Goats & Hay

Dolly, the best goat ever! She’s about to have kid(s)…..we are patiently awaiting. We’ve recently welcomed four Toggenburg goats to the farm. Two are in milk so we are back to milking and cheese making. The kids are in love with them and have been very active in their care. It has been a big help! In addition to those 5 I’ve talked of we also have 2 of my farmer friend’s goats. Crazy, yes! Just a little over a year ago I swore I’d never own another goat again. Never say never! Here is a link with a how-to for the cheese I have been making. It is by far the easiest cheese you’ll ever make. We eat it mostly sprinkled on salads or straight up out of the container. I have successfully made mozzarella in the past and failed miserably at making feta cheese (way too salty). This summer I hope to make chevre but I need to pick up some cultures which are not sold locally. I will have to mail order the cultures or wait until my travels bring me closer to a resource. If anyone has a how-to link or resource on making chevre that is tried and true I would love to have.

This summer marks our 6th summer at the farm but our first summer haying here. When we bought this place the previous owner requested that he’d take the hay from our field for the first 5 years. On a handshake we agreed and stuck to our deal.

The first day Maine Man climbed upon his tractor he said “I’ve been dreaming of this day since we moved here.” There is still lots of work to be had to enhance the quality of the hay but now all of our efforts will directly benefit our livestock. We so look forward to having our own supply of feed for our animals!