Bottled, farm-fresh milk is coming to Terra Firma Farm.

The community and educational farm located in Stonington and North Stonington has exceeded the goal of its Kickstarter campaign, guaranteeing that the almost $48,000 it needs to complete work on the milking parlor and to acquire six more heifers will be paid out.

Kickstarter contributions are only released when a project reaches or exceeds its goal, and with about 33 hours left in the campaign, Terra Firma passed its target Friday morning, capping the $47,970 it was seeking.

The campaign will expire at 7:43 p.m. on Saturday and farm operator Brianne Casadei said the minute it closes she will phone the contractors who are ready to come in and complete work on floor drains that must be installed to move the project forward.

She's already texted the farmer in Rhode Island who promised to sell her six heifers if she raised the necessary funds and told him she's taking the cows.

Casadei opened the original 20-acre Terra Firma Farm on Al Harvey Road in Stonington in 2004 and last April leased an additional 500 acres on the Norwich-Westerly Road in North Stonington with the intent of grazing animals there and opening a dairy.

But midway through the dairy renovations, Casadei ran short on funds, leading her to Kickstarter.

"It's just unbelievable. Unreal. It's such an amazing thing when all of a sudden, right in your face, all of that love is out there," she said of the almost 300 backers who contributed amounts ranging from $10 to $2,000 to support the dairy.

Many contributions came from families of youngsters who have attended summer camp or field trips at Terra Firma.  

The milking and bottling operation is expected to be up and running by April 2016, producing 175 to 250 gallons of milk weekly that will be sold as whole milk, chocolate milk or yogurt.

For information about Terra Firma Farm visit terrafirmafarm.org.

a.baldelli@theday.com

Twitter: @annbaldelli