A popular maker of goat milk soap on P.E.I. is looking to her customers to raise the funds needed to expand her operation to market milk and cheese.

Em Zember started The Great Canadian Soap Company in 2005 in Brackley Beach and now produces over 200 different items, all using the milk from her farm's 20 goats. She sells about $270,000 worth of soap a year.

Zember has now turned to Indiegogo, best known as an online fundraising tool for artists, to raise the money she needs to launch a goat milk dairy to market fresh milk and cheese.

"Bottling goat's milk and making cheese has been a long-time dream of mine," she said.

"Even before I started making soap I had a passion for producing these products."

Opening a government inspected dairy is expensive. The small dairy operator is required to meet all of the same regulations as a larger processor.

Zember sees about 20,000 customers a year come through her retail shop on the farm. Many of them are repeat customers. She hopes that solid customer base will help her raise the $15,000 she needs to get the dairy going.

The campaign started two weeks ago.

"We've raised just over a thousand dollars," said Zember.

"We've got a ways to go so we still have some time."

The campaign runs until the end of June. Zember said even if she doesn't raise all the money the project will go ahead, just more slowly.

She plans to retail the milk and cheese from her farm, and at the Charlottetown Farmers Market.