New Goat Farming Page on Beginningfarmers.org

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Last April, a farmer wrote to me interested in sharing some new resources on goat farming. One is Personal Milkers: A Primer to Nigerian Dwarf Goats, which she wrote for the newcomer to keeping livestock. Many ND owners have no background in livestock at all, so this guide introduces them to fencing, housing, feeding needs as well as what to do with the milk, and how to purchase stock. It is currently self-published, by lulu.com, and recently was reviewed by one of the contributing editors of Hobby Farms very favorably.  You can learn more about Personal Milkers at her farm’s website: www.hamesaxle.com/BookPromo.htm

The other resource is Ruminations: Celebrating the Small Farm Goat. This quarterly magazine has been around since the late 1980’s and focuses on Nigerian dwarf goats. Until recently it was heavily centered on showing goats, but the new editing team is working to make it more practical for the small farmstead. There are still celebrations of the goat in shows, but they work hard to include medical information, marketing and other aspects of farm business that many of the ND owners did not concern themselves with, until lately.  You can see more about Ruminations, at www.smallfarmgoat.com

Since posting that blog, I’ve been surprised by how many of my readers are still going to it, and by how many internet searches related to goat farming have brought folks to the site. So I’ve decided to begin compiling information, and to add A Permanent Goat Farming Page, which I hope you will check out. Please send your favorite stories, pictures, and resources about goats to beginningfarmers@gmail.com so I can include them.