, Doug breaks down what it actually costs to keep a camel ($300 to $350 per month), what schools pay, how film work lands in the tens of thousands, why December is his biggest month with 2 to 3 dozen live nativity events, and how camel prices have changed over the years.A rare inside look at whether an unusual animal business can really pay the bills.In this episode:Why Doug left a drumming career for full-time camelsReal monthly costs per camel and the hidden ones (tires, permits, insurance)What schools, nativities, and film shoots actually payThe camel market: $4K in the 90s to $30K todayVision Quest, international treks, and saddlery as extra revenue streamsMarketing lessons borrowed from the music industryHis under-$100 game-changer and advice for aspiring animal entrepreneursChapters:00:00 Cold open and intro02:46 From drumming for Trace Adkins to camels08:49 Leaving the tour bus for Texas12:47 Vision Quest: camels and adjudicated youth14:35 The first paid gig: a 7-degree nativity16:09 Building a business on the US Army Camel Experiment21:59 The real economics: truck, trailer, and hidden costs23:57 International camel treks and other revenue streams30:48 The family nativity business at Christmas35:00 Film work and the modern camel market 41:42 Marketing lessons from the music industry45:39 The Squeeze Chute (rapid fire)54:55 Where to find DougResources:Texas Camel Corps: https://texascamelcorps.comCamelot Camel Dairy (Kyle and Holly Hendrix, Wray, Colorado): https://www.camelotdairy.comNorth American Camel Ranch Owners Association (NACROA): https://nacroa.comA Texas Funeral (film, 1999, with Martin Sheen): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0180242/Connect with Doug:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/texascamelcorps/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/texascamelcorps/Creatures: Where Animal People Talk BusinessYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CreaturesShowApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creatures-where-animal-people-talk-business/id1888794488Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GY8JuWFRwbZXBCfHYiRaJWeb: https://creatures.com

Creatures: Where Animal People Talk Business is a new podcast for breeders, farmers, breed associations, animal nonprofits, conservation organizations, and anyone building something around animals.We're not afraid to talk about money, what things actually cost, what animals sell for, and what it takes to make the numbers work. We'll also dig into the topics many people avoid: controversial breeding practices, regulation, industry politics, and the real tensions between conservation, commerce, and animal welfare.Host Elliott Garber is a veterinarian, Army officer, and small-scale breeder of highland cattle and miniature donkeys in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. He's also the founder of Creatures, the software platform to help animal businesses.Each episode features conversations with breeders, farmers, rescue founders, conservationists, and animal entrepreneurs who've figured out how to find buyers and donors, grow an audience, and turn their passion for animals into something that supports their mission.Topics include livestock marketing, animal sales, breeding programs, farm business strategy, fundraising for animal nonprofits, wildlife conservation, social media for breeders, and building a brand in the animal world.Subscribe now. First episodes coming soon.