FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
CAN I COME VISIT? CAN MY CHILDREN COME SEE YOUR ANIMALS?
Visitors to the homestead are limited, sorry. We are not insured in a manner that protects us or our animals in case of unfortunate scenarios and thus we are not "open to public."
Also, biosecurity is important between animal species and farms, so we screen incoming visitors to ensure health and happiness for all.
WHAT GOAT REGISTRY DO YOU USE?
We use ADGA for our Nigerians and Sables. At this time ADGA is considered a golden standard of registry for most breeds and they have many excellent programs that other registries do not always offer.
All Nigerians are dual registered with MDGA.
Our MiniSables are registered with MDGA. This registry is rapidly adding offered services and has the benefit of virtual shows!
DO YOU SHOW YOUR GOATS?
We do not show our goats off of the property. We are however aiming to participate in MDGA's virtual shows this year and going forward.
As a homestead, we feel that showing our goats off property is too much of a commitment for us to invest in. Goats are a large part of what we do, but not all that we do. The resources it would take to get into regular showing would detract too heavily from our goals and desires.
The benefit of virtual showing is that we can still gain lots of insight and deepen our knowledge on breeding quality goats, but it will take a very minimal amount of resources to participate as well as keeping our herd more biosecure.
DO YOU SELL YOUR MILK?
We do not sell our milk.
Massachusetts has very particular health and safety laws concerning milk and milk-made products, particularly raw milk.
Maybe some day way in the future we can have a small scale dairy operation for fine cheeses, caramel and the like, but it is very far from our minds and out of logistical reach at this time.
No, we will not sell it "for pet consumption" either, as this is also illegal in Massachusetts.
WHAT DO YOU GROW?
The apples, pears, and peaches grow themselves!
We are again going to try specificity rather than diversity for Garden 2023. There will be lots of kale, various beans, and Eric's prized peppers for sure.
I may be able to offer herbs for sale as well.
Check our farm stand for extras!
We have also added plum and cherry trees that will yield in future years.
ARE YOU CERTIFIED ORGANIC?
No, only because this is an often misleading term along with "chemical free."
We do not use any pesticides that are not organic food label approved and all of our fertilizer is sourced here on the farm from our naturally produced waste.
Our orchard is only sprayed with copper sulfate, a natural substance that aids in reducing fungal and pest concerns.
Our animals are not fed an organic diet. By definition, their manure is not considered organic because of this.
Here is a helpful link to Mayo Clinic's information on organic labeling and just what it means to be organic:
I BOUGHT/AM INTERESTED IN BUYING GOATS FROM YOU. DO YOU PROVIDE POST-PURCHASE MENTORING? SERVICES?
Welcome to goat love! Goats have a very steep learning curve that will require management adjustments to suit your particular farm. We have many resources to point you in the right direction and we prefer that interested buyers ask us many, many questions!
We remain available to assist anyone who has brought home some of our caprines.
I WANT TO OWN GOATS, WHERE DO I START?
Check out our page Homestead Goat 101 in the "more" button up top of the page, and follow our blog to find more in-depth articles!
I highly recommend owning a copy of Holistic Goat Care by Gianaclis Caldwell
and there are several online resources we'd be happy to share.
And of course, please ask us questions!