All things goat

Goat Cart

2012-01-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

This photo was sent in by Chad M. Thanks! I will add it to my growing collection (I have one on line here, and two hanging in my office.)

2012-01-08T06:28:00.001-08:00

I am a big fan of Michael Symon, a Cleveland (and Food Network Iron) chef who is known for his love of meat. My admiration grew as he recently posted that he is also a fan of dairy, including one of the lesser known and appreciated goat products!

Status Update December 18, 2011 at 9:13am ·

By michael d symon

on a more food driven subject...i cant get enough of goat butter lately...so good

Wisconsin Mt. Sterling Goat Butter can be ordered here.

Packer Goat Spotted at Metallica 30th Birthday Party

2011-12-20T15:09:00.000-08:00

Metallica celebrated their 30th Birthday Party at the Fillmore in San Francisco this month. My good friend and rabid Metallica fan was in attendance, as was a goat. Wearing a Green Bay Packer jersey (note: this goat is not to be confused with Brett the Goat.)

Luckily my friend also knows that I am as obsessed with goats as he is with the band, and so he snapped me a photo and send me the following text. "I have no idea what this is about but there was a goat in one one of the VIP boxes at the Fillmore, SF watching the Metallica concert on Monday?????"

Oh dear.

2011-12-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

The Gavle Goat did not last long this year. So sad. http://merjuligavle.blogspot.com/

Goats in Pop Culture: Yotsuba!

2011-03-09T05:14:00.000-08:00

These are a few of my favorite things ~ goats and manga. This time in the Japanese comic, Yotsuba!, which is created by the same artist as Azumanga Daiho. Yotsuba is a slice of life series about a little girl and her explorations of the world. It's full of candy-sweet comedy boardering on cavity-induction. Still, in volume 7 she and her adopted dad, Jumbo (a large man who is friends with her dad) and Yanda, another acquaintance with an abrasive attitude Yotsuba doesn't like, head to a farm. Yanda decides goats are better than sheep. However, no one is quite sure what they are good for (click for a larger scan):

Goats in Pop Culture:Local Colour

2011-03-02T04:41:00.001-08:00

As mentioned in my previous post, I am endeavoring to create more structure here at Goatmaiden.com while moving forward with certain plans and directions for the Museum and Hall of Fame. To that effect I am instigating a more prepared quality to my posts, as well as threads or themes I think will provide interesting content to the site. These will include Goat News, Goat Reviews (of goaty products), and posts based on themes such as Pop Culture, Farming, Competition, Veterinary etc.

Goats in Pop Culture:Local Colour

Photo from Surreycomet.co.uk

The Goat Boy of Seething Wells in the Surbiton area of London was seen leading the Seething Festival Parade, held in his honor, on Sunday February 26, 2011. The legend was created it seems in 2010 and, as the story goes, a giant named Thamas Deeton was defeted by the goat boy Lefi Ganderson who freed his village from the tyrant. You can read the story or buy the book here: http://resourcehome.org/The_Legend_of_Lefi.html

Goat News: Well not really the post I wanted to start out with, but an escaped herd of 200-600 goats caused havoc and mayhem on an interstate highway on Saturday, February 26, 2011. Over 40 goats were killed, and at least one driver was hurt on I-5 in California near the Twin Cities Road exit ramp, according to a report in the Daily Mail. The goats appear to be brush or meat goats and aparently escaped from their farm Galt, Sacramento County through a broken fence.

Chh.ch.ch...changes! Coming soon

2011-02-20T14:31:00.001-08:00

I have a whole list of awesome things to implement here and at Goatmaiden.com - not the least of which is actual movement FORWARD! (motto of Wisconsin) on the International Goat Museum and Hall of Fame (the name just keeps getting longer and longer.)

Keep watching this space for a new Monthly Theme, News and Reviews (of goat cheese, goat beer, products promoting the awesomeness of goats etc.)

In the mean time, here is an article from The Onion, relating what we all knew all along...

Anthropologists Trace Human Origins Back To One Large Goat

'Wait, That Can't Be Right,' Scientists Say

Goat who thinks its a dog

2010-12-16T15:59:00.000-08:00

(click photo for link to full story)

Wow. "The Three Amigos" have been adopted, and a law in Texas has been challenged thanks to media coverage and public outcry at the caprine portion of this threesome being threaten with a livestock auction.

"In Texas it's illegal to harbor stray livestock" - it states in the article, and so whereas the Great Dane was allowed to stay in a shelter, the goat was seized by authorities. Can animals of the same species be classified as livestock OR pets, depending on the circumstance? Just because it has hooves, that doesn't mean it's being raised for meat. And that aparently is what has been determined in this case - hooray! The owner of the strays came forward and signed them over to their new owners, so all seems to be right in the world, at least for these three.

The Gavleboken is UP and BLOGGING!!!! 2010 WOOO!

2010-11-29T15:34:00.000-08:00

Sorry - I just cannot contain my happiness.

He's back he's back, the goat is baaaaack!!!!

And - here is his superawesome BLOG!

So far we have learned that...

His horns and beard are very important to him, and that this year, he will have 16 lights on each horn!!
He is 44 years old this year.
Lucia is a tradition celebrated December 13 in Sweden.
One of the performers who played as he was dedicated was from Ace of Base!
Check out the webcam (maybe he'll wave at you).

And now the best part - I got an email recently from Sweden with info on how to order my very own baby goat and support the guards who help keep the piros away. Yes, you need to buy one of these:

and the money will go towards protecting the goat from getting flamed.

Please write to turist "@" gavle.se to get instructions on how to forward money to the tourism board and tell them where to send your baby goat! It costs 230 Swedish crowns.

The Sheep are at it Again!

2010-11-16T18:37:00.001-08:00

They have organized themselves into some sort of symposia.... goats. This disturbs me. First, it was the alpacas and their festival. Now this.

I understand, goats, that you are independent. That you like to do your own thing, your own way. That you would never be caught doing something like this:

But organization is not always a bad thing! We need a strong Wisconsin showing - hells, we are American's Dairy Land and it ain't just because of those beefy bovine. Here are some links to get you started. Goats unite!!

Goat Poster

2010-11-08T17:26:00.000-08:00

There is a lovely poster I have noticed in a number of libraries this year. Here it is:

(click to go to the artist's DeviantArt.)

I... don't quite get it. I find it super cool, but until I did some research today I was like, "Is it a goaty Neptune? What's with the orcas tied to his belt? Why is he so huge? And why a goat?"

Well, it's Capricorn - the sea goat. Which in and of itself is a bit of an enigma. No one really knows why it's half goat, half fish (or shark or whatever). Probably dates to Babylonian times. Wikipedia explains how the horns may be the towers of Babylon and that the fish part could come from the Tigris river. It also states the Babylonian god of crafts, mischief and water, Enki, was represented by a goat and a fish.

The poster itself seems to have gone over well, but some bookmarks the artist did have had some odd detractors. In this post it explains the controversy.

The Goat Button

2010-11-08T17:25:00.000-08:00

Go push it.

Goats and Cataracts

2010-11-08T17:09:00.000-08:00

I don't like the magazine Mental Floss (too over-designed and full of itself), but, always willing to give a second chance, I leafed through it at the library the other day and came across an interesting tidbit of medical / goat lore. Supposedly a doctor noticed a blind goat scratch its eye on a thorn, then, once the eye had healed, the goat was no longer blind.

I don't know the full story behind this - but I did find an interesting Google Book called "Better Eyesight" in which Dr. William H. Bates retells a story of Sinbad explaining pretty much the same goat incident.

More Bock Beer

2010-11-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

For my Bday my honey gifted me with an 8-pack of Fighting Billy Bock Beer (yes, the beer comes in an 8 pack - just like "Lazy Mutt." Eight, by the way, just so happens to be my favorite number!).

Wow, kinda cool scan of the bottle cap. Anyway, I love beer that has a story on the label:

"HELP DISPEL THE CURSE The curse can easily be dispelled by showing a sincere fondness to Billy Bock. It fights only to maintain its dignity. What does "=" sign mean? It explains the relationship between bock and taste. Simply put, Bock = Taste. Chill Billy Bock to 45 degrees (7 C), call over three of your best buddies an help dispel the curse."

The beer is from Minhas brewery in Monroe, WI.

Yuengling (yingling) Brewery, the oldest operating brewery in the US, reintroduced one of their old bocks. You can read about it here. And get a tee shirt here!

I also found this blog post, which has some nice bock images.

Infamous Goat Story

2010-09-27T17:03:00.001-07:00

The book George Bush continued to read during the 9/11 attacks is actually "Reading Mastery II: Storybook 1." The story he was reading was "The Pet Goat." Copies of the book are for sale on Amazon for around $75.00.

How To Avoid a Goat

2010-09-27T16:32:00.001-07:00

Wisconsin Tops the 50 States for Dairy Goats!

2010-09-27T16:04:00.000-07:00

I just read in an issue of Wisconsin Trail's Magazine that Wisconsin produces more goat milk than any other state.

The Fantome Farm was featured in the piece and was one if not the first farm to sell chevre (soft fresh French style cheese made from goat's milk) made on their farm from milk from their own herd. Chevre means goat in French. Other goat farms selling cheese include:

Blue River Capri Creamery
LaValle Carr Valley
Cross Plains Dreamfarm
Mt. Sterling Goat Cheese
Westby Nordic Creamery

Pearls Before Swine

2010-09-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

A famous Goat shares time with me every Sunday as I read the comic "Pearls Before Swine." He goes by Goat, but Wikipedia says his real name is Paris. I feel a special kinship with this goat, since it also states in the same entry that Rat makes fun of him for having a blog no one reads. Ha!

Too Many Pancakes!

2010-09-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

As a follow up to my post about Goats on the Roof of Al Johnston's restaurant, I will share a few photos of the actual restaurant.

Outside of the restaurant. It was stormy this day, and so there were no goats on the sod roof. Supposedly once a thunderclap scared a goat off the roof and he ran across the street and into Egg Harbor and Al Johnston had to take a boat out to him to get him back!

Probably a good thing goats can't read.

I won't share the entire Kid's Placemat with you, because I want you to go an check it out yourself, but I will scan in a few cute coloring pictures to give you a taste! (Speaking of taste, do have the Swedish pancakes with lingonberry sauce and a side of meatballs when you go!)

Grrrr...

2010-09-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I picked up a booklet at the co-op of all places, which was promoting the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival. This booklet was extremely professionally done, with ads and everything.

I am putting this out there as a bit of a challenge for the Wisconsin Dairy Goat Association as well as other goat folk to pull something this extensive together.

Matacabras!

2010-09-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

"The Goat Killer" beer is here! The Matacabra in Spain is a North wind that is supposedly wicked enough to kill goats. Dave's Beer Farm in Wilson Wisconsin, near Menominee, has a wind turbine named "Jake" helping to provide power. Farmer / brewer Dave has been crafting a beer for each of the 4 winds - he has already created Harukaze after a Spring Wind from Japan, and Kotura the Lord of the Wind in Siberia. I will have to look for it next time I am at the beer shop.

Iowa County Supports Goats!

2010-09-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

Goats have more fun. I have proof. You will see no sheep in these pictures, except to cheer on the goats.

The Iowa County Fair in Mineral Point Wisconsin finished off its yearly run today, with a 1p.m. Goat Costume Class and Agility Contest. The La Mancha you see above was being driven by the reigning champion at the goat agility contest. He ended up finishing third this year. Two young ladies bested him.

The goats had to put at least two feet into the ball pit (you should have seen how some of them flew through the air when the balls startled them!), then up and down the teeter-totter (the course lady watched to make sure they had a gentle time of it), then through the weaving sticks, over a small hurdle, and up and down one last ramp. That last ramp was where I started to get annoyed at the course judge, who took to pushing the goats up and down from behind. If you were a goat being attacked by a mountain lion, wouldn't you freak if someone grabbed your hindquartes? I know I would! There was also a little joshing about one girl "cheating" by resorting to using positive reinforcement (in the form of grain) to lure her goat through the course. Hey. It worked.

This little goat - a miniature I believe, was the best at the course as a whole and ran it twice with two different handlers.

Finally, there was the Costume Class! This was just a few of the contestants. I felt the girl with the ladybug outfit and her bee goat should have gotten a prize - they were the first ones dressed, and her goat kept his deelie-boppers on the whole time. The winners were a boy dressed as a bee with his goat dressed as a field of flowers, a boy dressed as Merlin riding his goat (you can see him in the background - as far as I was concerned, he should not have won since his goat wasn't wearing anything - except a rider!) and the little Knight in the front with the green dragon goat who, I admit, was the cutest.

Sheep sells for big bucks

2010-09-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

An ugly sheep recently sold for over $300,000 (click pic to go to story.)

Look at it. It looks like a dog dressed up like a sheep.

Goat Commerce!

2010-08-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

I did a quick Facebook search for goat-related bars, restaurants and other industries. This is what I have found thus far:

An online gift shop called Get Yer Goat
A yoga studio and art gallery called Green Goat Gallery in NC (note: NC and SC seem to have a good amount of goat named things)
Thirsty Goat in FL
Simply The Goat - a bar in OH
The Surfing Goat Dairy in HI
The Goat radio station in Alberta Canada
Artois the Goat - a romantic movie about a man who "embarks on an epic quest to create the greatest goat cheese the world has ever known"
Green Goat screenprinting
Goat Island Restaurant - I think this is in TX
Goat and Compass tavern NC
Space Goat comic agency and production studio - I think they're in Seattle, WA
The Girl & Goat restaurant - in Chicago - that is run by winner of the show "Top Chef"
The Blue Goat concert venue in KS
The Flying Goat restaurant

And finally, a Facebook page dedicated to this commercial:

The Daily Goat

2010-08-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

Ok sorry if this is a repost, but this is a parody news blog that has been around for a while.

Goatman

2010-08-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

Oh yes. The cryptozoological world is afire with GOATMAN! Not really, but I found this on Wikipedia and had to post. Akin to Bunnyman, he attacks people with an ax. It is a real urban legend, based in Maryland.

Spokesgoats

2010-08-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

Meet Hilda - from the book The Cole Family Christmas. Hilda is also the spokesgoat for ReadAloud.org.

I thought perhaps Hilda was the first spokesgoat, or the only one. But then I turned to the ol' internet, and lo and behold, look who I found!

Gloria, the spokesgoat for Celebrity Dairy. Met her on Facebook. She's in an open relationship LOL.

There is Gruff the ecologically friendly mountain goat that tells people to Recycle Stuff at Quad/Graphics.

Pricilla, Happy Goats Soap's spokesgoat. She's also a blogger. (Many goat farms have a "herd queen" that farmers use as their spokesgoat.)

Nanny, the spokesgoat for Rikki's Refuge animal rescue (who says Oreo Cookies are the best diet for goats).

Caprina, the spokesgoat (and new name) of the company formerly known as Canus.

Frank the goat on Livejournal (a mascot - not a spokesgoat.)

Wisconsin Meat Hall of Fame

2010-08-13T17:47:00.000-07:00

Yes - Wisconsin has a meat industry hall of fame although it sadly does not contain photos of the largest steak or the tastiest chicken. It's mostly a bunch of guys (and a few gals), but it does include Oscar Meyer, the couple who started Johnsonville Brats, and Bob Uker "for advertising meat via play-by-play radio announcing of major league baseball".

Still, no mention of goat meat. Perhaps, someday...

Vend-a-Goat

2010-08-12T04:42:00.000-07:00

Goat Mascot for Store-brand Push Pops

2010-07-09T05:12:00.000-07:00

Awesome to see someone at the brainstorming department at Food Club knows of the marketing power of goats. Yep. One of the main reasons I bought this pack was because of the crazy galoshes-wearing goat on the package. Doesn't hurt that push-pops are a great nostalgic summer treat. It was mainly the goat tho. Wonder if he has a name?

Another Goat-Beer Connection

2010-05-24T06:46:00.000-07:00

The first time I had a tall can of Horny Goat Beer was at Octoberfest in LaCrosse. The beer is wheaty, spicy and, best of all, has a cheeky goat on the can. The creator, a Mr. Sorenson who really understands and appreciates the marketing power of goats, was recently featured in an article in the Wisconsin State Journal Local section (5/23/10).

A little research reveals that the brew used to be bottled at City Brewery in LaCrosse. The product that is now in stores is brewed by Point Brewery in Steven's Point. But the goat brew poured at the new tavern in Milwaukee, The Horny Goat Hideaway, is brewed on site. Sorenson runs "Tailgoats" - tailgate parties to promote Horny Goat, and even has free condoms that can be requested through the website.

Goat Unicorn

2010-04-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

Lancelot, who's mother at least was an Angora goat, was "created" by Morning Glory and Otter G'Zell in the '80s. I remembered him touring with the Barnum and Baily Circus and that I thought his horn was pretty crude. But he seems like he would have been a nice guy.

Goat fighting?

2010-04-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.greenpacks.org/2009/04/15/goat-fighting-in-china/

Continuing the Creepy Goat Month, I share the "sport" of Goat Fighting. I have reported on goat racing and its many incantations, but this is the first time I ever heard of goat fighting. The photos have appeared on several sites, and have been pinned to Indonesia and China. This site claims to have found them on an Chinese news site, along with an article.

Of course while researching this post, I came across the heartwarming story of the goat who led authorities to find a cockfighting ring.

Kissing Goat Statue

2010-04-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

I could barely contain my joy at one of the newest acquisition by the Madison Chazen Museum. It is an anthropomorphic statue of two male goats making out.

Okay-so they have anthropomorphic wieners too (real goat penises might be more controversial as they are rather odd looking, with a little curlicue at the end. Male goats also pee on themselves during mating season and work the urine into their hair. To smell attractive. To the ladies. Or life partners I suppose.) Also, the title of the piece "A Rush of Blood to the Head" is apparently a Coldplay album. Hm. However the artist Beth Cavener Stichter has used goats as inspiration in the past, along with other compelling and disturbing animals (I think I saw a capybara and a mouse deer in her gallery.)

This statue has already attracted 31 comments on the Cap Times website listing the article I first read about the art piece including some "it's no big deal" and others stating "I can't take my kids here now."

The article in the Isthmus interestingly enough argues the fact that the statue shouldn't be alarming, but is.

Me? I haven't actually seen it yet in person, but I am happy for what buzz and discussion it has already generated.

Creepy goat blog post #1 done!

Creepiest Children Books!

2010-03-29T17:40:00.001-07:00

I think with this little gem I am launching a month long Creepy Goat Challenge! Please send me creepy goat related myths, pop culture elements or whatever you can find. I know of some right off the top of my head I have been waiting for the right time to share... that time... is now~!

What do goats have to do with video games?

2010-03-28T06:34:00.001-07:00

Behold the GOAT store:

http://www.goatstore.com/

It stands for Games Of All Types. By all types, they pretty much mean for old systems like Atari and NES, but still cool.

Goat Comercial Panacea!

2010-03-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

Boy I've been out of the loop - look what I missed:

One Adult, One Goat

2010-03-16T17:55:00.000-07:00

New Goat Commercial!!

Iron Goat Hiking Trail

2010-03-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

An article in the paper this last Sunday didn't do anything to pull me in from the teetering edge of depression that effects those of us living in the snowy darkness of winter's end. It talked about the most deadly avalanche in US history, which happened in Washington state in 1910-two passenger trains were swept away, killing 90 some people.

The train path is now the Iron Goat Hiking Trail and has a mountain goat as its symbol.

LUCIFER!

2010-02-17T17:08:00.000-08:00

I found a pic of Lucifer! The goat who use to live on the roof of the Mill House at The House on the Rock!

Argan Oil

2010-01-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

In an effort to cover all things related to goat-pop-culture, I have to share this story on tree climbing goat poo oil. Yes. You read correct.

Full article here:

http://www.forkfulofnews.com/?p=2300

BURNED!

2009-12-24T04:46:00.000-08:00

The ever-lovely and so up beat Gavle Boken (the biggest straw goat in Gavle Sweeden-they have two) has burned to the ground!!!! At 3 a.m. this morning local time. So sad! He had a twitter page and a blog this year and he is ever so optomistic, even as his "little brother" was stolen earlier in the month.

Then:

Now:

Perhaps next year they can sell more baby goats (stuffed versions) so that they can hire more guards to protect him. Ah well. His spirit live on!!

http://www.merjuligavle.se/English/VISIT-GAVLE/THE-CHRISTMAS-GOAT/

The Saga of Brett the Goat

2009-08-28T04:21:00.000-07:00

In my sordid past, I was a high school student in Winona, MN, and it comes as no surprise that one of the strangest stories to come from the Viking Farve tone poem (sorry!) is out of that river town.

Seems a 21 year old girl along with a dude and a kid went to Tires Plus to get a belt replaced in her car. There, she confided in an employee that there was a goat in her trunk. Not only that, but when the guy opened the trunk, he found the goat was painted purple and gold (Minnesota Viking football colors) and had former-Green Bay Packer-turned Viking Brett Farve's #4 shaved on his side. The goat was only one year old.

Conflicting reports exist as to whether or not the goat was actually going to be sacrificed, but kudos to the repair guy for reporting the incident and rescuing the goat!

First reported in the famed Winona

The goat, now named Brett, is going to a new home. In Wisconsin.

Next up-a report on the "goat sanctuary" (some day.)

12/05/2009 -- UPDATE! Check out this page for information on Brett's home: http://schultzscountrybarn.com/default.aspx

House on the Rock

2009-07-20T19:34:00.001-07:00

I now work for House on the Rock and thought I'd post some goat-ness from that bastion of eclectic agglomerations:

I'll be on the lookout for more. I'm sure there's one on the carousel. And apparently a goat named Lucifer used to live on the roof of the Mill House.

Goats+golf=FUN!

2009-07-20T18:54:00.000-07:00

Swissland Mini-golf

I was very impressed that for the last two Sundays, there have been goat photos in the Wisconsin State Journal. This week it was for Al Johnson's restaurant (which I've already covered in this blog) and the week before it was Swissland Miniature Golf course which I had not heard of. In the article "Charting a Course," the author wrote about the 18 best holes in the Madison area. Holes 2,612 and 10 of Swissland in New Galarus made it onto their list.

Of course, the most important part about this golf course is Hershey and Marshmallow, two goats who live next to the course. I have not visited but apparently you can buy ice cream cones filled with food for them. (Note-New Galarus also hosts Heidi-fest which features goats prominently. I missed it this year, but hope to attend in 2010!)

Vintage Goat Cart Photos

2009-06-19T07:09:00.001-07:00

I just read an interesting article in "Goats" magazine, a special issue produced by Hobby Farms Magazine group. It was about "The Goat Cart Man," name unknown, who was a guy who went around in the 20s-40s with a goat and a cart and a number of banners with the year printed on them. He would pose children in the cart, take their picture and sell the resulting photograph.

I actually have a number of these images, but never thought to look on ebay for others. Lo and behold, there are quite a few, and all very reasonably priced! So if anyone is trying to find that perfect gift for the goat maiden, do a search for "Goat photo," and I would be happy to receive any of them.

Goat breaks into home, eats cake

2009-06-08T06:46:00.000-07:00

Found on:
http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/438982

Sherry Shirley of Westford, WI, opened the front door of her home to let her dog in when a goat burst into the house, jumped onto a kitchen counter and helped itself to a freshly baked chocolate cake, according to the Dodge County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies responded to a call from Shirley at 11:43 Saturday morning, but a neighbor had already dragged the goat out, patrol captain Molly Soblewski said.

"The goat didn't do a lot of damage. It knocked some dishes to the floor that broke and began eating the chocolate cake she had just made," Soblewski said. Deputies followed the goat's tracks to a nearby farm on Mill Road and Soblewski said the owners of the goat will not be cited.

"Vote for a Goat"!

2009-05-06T08:15:00.000-07:00

In the Sunday May 3 issue of the Wisconsin State Journal there was an article on "Discovering Brodhead by Bike." Brodhead, a small town south of Madison, hosts a bike and car tour of 5 farms, including goat, sheep and emu farmers. Tour the Farms takes place on May 9 this year.

Of course what caught my eye was the "Vote for a Goat" contest! It is not clear from the article if the contestants are live goats or statues, but you can go to Tinker's Garden and vote for your favorite.

Featured goat farm on the tour is Scotch Hill, which raises Nigerian Dwarf and Oberhasli Dairy Goats;

Goats on the roof!

2009-04-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

In Wisconsin's Door County is a Swedish restaurant called Al Johnson's. On their roof, they have some goats. Now, goats don't normally eat a diet of just grass so I have to assume they are getting browse and other goodies when they come down, but for the most part, they stay up there and amuse the tourists.

The first goat up there was Oscar, placed there as a practical joke in 1973. On the website it states, "Today, there are usually 5-7 goats on the roof daily during the May-October season. They graze during the day and “pose” for pictures by the many tourists who frequent Al Johnson’s. They seem rather unaffected by all the attention and play, eat and sleep on the roof, just like they would back at the farm, where they go every evening. They don’t go up on the roof in bad weather, or cold temperatures, and they work about 9-5 on an average day." Goats are extremely sure-footed due to the fact that most breeds originated on the slopes of mountain sides. Not everyone knows this, as is evidenced by question number seven on their FAQ:

7		. Do the goats ever fall off the roof?
		No.

There is also a Country Market in British Columbia Canada in Coombs (North of Washington State) that has had goats on the roof for about the same length of time.

However, the biggest goats on the roof attraction appears to be a gift shop and emporium in Georgia. It is named, quite unsurprisingly, Goats on the Roof! Why are the goats on the roof? Apparently, according to the website, "Our Tiger Mountain goats are direct descendants of aliens...Tiger Mountain goats cling to the shingles because they are watching the skies for one magical sign: a solar eclipse of the apricot moon, when the constellation Aries turns gold. When that happens, the Mother Ship of the Goat Universe will swoop out of the Northern Sky and carry our goats home to Aries."

No word on if any of this was the inspiration for the board game:

Random goat pics

2009-04-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

When people know you are into goats, you get some interesting photos sent to your cell phone! The handsome fellow above is Capricorn, AKA "Cap." He lives under the porch and likes to come out, roam around the shop, and eat sheets of paper.

I am not sure who this is, but he is eating a tin can pie with a newspaper crust. The images was labeled "luckiest goat in the world." I also got another image of him riding a plastic bat through the sky labeled "magical adventures!"

Goat Art!

2009-04-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

Click here to bid on a piece of art created by the little goats below:
http://www.auctionnetwork.com/UpcomingItem.asp?EventId=33282&ShowId=362

This is an item in the "Art by Animal II" online auction/art show. Proceeds go to help AZA Accredited zoos care for animals.

Item # 18 – Art by “Breeze and Hailey the Goats”

from Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo

The gray blue baby goat is named Breeze. The multi-colored (black/white/brown) baby goat is Hailey. They are 8 month old sisters and are part of the new herd of goats Omaha’s Zoo received in December. They are on display in the Red Barn contact yard in the Petting Zoo.

Midwest Alpaca Show

2009-04-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

http://greatmidwestalpacafestival.com/

Is there something like this for goats? I wonder. I would like to go (and use the experience as fodder for an article) but I'll be at the Between the Bluffs Beer and Cheese Fest!

Upcomming Goat Events

2009-04-06T07:25:00.001-07:00

Wisconsin Dairy Goat Association Annual Badger State Show
May 16th & 17th, 2009 Portage, WI.
Watch the calendar of events for details.

"Save the Date"
September 12-15, 2010 for the National Goat Conference in Tallahassee, Florida.
Sponsored by the Florida Meat Goat Association.

USDA to launch first national goat study

2009-04-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

From www.aphis.usda.gov/

"In July and August 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will contact randomly selected goat producers in 21 states to participate in the first national study of priority health and health-management issues facing the U.S. goat industry.

Two USDA agencies--the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the National Agricultural Statistics Service--will conduct the study, which will focus on the health, productivity and management practices of the meat, dairy and fiber goat industries. USDA will collect data from producers representing 78.4 percent of U.S. goat operations and 85.3 percent of U.S. goats.

APHIS' National Animal Health Monitoring System, which designed the study and will analyze the data, worked with industry representatives, academia, veterinary representatives and other stakeholders to ensure that the study addresses the industry's priority health issues. The Goat 2009 study has the following major objectives:

Determine producer awareness of veterinary services program diseases and describe management and biosecurity practices important for the control of infectious diseases--including brucellosis, scrapie, caprine arthritis encephalitis, Johne's disease and caseous lymphadenitis.
Establish a baseline description of animal health, nutrition and management practices in the U.S. goat industry.
Estimate the prevalence of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) infection, internal parasitism and anthelmintic resistance.
Characterize contagious ecthyma (sore mouth) in U.S. goats. Determine producer awareness of the zoonotic potential and practices to prevent sore mouth transmission, and assess producer interest in an improved vaccine for sore mouth.
Examine factors (e.g., genetic and management) that correlate with CAE virus levels.
Provide genetic and serological banks for future research.

Participation in USDA's Goat 2009 study is voluntary and confidential. Results will be presented on regional and national bases; data provided by individual participants will remain confidential and cannot be identified. Links between NAHMS data and participating operations are confidential.

Note to Stakeholders: Stakeholder announcements and other APHIS information are available on the Internet. Go to the APHIS home page at http://www.aphis.usda.gov and click on the "Newsroom" button. For additional information on this topic, contact Lyndsay Griffin at 970-494-7410 or e-mail: Lyndsay.m.Griffin@aphis.usda.gov. "

Cheese Wars

2009-03-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

I receive the Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin (CHEW) email newsletter and they had a little piece on upcoming food based movies included in this year's Wisconsin Film Festival. One is a short film called "Cheese Wars," a documentary on the battle between California and Wisconsin for cheese production dominance.

One might think, "Isn't it the more cheese the merrier? Why does it have to be a war?"

Because California started it.

If their marketers had left well enough alone and not forced upon the nation the campaign known as "happy cows" perhaps we all could have been friends.

Instead, I feel a certain sadistic satisfaction in pointing out that when Wheat Thins came up with a new cheese snack, California cheese flavor was significantly absent.

More info about Cheese Wars and the Wisconsin Film Fest

Blog post on Cheese Underground.

And just for fun, I found this clip of some cows in Wisconsin. See how horrible the weather is? Now I'm not saying that there aren't factory farms in WI, and I'm not saying it doesn't get cold, but you don't see Wisconsin implementing a campaign about how cows in California are going to fall into the ocean when the San Andras give way, do you?

Words to chew on

2009-03-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

One of the first problems with marketing goat milk, goat cheese or goat meat in this country is that there are no good names for those products. We don't call it cow milk or cow cheese (the former is getting a little more play than the latter as of late I would think...) One thing that really bugs me is when a legitimate food magazine will tell someone to use goat cheese in a recipe. There's such a huge array of goat cheese that's almost insulting! You wouldn't tell someone who's making a salad to top it with bits of "cow cheese" would you?

When we do find names for these items, many times they are in other languages and thus are difficult to pronounce. Examples include:
Cabrito - Spanish (Mexico) - young roast goat
Chivito -" - young roast goat, slightly older than cabrito
Chevon - French - another term for goat meat
Chevre - French - means 'goat' - is used in reference to cheese

I've heard this last word pronounced from "Shev" to "shev-ray" to "shevruh." Needless to say, not a word that easily rolls of the tongue for most people in the US. I guess I prefer the idea of refering to cheese first by it's name (cheddar, feta, Humbolt fog) and then by what it is made of (a goat milk cheese, made of a blend of cow and goat milk).

Contemplating the mountain goat...

2009-03-19T08:02:00.001-07:00

The mountain goat-goat in name only? I'm trying to remember taxonomy...mnemonic device is Kids Prefer Candy Over Fresh Green Salad (or Kinky People Come Over For Group Sex if you'd rather):

kingdom= Animalia
phylum= Chordata
class= Mammalia
order= Artiodactyla
family= Bovidae
genus= Oreamnos
species= Oreamnos americanus

Domestic Goat:
kingdom= Animalia
phylum= Chordata
class= Mammalia
order= Artiodactyla
family= Bovidae
genus= Capra
species= C. aegagrus

So technically they only share the same classification up to being in the same family as about 140 species of cloven-hoofed mammals. That includes cows, antelope and sheep. However the Mountain Goat is the only member of its genus and species (there was another in prehistoric times.) That, teamed with the fact that it has "goat" in its name makes me think that we can adopt it into Capra when necessary.

Mountain goats are native to North America. Mountain goats are the largest mammals found in their high-altitude habitats, which reach elevations of up to 13,000 feet or more. The have horns, short tails (like capra), and eat both grasses and shrubs (plus moss, lichen and I would guess, whatever they can find at that altitude.)

By the way, there are some very cool wild goats in the genus Capra, including the ibux, tur and the markhor.

RE: new tourism logo and slogan here in Wisconsin

2009-03-16T08:52:00.000-07:00

A little off topic: Our Governor just spoke in La Crosse WI at the Conference on Tourism and unveiled the new "Live Like You Mean It." logo and motto that will grace brochures, websites and ads for the next few years at least.

I see that this slogan will be used not only for tourism, but for business and other state programs. And I understand the want of the Governor to call on all residents to support this as a way to prove we are "fiercely proud, hard working, loyal and have fun with life; and where the culture fuels creativity and embraces original thinking." The idea behind the branding of Wisconsin is to ''emphasize Wisconsin's creativity, hospitality and unique destinations under the platform, "In Wisconsin, originality rules."" And the logo and slogan support this.

As a marketing person, I understand all this. And I understand the great burden of coming up with something that can be used by Universities, cheese makers and bed and breakfast owners alike. But, in the same breath, what the Tourism Department and the PR agency Red Brown Kle came up with is still kinda... square (as is the whole Wisconsin Department of Tourism website in fact.) Wisconsin strikes me as more of a thoughtful, philosophical-yet-determined state, and I don't know if that really comes through. Still, we'll see how it goes. It would be nice to get this state some much deserved attention outside of the crazy teen sex scandals that have been appearing lately. There is a depth of interesting things happening here, there's a quirky humor to the place, and the sheer beauty of the rivers and Great Lakes, rolling hills and fields, the balance of the four seasons and the respect people have here for there history gives Wisconsin a real identity that I guess you just have to experience.

Just some info on Wisconsin's goat industry

2009-03-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

Okay - apologies for being biased towards my home state, but I just did some searching regarding goat production and support here in the Dairy State.

Here is a link to the Wisconsin Dairy Goat Association. Although they have dairy in the title, they are in support of anyone who is interested in goats: http://www.wdga.org/ The main page is very friendly and chatty. Some plans they have for this coming year include increasing membership, increasing attendance at their show in May, a doe and kid auction and working on their website to perhaps list results from shows. Lots of good info here.

I found out that Wisconsin has more dairy goats than any other state. It also is working hard to polish its reputation (a line stolen from this article on the opening of a goat cheese plant in Lancaster WI) as a state that supports the production of gourmet and craft cheeses. "Wisconsin cheeses won fully a third of all the medals in the recent World Championship Cheese Contest."

I also found this PDF overview document of the Wisconsin Dairy Goat Industry from 2006 . There was a recent ag survey done that had a very small amount of info about goats in WI but a little info is better than none!

The American Goat Federation (AGF)

2009-03-16T06:39:00.000-07:00

http://usgoatcouncil.org/

Please support the idea to unify the goat industry in the US. There is so much potential if only the structure existed to join all people of similar pursuits. Industry associations have baggage, but they also help to unify many people behind one voice. The world is so complex that, when you may only have three minutes to address congress on some sort of legislation that affects your industry, it helps to have a respected and trusted name to get behind.

American Sheep Industry Association - founded 1865
National Cattlemen's Foundation - organized 1972
US Goat Council - ?

Goat Blogs-not about actual goats

2009-03-06T10:14:00.000-08:00

Howdy!

I have been searching for other people blogging about goats. That is, the livestock animal, its wild kin, and said animals' place in history, literature, pop culture etc.

However - many blogs with "goat" in the title aren't about goats at all. Here is what I have found:

http://thegoat.backcountry.com/ = A pretty fun blog not about goats, but about gear for people traveling back country (back packing, off roading etc.)
http://foodgoat.blogspot.com/= Everyone who contributes has goat in their names! But it's just a funny food blog.
http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat = Not about goats. A news blog about topics that effect the Western US.
http://www.adonkeyandgoat.com/Blog_2008.html = A CA winery website. Named after the donkeys in France and their goat companions.

I was able to find the following:

http://goatcentral.blogspot.com/ = A blog started by Baby Belle, a Nigerian Dwarf in 2005. Still going strong! It is kidding season and so Belle has lots to talk about.
http://mdsheepgoat.blogspot.com/ = A blog started in 2006 by Susan Schoenian, Sheep & Goat Specialist for University of Maryland Cooperative Extension. Good info, but a lot of sheep.
http://boergoatblog.com/ = Based in VA, a very nice site about boer goats with lots of links.
http://goatsinthegarden.blogspot.com/= Very cute blog with lots of pics of a farm in Kansas.
http://www.boer-goats-farmstay-bed-breakfast.com/boer-goat-blog.html = An eclectic anyone-can-post blog that's rather hard to navigate. One post was about snail control by goats!
http://kgba.wordpress.com/ = blog about Kinder goats-cross between Nubian and Pygmy goats. Unfortunately hasn't been updated since 9/2008.

Cleaning up the site

2008-10-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

{art by http://artandghosts.typepad.com/ }

From the Maiden,

Just a quick note that I am going to be working on an update to the blog and goatmaiden.com

Stay tuned!

Year of the Goat

2008-10-15T06:04:00.000-07:00

I have found a kindred spirit in Margaret Hathaway, author of the book "The Year of the Goat - 40,000 miles and the quest for the perfect cheese." I thought this would be the case the moment I heard there was a book out there written by a woman who took a year off to travel the U.S.A. visiting goat farms in order to see if her dream truly was to own goats and make a living as a farmer. I have not been disappointed by the book.

From her initial pie-eyed dreams of living the simple life, connected to the land, to her cheese explorations to her guarded description of a goat sacrificed for a religious meal, I connected with much of what Margaret wrote. I connected even more with her telling her family that she and her boyfriend would survive off of money made selling puppets and her thoughts of a simple marriage ceremony that rapidly grew more unwieldy then first anticipated.

Published in 2007, it is a book that I feel I could have written, and that's not to take anything away from the author. She did write it, I did not. But it was like reading the description of a life I have partially lived, and in the book, I found inspiration to be even more outgoating - that is, to talk even more to the craftspeople and cheese mongers I meet at fairs and farmer's market. To investigate local goat dairies and creameries and cheese makers with abandon and fearlessness.

For those of you interested in examining small-scale farming as a hobby or a life-change, please visit her site and buy her book!

http://www.karlschatz.com/yearofthegoat/

GOAT PATROL - LA California branch

2008-09-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

Award for the best lead in "The hills were alive with the sound of munching!"
Fun blog site here:
http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/2008/09/09/goats-in-la/

There is a newscast video here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7609704.stm

GOAT PATROL - North Carolina Branch

2008-09-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

According to the web site, "Goat Patrol offers an environmentally friendly solution to weed and brush problems. Unlike noisy machines and toxic sprays, goats remove problem plants quietly and safely. The herd will happily devour poison ivy, honeysuckle, wild rose, blackberry, kudzu, privet, chinese wisteria, and more!"

Check it out! http://www.thegoatpatrol.com/index.htm

(Be sure to click on Meet the Herd - they have some of the cutest mug shots!)

Spanish Goats

2008-05-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

A friend of a friend took some time off and went to Spain to tend goats (lucky.) These were some of his goats.

Sydney

2008-05-26T21:26:00.001-07:00

This is Sydney. I met her when I was working at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. She's a character and a hell raiser and I think she's one of the main reasons I ended up so obsessed with goats.

Goat on Wall Street

2008-05-26T21:16:00.000-07:00

This was the illustration on the front of the Money & Investment section of the April 3rd 2008 Wall Street Journal. I really didn't understand what the article was about but the headline was "The Auction-Rate Lockout: Values Tossed Around As Individual Investors Can't Get at Their Cash."

Goat Art

2008-05-26T21:06:00.001-07:00

I pick up goat art whenever I can. I can't even remember where I got the postcards by Laura Marshall, but I love their whimsey. I believe she is based in Colorado.

The Goat or Who is Sylvia?

2008-05-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

Some day, when I have more time, I'll talk more about the goat as a sexual character. Believe me, as I try to build support for goats as grand animals, I get some strange responses, and I think a lot of that is tied to people perceiving goats as somehow being tied to bestiality (people having sex with animals). Well, this play, "The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?" by Edward Albee, may have had a liiiittle to do with that. In the play, a woman finds out that her husband is having an affair with Sylvia. Who is, well, I don't want to ruin it for you (and anyway, it's the sheep that are the kinky ones.)

Goats and Coffee

2008-05-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

There is a legend that a monk walked the monistary's goats out into the field one day, and decided to take a nap under a tree. When he awoke, he could not find his goats anywhere. He walked a long way around the side of a mountain and finally found them dancing around on their hind legs as if enchanted! The monk was dumbfounded. He watched in awe, and then he saw it. The goats were munching on berries growing on bushes nearby. He went and chewed a few himself and found them horribly bitter. Still, his head felt lighter, his heart beet faster and he decided to take some back to the monistary. There, he roasted the beans, ground them up and made them into a tea. And coffee was born!

Thank you Dancing Goats!

You can give the gift of goat!

2008-05-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

Heifer International is an organization that helps teach people all around the world the benefits of sustainable farming to help alleviate poverty. Its start can be found in a Christian charity when a man sent a boatload of cows to another country to help the poor. Now, people can apply to receive training and animals and in return, they pass on offspring from those animals to another person in need.

For $120 you can "purchase" a goat (or for $10 a "share in a goat") -- and the donation goes to support these efforts. They have also branched out to trees, bees and other farm-related means of helping people help themselves.

A book was even written about Heifer, and even though the group is named after the bovine species, the protagonist animal in the book is ... wait for it ... A GOAT!

Best Pirate / Goat scene ever

2008-04-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hey look, another goat comercial! Honda

2008-04-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

Are goats finally starting to get the attention from Hollywood they deserve? Time will tell.

"Mom" at Grand Lodge

2008-04-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

In Oregon (and Washington) there is a strange and beautiful thing called the McMenamins Kingdom. In this vast conglomerate of bars, reclaimed theater and old hotels, exists The Grand Lodge - an old Masonic Retirement Home that has been remade into a hotel / movie theater / restaurant curiosity. At one time, orphans were also housed in this building, but were moved out when they began to annoy the oldies. Still, there exists a painting, emulating a photograph (which I hope to get a copy of sometime to add to my collection of "goat cart pics") of Mom - one of the caretakers of these orphans - riding her goat cart above the lodge. Fantastic. You can buy teeshirts of this, and the image is featured on the Grand Lodge brochure.

Pave D'Jardis

2008-04-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

Origin: France
Price: $13.99 / lb.
Description: If you are looking for a clean, somewhat creamy, somewhat crumbly cheese with only a hint of goat flavor, this is the cheese for you. It smells stronger than it is. Coats and melts in your mouth a bit like butter with a very gentle grittiness. I found it described as "fudgy" here which is a good adjective.

Note:

I am lucky enough to live just down the street from New Season's Market. Most of the cheese I taste test and review here was bought there.

Bok Bock

2008-03-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

Beer + Goats = happy Goatmaiden!

Many times, if you are a peruser of beer labels, you may notice a picture of a goat on certain kinds of beers. Examples include:

So - what is Bok (or Bock or Dopplebok) beer? It's a German word and could have originally come from the medieval town of Einbeck, which was known for its brewing. Bocks are high alcohol dark lagers that historically were created by monks (who have a surprising history of brewing - see this link to world famous beer expert - don't laugh at his name - Michael Jackson's webpage) and was a high calorie beverage many times drank during colder months. Bock is also German for a male goat; thus the goat image on many "bock" beers.

- Maibock is a lighter bock beer brewed in the spring (mai = May)

- Doppelbock is a heavier, higher-alcohol beer, considered "liquid bread" by some. According to Wikipedia, the original was called Salvator and so breweries give their Doppelbocks names ending in - tor in homage (such as Celebrator above.)

- Eisbock (ice bock) takes Doppelbock, freezes it, and takes out the water. Wow.

New Goat Comercial!

2008-03-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

First inductees to the Goat Hall o Fame

2008-03-08T12:55:00.000-08:00

So, my plan. At some point I will have a goat farm. On that farm I'll have some goats, and in the goat barn, I will have, if nothing else, paintings of famous goats. I was in a conversation with people the other day, I think that the first painting I will have to have, and the first inductees into the Goat Hall of Fame will be.....

What do people think about when they hear the word "goat"? Many think of Billy goats, mostly due to this fairy tale. It's a simple tale and, in case you forget it, here's a quick retelling:

"Once upon a time, three brother goats named Gruff awoke and got ready to head off to the green mountainside for breakfast. To reach the very best and tastiest treats they had to cross a bridge. This had never posed a problem for them before, and so when the youngest of the goats raced ahead, his older brothers thought nothing of it.

The little Gruff ran across the bridge: 'trip trap trap trip.' But what he didn't know was that a huge, hungry troll had taken up residence under that very bridge, and so when he heard the hoof-falls of the little goat, he growled: "Who is that trip trapping across my bridge?"

The frightened little goat said , "it is only I, the youngest of the goats Gruff."

"I am hungry and I think you will make a tidy breakfast for me," said the troll.

"Oh no!" said the little goat, "please don't. I am ever so skinny and bony. Wait for my brother to come. He is much bigger than I and will make a much better meal."

"Fine," said the troll, and the littlest goat dashed to the mountainside.

Next came the middle brother. He started across the bridge without a care: 'Trip Trap Trap Trip!'

"Who is Trip Trapping across my bridge?" roared the troll.

Startled, the middle-sized goat said, "it is only I, the second of the Goats Gruff."

"I am hungry and I think you will make a grand breakfast for me!"

"Oh no," said the middle goat, shaking his head, "I am stringy and thin. You want to wait for my oldest brother. He is much much bigger than me!"

"Fine," said the troll, and the middle goat ran up to the mountainside.

Finally, the oldest and largest of the brothers came along and stomped across the bridge: TRIP TRAP TRAP TRIP! The troll's eye's bulged in the darkness under the bridge! He wrapped his sharp fingers around the edge of the bridge and jumped up in front of the oldest of the Goats Gruff. His mouth watered and drool dribbled down his sharp white teeth as he gazed upon the large burly billy goat.

"I am hungry and I think you will make the best breakfast for me!" he bellowed and lumbered towards at the oldest goat. However, the oldest goat was very wise and had dealt with trolls before. He lowered his head and charged the horrible troll. He stabbed him with his horns and dashed him with his sharp hooves and butted him off the bridge where the troll fell to the river below, never to be seen again.

The oldest goat joined his brothers on the mountain side, and together they ate until their bellies grew so fat and round, they could barely walk home again."

*The End*

The story may trace its origin to Norway.

Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service

2008-02-19T06:36:00.000-08:00

MOSES runs an organic university - you can view the online course structure here:
http://www.mosesorganic.org/ou/index.htm

4. Organic Sheep and Goat Production
Whether for milk or meat, full time or part time, small ruminants may be a good fit for your operation. Veterinarian and producer Ann Wells, DVM, and Iowa goat dairy producer, Merle Steines, will share their farm-based knowledge and best practices for successful organic production. Although dairy goats, dairy sheep, lamb and goat meat systems are all unique, there are many commonalities that will be discussed in this session. Ann has had her own sheep flocks and goat herds, and has also done a lot of research and writing on small ruminant systems. She has also done work specifically on meat goats. Merle and his wife have milked a small herd of certified organic goats for over 20 years, and have utilized a wide diversity of markets. General herd and flock management will be discussed, including a look at the elements of successful pasture systems, feeding systems and how to manage your animals’ nutritional needs. Learn about herd/flock size issues and discuss the economics of different types of systems. Explore facilities you may need and various marketing strategies. A good amount of time will be spent on the details of successful reproduction and organic animal health management. Ann will detail parasite management strategies generated from research she has undertaken.

Goat head statue in Wilsonville, OR

2008-02-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

Farmers with Too Much Time on their Hands

2008-02-10T09:12:00.000-08:00

Goat racing!

2008-02-07T19:15:00.000-08:00

So I came across some info on goat racing while looking to see where Trinidad and Tobago were on a map. These islands are the home of some carnival festivals leading up to and including Easter. One of the most off-beat is the The Buccoo Goat Race Festival, which takes place on the first Tuesday after Easter. The tradition started about 75 years ago as a grassroots response to the upper-class pastime of thoroughbred horse racing.

This is a really cool pic, although a little large to post here:

http://www.mytobago.info/photos/events/IMG_2963.htm

In looking for more details about goat racing, I found that in Tanzania, there is a charity goat race that happens in the summer called the Dar es Salaam. To quote the site: "The main point of the Goat Races is the serious business of raising money for very needy causes here in Tanzania. Money is raised through the sponsorship of races, ticket sales, goat buying and betting plus a variety of other generous donations. We are deeply grateful to all those who have contributed. Over the last seven years a total of around $180,000 has been raised to help over twenty different charities all over Tanzania."

The Tanzania fest is in tun based off of the Royal Ascot Goat Races in Uganda The first goat races there were held in 1993 at Kampala Rugby Club. The idea of goat racing was developed from a pig race that had been held in Zimbabwe to celebrate the birthday of a horse breeder who did not have enough space in his garden to hold a horse race.

You should check out their goat info page where you can learn, among other things, that goat meat is not called muchomo (?)
http://www.thegoatraces.com/aboutgoats.html

I am still searching for US goat racing. There is a Phoenixville PA race in May that is sponsored by Sly Fox Brewery. The winning goat will have a seasonal beer named after them!

The Falmouth Goat Races legend has it, were started due to a practical joke played on a man by the name of Glen. After Glen lost money at the (horse) racetrack he and his friend joked that since they both had goats, they should just bet on them. His "friend" took out an ad in the paper telling people to call Glen to register their goats for the race. When more than a few people registered, they decided to hold the races to save face. There was also a video made about these races.

Animalympics

2008-01-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

I saw a very watchable 1980s cartoon movie the other night called "Animalympics" which was more or less a collection of short sport-centric stories staring animals. Most were pretty humorous including skicap wearing squids from Italy competing in the bobsled and a new-age otter from California in the swimming events (apparently the winter and summer Animalympics happen at the same time.) The most disturbing part was the goofy trippy music video type interludes (such as when a canine downhill skiier gets lost in the mountains and goes to Dog-ri-la.)

There was one main story that runs through the whole movie which follows the competitors of the marathon (which is run over 4 days!) The two main runners are an African cat (cheetah?) named Kit and (ta da!) a French goat named Renae Fromage.

Well, as you can see, the congeniality of the games soon overtakes the two of them and they cross the finish line holding hands - awe!

Note: this movie is featured on this wepbage which happens to be all about cats in the movies! Happy to fill the gap that seems to exist regarding goats in the movies! More to come!

How much is a pound of milk?

2008-01-22T06:47:00.000-08:00

I have found a note on this page that an Australian Saanen doe (the breed originally came from the Saanen Valley in Switzerland) named Osory Snow Goose holds the world record milk production of 7,711 lbs in 365 days. Dairy records are usually kept in pounds not gallons so it is helpful to know that 1 gallon equals roughly 8 pounds. Average dairy goats can give 4-8 pounds of milk a day.

Goat Supplies

2008-01-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this site : http://www.caprinesupply.com/
which has all types of goat dairy supplies while reading http://fastgrowtheweeds.com , a blog about a city girl who moved to rural Michigan. A fun read. The caprine supply site has some good tips under their article tab, such as goats will drink warm almost hot water in winter which helps with milk production.

Another farming blog with a sad / telling entry on goats is http://a-homesteading-neophyte.blogspot.com/
- the author describes it as "a beginner's tale of mistakes."

Little Critter Heater
A microwavable blanket designed to raise the core temperature of hypothermic kids. Easy to use: simply remove bags from blanket and micro-wave 1-3/4 minutes. Blanket will reach peak temperature of about 110 degrees and cool down over 45-60 minutes. Reusable, water-resistant, washable, American-made. A must for every barn.

AFLAC goat comercial

2008-01-13T17:11:00.001-08:00

Siletz River Drum

2008-01-13T14:03:00.000-08:00

Siletz River Drum

Origin: The Little Goat Dairy by the River, River's Edge Chevre, Logsden, OR
Price: $2/ oz. (I bought a $4 drum)
Description: This is a surface ripened cheese coated with a mold-rind which, if you don't mind the slight mildew taste, is very tender and earthy. I would say that the size of drum I purchase (drum just designating the hockey-puck shape) was a little too small. You get too much mold taste and not enough of the creamy white cheese within, which was a little sharp. It may have needed to age a bit more (see their tutorial on how to serve "bloomy rind cheese" here.)

Crescent Dairy Goats

2008-01-13T13:35:00.000-08:00

My mom pointed me towards this story. A married couple in New Zealand wanted fresh milk and cows were too big so they went for goats. They started the Crescent Dairy Goat farm. After a while at their farmer's market, the milk customers kept asking about cheese so they tried that. In 2007 they won the best cheese award for all of New Zealand with their herd of only around 20 goats!

JULBOKEN!

2007-12-20T07:42:00.000-08:00

Okay -- this has to be the best "Christmas" symbol ever! Have you ever seen those straw goats wrapped in red ribbon? They are traditionally seen in Sweden around the time of the feast of Saint Lucia. The largest one ever was 41 feet tall.

Anyway, it's called a julboken (yule goat,) and besides being based on a rather sketchy mythology (throughout history, goats have been seen as symbols of lust and mischief, traits which in turn have been attributed to the devil. Some think the julboken became a symbol of the season when plays about the saints had a goat-figure in them, at first as a malicious character, but who through time became seen as a harmless troublemaker. Later on, the goat even became the companion and mount of Saint Nicolas ) the giant one that is built in Gavle Sweden has been burnt down (not on purpose) or destroyed so many times, it's become a tradition.

The bulding of huge julboken was started in 1966 and since then, goats have been burned 28 times (there are actually two groups that make separate goats, neither of which seem to be immune to vandals , who at times have apparently dressed as Santa and gingerbread men to do the sordid deed.)

The julboken has been run over, vandalized, and buned throughout the years and it's survival rate stands at around 48%. As of today, one of the two 2007 goats has been tipped over, but no fires as of yet.

(Click for webcam)

The Curse of the Billy Goat

2007-12-05T18:37:00.000-08:00

So -- one of the many goals of this blog is to start to gather what someday I hope will be the fodder for a Goat Museum or the Goat Hall of Fame. Being that I have found two notations on the internet of cities (one in Prague the other in Tver Russia) that are supposedly planning goat museums, I am actually leaning towards the Hall of Fame. But anyway, here is the story of one of the most prominent goats in sports.

His name was Murphy (or it might have been Sinovia according to Wikipedia) and in October 6, 1945, his owner William Sianis, a tavern owner in Chicago, walked him into Wrigley Field for Game 4 of the World Series (Chicago Cubs vs. Detroit Tigers). He had two box seat tickets and he and Murphy (who was adorned with a coat which read "We've Got Detroit's Goat") were allowed to watch some of the game. However, they were ejected before the end of the game by Cub's owner Philip Wrigley due to Murphy's odor. Sianis (a Greek immigrant) then placed the now-infamous curse upon team, declaring that they would never win another pennant or play a World Series in Wrigley Field. The Cubs lost the series and Sianis sent a telegram to the team stating "Who stinks now?"

Although multiple attempts have been made to break the curse (with some success i.e. the Cubs seem to do better when a goat is in the house), Sianis's nephew-in-law says that the curse will not be broken until the Cubs show a true fondness for goats and allow them into the field because they like them!

Blue Rose Dairy Visit

2007-11-20T06:10:00.000-08:00

I took a trip to the Blue Rose Dairy back in March and it was quite an experience. I drove about 100 miles into Washington to visit with Rhonda and her family during a typical Northwest rainy, cold, misty Sunday. I had met Rhonda last summer at the local Moorland Farmer's Market (Moorland-Sellwood being a neighborhood of Portland, where I live). I had chatted with her, as I have begun to do with as many goat farmers as possible, and was intrigued by her brochure which stated Blue Rose followed an "open farm" policy. I vowed to visit; a promise which was further reinforced by my visit to the sheep farm in December 2006 and the urgings of a USDA friend to visit as many farms as possible before getting one of my own.

Rhonda and her husband (who was laid up with a torn tendon in his arm - after lifting the new pasteurizer into place!) and their daughters manage the farm, milk the goats and make the cheese. The family and their farm have been featured in the local newspaper a number of times. I found them all to be incredible helpful, open and inviting!

I arrived around 2 p.m. and had a tour of the farm. I was also told the back story (related on their home page) about the trials and tribulations they have gone through over the past 5 years to get where they are today. Rhonda states that she never heard of a goat dairy until she saw the one for sale in Winlock. She had always milked a few goats, though, for milk and to make cheese for family and friends. They took over Blue Rose in late 2003 and their first few seasons were quite taxing. One of her first pieces of advice to me was, "never purchase a goat unless you have laid your hands on it." Her first group was sickly, skinny and horned. The second group, also bought sight-unseen, were wild and pregnant! Finally, the group they have now; a mix of Saanen and Alpine with a few others, are moving towards the type of herd she wants to have.

After the tour, in which she showed me their milking parlor (an "inline 8" as opposed to the "v-8" I saw at the sheep dairy), the new cheese "cave" (a spiffy converted refrigerated semi-trailer), their 5 bucks and their Anatolian guard dogs, I asked Rhonda what she would add to her farm if money were no object. She said that she would microchip all of her does for feeding and medicating. Currently, they have a large hopper that delivers the feed the does eat during milking, and she adds her special mix of supplements. She also said that she would like some kind of way to automatically measure the amount of milk from each doe. Being that she is currently building the herd and not planning to sell anything but her least-performing does, she really doesn't see the need to track milk production right now.

(The Cave)

After a cup of tea and the perusal of some goat and cheese books, we got ready to milk and feed the kids. Her three daughters are the ones in charge of separating the "dry" females (pregnant) from those who are milking, as all are allowed to mingle together in the barn. I was able to feed two of the little black Alpine baby goats ("kids") who were only a few days old, yet did not really take to the bulk feeder (a contraption that looks like a feed bucket with nipples at the bottom) and had escaped back into the main herd a few times to feed off of mama. They weight little more than a house cat and sat in the wheel barrel until I was done feeding them. Then we moved into the milking parlor to go through the whole process of milking. Rhonda said she wished she could shave the goat's butts early on so they would be tidy and neat for milking time (since that's what the farmer looks at as they milking happens.) She let me set up some of the does, a process that includes stripping the first two or three squirts of milk from the utter. Unlike milking a cow, where one starts at the top of the teat and slowly pulls downward, with goats, it's a bit like milking a two fingered rubber glove filled with water. You grasp high on the teat and squeeze with all your might (no need to pull downward.) The reason for stripping is because the first few squirts have been shown to have the most bacteria in them.

After we milk for a while (the setup had been in existence since the farmer who sold the dairy had also had goats - he had moved to a larger, new facility), Rhonda decided to make use of my extra pair of hands (since her husband was in a sling) to debud Jessie James, a male kid that the girls were training to be a pack goat. This was pretty intense, since it involves applying a brand to the horn bud to burn it dead. The goat is placed in a box with just his head sticking out and then the iron is placed over the horn bud - since Jessie's horns were a little ways grown in, we had to do this a couple of times. By helping with this, I was taught a valuable lesson - dehorn early! We also got to place a rubber band around his boy-parts to castrate him (the balls dry up and fall off due to the lack of blood.) All around, Jessie had a pretty strange day, but once he was placed back in with the other kids, he seemed fine.

That was pretty much it for the visit. However, Rhonda and I have kept email contact, and I may be helping her at the farmer's market this year - I'll let you know!

The Blue Rose home page is a little hard to read, but is kept up to date and can be found here:

http://bluerosedairy.com/

- Das Ghot Maide

Brush goats in Wilsonville OR

2007-11-20T06:02:00.000-08:00

Recap of Goat Day

8/25/2007

Goat Day was held in Wilsonville OR (the town I work in) on August 25th. Every year, Metro, the park system, brings in around 400 goats of various types to eat invasive plants. This year they decided to let people come and watch! They chose a semi-wetland area (kinda squishy ground) that had lots of overgrown English ivy and blackberries, fenced it in, and let the goats out. Here are some photos:

Donnie finds the goats.

The goats spy us.

Ooooh. Sneaky goat!

Breeds

2007-11-18T17:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a good site listing different breeds of domestic goats:

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/goats/

A breed is differently than a species (a scientifically recognized classification.) A breed is created by humans and must have a specifically designed program for breeding and standards that define it. A goat has to be of a certain breed to participate in most shows and be registered with an official association.

There are such things as subspecies to be found in the wild - for instance, there are between four and nine subspecies of giraffes. It turns out that taxonomy - scientific classification - is not as hard and fast as we were taught in science class. Zoologists and biologists are constantly switching animals from one scientific grouping to another as science find new ways to compare members of groups (such as DNA.)

The bezoar is the wild ibex apparent beginning of all modern goat breeds. Strangely enough, a bezoar is also a technical name for a hairball.

Goat Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Caprinae
Genus:	Capra
Species:	C. aegagrus

Anyway, my favorite goat breeds are nubian (floppy eared cuties) and la mancha (no eared). However, if and when I get a farm, I may concentrate more on high-performing individual animals of any breed, or mixed breed, over anything else.

Rollingstone Chevre

2007-11-17T16:35:00.000-08:00

Origin: Rollingstone Chevre, Parma, Idaho
Price: $18/ lb.
Description: Bought a tube-shaped piece of this"... Montrachet style chèvre log... surfaced with herbs"(from their website). Grassy taste, very smooth, very white. A bit overpowered by rosemary. As a fresh goat cheese, this would work splendidly for making goat cheese croutons.
Very creamy, not crumbly texture. I will say that I tried making goat cheese "croutons" once (goat cheese slices rolled in bread and baked) and they tasted great but melted like butter pats all over the pan.

My First Post

2007-11-17T16:17:00.000-08:00

Greetings. I am the GoatMaiden, a 31-year-old female hoping to one day own a successful goat farm. This site will have links to and commentary on All Things Goat, including but not limited to:

Dairy goats
Goat cheese
Goat milk
Meat goats
Goat breeds
Pack goats
Goat health and safety
Goat nutrition
Goat farms
Goat's in culture
Goats in myth and legend

So let's get started!