We have a herd of about 30 ruminants; nearly 20 of them are providing milk for our cheeses (we hope to have 25+ providing milk next year). The majority of our ‘working girls’ are goats, but we have a small flock of sheep anxious to contribute to our cheesemaking too.
Dairy goats and sheep are friendly, curious, food-motivated animals. We enjoy spending time with them and they return the favor. Each ungulate has a very distinct personality as well as a distinct milk product. All milk is not created equal. The quality of our cheese stems from the quality of our feed, the genetics of our herd, and the handling of our milk.
Our livestock (or petstock as we call them) are all treated well, called by name and an extended part of our family. Our production is accomplished with their health and well-being in the forefront of our minds at all times. Most of our herd I have known since birth. This leads to treating our herd more like pets than livestock and often costs us more in time and money, but we think it is well worth it in the quality of the cheese and the experience with my “working girls.”
Due to the nature of our business, we often have animals available for sale. We usually have diary, pet and show quality goats available, as well as dairy sheep with a decent fiber and growth rate. Our herd is ADGA registered/registerable and regularly tested for several known disease issues (CAE/OPP, CL, Johnes and Brucellosis) and has always tested negative for all. We are very conscientious about our disease prevention, testing and quarantine programs. If you are interested, please send an inquiry through our contact page.