Goats

Like many of us in the business of grass-farming for livestock production, I have been preoccupied by a persistent question; Nature vs. Nurture, Breeding vs. Management, Genetics vs. Environment, all takes on the same dichotomy. Of course the answer is unequivocally, “YES.” The functionality of an animal for our particular purposes is absolutely the sum […]

It’s quick and easy and protects your poultry from predators. Here’s how to put up an electric fence for poultry, and how to test to make sure it’s working. The same technique works for goat/sheep netting, so check it out even if you don’t want to fence in chickens.

More instructions for making your own, inexpensive equipment! Keep your kids and lambs warm and your barn safe with Sandy’s unpatented warming barrels.

From 1997 to 2003, Kathy Voth directed a research project using goats to create firebreaks to protect homes and firefighters from wildland fires. These excerpts from the federal Joint Fire Science Program’s “Fire Science Brief” on her project describes the project and its findings. Thanks to Rachel Clark for putting this brief together! Learn what goats can accomplish and why other livestock are good firefighters too!

Carol Delaney’s “Guide to Starting a Commercial Goat Dairy” is a great book, and a must read for anyone considering starting their own goat dairy, or who would like ideas for improving profitability.  While other books focus on the care and feeding of a dairy goat, this one focuses on making sure that the goat […]

This collaboration between goat dairy farms, recently arrived refugees, and a coalition of supporters is a win-win example of how to provide fresh local meat for immigrant communities, build bridges between old and new Americans, and improve land stewardship.

Sandra Miller of Painted Hand Farm says of raising meat goats “It’s a very satisfying lifestyle and that’s why I do it.”