GOAT YOUR LAND will  be the banner under which my blog posts will be composed.

The title, GOAT YOUR LAND is not an arbitrary catchy term. It represents the entire scope of how I raise my herd. GOAT YOUR LAND represents the essentials for getting started in the practicum of pastoralism and symbiotic goat husbandry. 

I have no list showing where I’ve been published. There is no alphabet soup after my name that can denote the worthiness of my perspective. What I share, was born out of immersion and intimacy of working with animals that provide for us daily. Along the way, having encountered the pastoral roots of western culture. But here is something about me, so you know a little of the heart and the person behind the “keyboard” so to speak.

After growing up and living most of my adult life in some of the largest metropolitan regions in the U.S., my husband and I finally arrived on a 25 acre homestead in 2013. Our Nubians entered our world a year later. We were always a natural family, making decisions like homeschooling our two sons, and choosing not to vaccinate, when those ideas were taboo. We built our own house, and systematically embraced good natural food and down to earth home remedies. I was convinced that with my past experience, leaving the city and upstarting a homestead, a thing like raising a small herd of Nubians would be a breeze. That idea would soon be tested. Transitioning to   land was both exciting and overwhelming. I recall sobbing on our way home after closing on the farm. Wondering what had we gotten ourselves into? 

It soon became apparent we had much to learn. Most places we looked for answers were providing conventional methods and treatments, or parroting techniques that were counterproductive. Yet in my heart I sensed I was missing key elements in the husbandry my Nubians needed to have. That began my journey of research, experimentation, successes and some failures. 

The modern world of farming and goat raising, I discovered to my disappointment, is quite different from pastoralism. In many ways it is devoid of practical methods beneficial for the natural resonance essential for a goat's subsistence. It seems the cattle people, the sheep and the equine communities have droves of resources on rearing that livestock. But with goats I seemed to have stepped into a shallow pool. It is from this path that I pause to share with you what I’ve learned. In hopes that it may in some way help you raise happier and healthier animals, or provide a solution if you're frustrated, overwhelmed or feel like giving up goats altogether.