All Things Goat

Beekman Goat Cam

NJ — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:00:50 +0000

Can’t get enough of watching goats? Drop over to the Beekman Boys’ goat cam site for 24 hour viewing of Farmer John’s goats. Thanks to Maia Kotlus-Gates over at Discovery for sharing it with us.

The cam site is also the place to chat with Brent and Josh during live episodes. And if you’re interested in Beekman goat’s milk products, here’s their store.

Sale Barn Success

NJ — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:49:59 +0000

Any goat person who has visited an auction or two probably has a bad sale barn story to share, but not all goats sent to the auction deserve to be there.

Tim King, writing for Dairy Goat Journal, came across a handful of remarkable goats who were slated for slaughter at auction. One of those goats is Trinity, now living happily with Anna Severson. Still herd queen at 7 1/2 years, Trinity was a mess when Anna first saw her at an auction.

Little did she know, the $75 doe would become the top producing Toggenburg of 2009 and a fine goat all around. Check out her story and the story of a couple other fine girls. The moral of the story: one person’s cull may turn out to be your jewel.

The Big Cheese

NJ — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:19:05 +0000

Next time you’re feeling a bit peckish, consider this: the world’s largest goat cheese. The Italian pecorino located in Castel di Lama, Marche, incorporates the 924 lbs of milk from 3,000 goats and weighs in at 1,179 lbs.

Welsh Bovine TB

NJ — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:18:27 +0000

In an effort to eradicate bovine TB in Wales, authorities are looking beyond just cattle. Since bovine TB is also carried by goats, llamas, guanacos, alpacas, vicunas and deer, the Rural Affairs Minister has drafted legislation to institute controls for those populations.

Somalia to Export Goats

NJ — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:13:35 +0000

A recently passed resolution will allow the import of goats, sheep and cattle from Somalia to the UAE. The animals will be quarantined upon arrival and appropriate veterinary procedures must be documented prior to arrival. Quarantine is set for 21 days and all male animals must be castrated before released.

Read It or Eat It?

NJ — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:20:30 +0000

DES MOINES, Iowa –

This photo of 4-H’er Allie, shot at the Iowa State Fair, begs the question: do the goats want to read the book or eat it?

Flooding and Livestock

NJ — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:00:13 +0000

The flooding in Pakistan doesn’t just affect the lives of human occupants; it also threatens livestock. Over 200,000 animals have perished from the floods nationwide according to officials.

The loss of livestock animals like goats, cows and sheep is devastating to the farmers who rely on them for their livelihood and the economies of regions based on agriculture. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, roughly half of the country’s agricultural gross domestic product stems from livestock.

Ex-policeman Steals More Goats

NJ — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:35:06 +0000

ERMELO, South Africa –

An ex-policeman from Limpopo, along with his cohorts, has been caught stealing goats – again. Out on bail for charges stemming from goat thefts in March, Ben Modiba, fired from his law enforcement job for the same charges, was arrested again in a roadblock in August while transporting 43 goats suspected to be stolen.

In an area where there is a police unit dedicated to stock theft, apparently goats pay more than being a cop.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Portobella Mushrooms

NJ — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:39:06 +0000

A step-by-step recipe found at Thea’s Soapbox.

Things you’ll need:

2 portobello mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
2-3 green onions finely chopped
3 tablespoons of herbed goat cheese
ground black pepper
your favourite balsamic salad dressing

Make sure your mushrooms are clean. I just use a clean paper towel to wipe them down.

Remove the stems.

Prep your pepper.

Also your onions and garlic too.

Add your goat cheese. I had this in the fridge and stored in a little tupperware.

Mix it all well.

Place your peppers on aluminum foil. Now “stuff” your peppers. I actually just piled on the goodness. The mushrooms have a natural cup and is just asking to be stuffed.

Sprinkle with some ground black pepper.

Drizzle your favourite balsamic salad dressing over the mushrooms. (I am a huge Newman’s Own fan – I use their products a lot!)

Roll up the foil so it envelopes over the mushrooms.

Toss onto the grill for 10-15 minutes. You’ll know when its finished when the cheese looks oozy and the mushrooms looks a couple shades darker.

Goat on the Bus

NJ — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:26:19 +0000

MAHONING COUNTY, Ohio –

While extolling the virtues of public transportation, Rob Lammle from Mental Floss gives us a litany of animals hitching a ride. Although the story is from 2008, it’s just as funny today. The only thing cuter than the kids, is the Nigerian Dwarf goat who insists upon riding the school bus.

Minnesota Tough Times

NJ — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:46:18 +0000

BRAINERD, Minn. –

While goat markets thrive in some areas, times are tough for goat dairies in central Minnesota. Loss of contracts and complications in others have caused some of the dairies to scale back or even sell off their stock.

With increased awareness of the benefits of goat’s milk and related products and the public’s desire for more natural food, one would think that small operations would be thriving, but that isn’t always the case. Small dairies have limited financial resources and the loss of a large contract can cripple an operation unless a replacement is found quickly.

A Special Market

NJ — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:20:17 +0000

MOUNT AIRY, Maryland –

When most Americans think goats, they think of cheese or funny, horned creatures bopping around pastures. However, there is a whole different side to goats when one steps outside pop culture and into the more serious area of religion and ritual practices.

Jews and Muslims have specific and stringent butchering requirements and some of those requirements include ritual sacrifice of goats or sheep. For those who know the rules and who have the skills, ritual slaughter is another niche to be filled by the goat herder.

The Washington Post offers an excellent glimpse into this niche in a recent article about halal slaughtering during Ramadan. It’s a serious market and one that’s underserved in North America and Europe.

(Ed. Note: Thanks to Robin at Buffalo Creek Farm for pointing out NJ’s geographical error.)