If you’ve been to LexFarm’s Goat Yard recently, you’ve seen that Ionia is looking “very pregnant.” She is in her 15th week of pregnancy, so she has about 6 more weeks to go. A strong doe and a great mom, Ionia continues to be out and about in the Goat Yard with Ella, Naya, and Sapphire. They are enjoying the beautiful snow!

At this stage, Ionia’s new kids look like little baby goats, with eyelids separating, nostrils opening, teeth beginning to erupt, and hair beginning to grow around the eyes, muzzle, neck, and chest. They are tiny: roughly 4 inches long, and weighing less than a pound. Without an ultrasound (which is not a routine part of pregnancy care in goats), we cannot tell how many kids she is carrying. Any guesses?

Bright and early on this wintry morning (snowy enough to make a snow angel), goat enthusiasts met Farmer Ben at the barn to embark on our first Goat Care Skills class. Ben began by putting goat care into a larger context of food security and sustainability, then the group got into the nitty gritty of goat care:

• Relationship between breed characteristics/adaptations and diet
• Effect of dominance structures in the herd on goat care
• Wild food versus concentrates, and protein requirements at different developmental stages
• Logistics of feeding the Queen, the triplets, and Jasper

With Ben teaching from experience and an obvious affection for the goats, the participants learned a great deal about goat care — including much that could not possibly be conveyed in a textbook. After this first class of the 8-week session, participants commented:

“Ben, it was fantastic learning from your experience.”
“I learned so much. Ben is a great teacher.”
“Ben conveys his knowledge and experience eloquently and effectively.”

Another Goat Care Skills session will begin on January 28 (six Saturdays, 7:00-8:00am). We have just one space left, so visit the Programs and Group Visits page for more information if you are interested in registering.

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An unexpected bonus was seeing animal tracks in the fresh snow. One participant saw deer and rabbit tracks, and all of us saw what we think are coyote tracks!

At LexFarm’s Goat Yard, we are embarking on a project to revitalize the soil to promote carbon holding and growth of forage material (such as clover) for the goats. This winter we plan to rearrange the Goat Yard to make room for three growing paddocks – and plant bushes such as forsythia around the fence-line as well.

We hope you will join us for this Saturday’s Learn & Work Project, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Together, we will jumpstart the revitalization effort by moving the goats’ large climbing structure closer to the barn and aerating the soil in the areas that will become the growing paddocks.

What: Learn & Work Project
When: Saturday, January 14, 10:30-12:00
Where: LexFarm Goat Yard (park at Busa Farm and walk back to red barn)
Cost: Free!
Bring: Digging forks (pitchforks) or shovels if you have them

Due to an unexpected schedule conflict, we are changing our Saturday Goat Care Skills session to six weeks: Saturdays, January 28 to March 3, 7-8am. You can find more information and our registration form on our Programs and Group visits page.

The Tuesday Goat Care Skills session remains eight weeks: January 17 to March 6.

Once again our dear goats appear on the home page of the Lexington Patch – this time to announce our new winter programs. Please take a look.

Many thanks to the Patch for publishing these stories about the LexFarm Goat Yard!

If you peruse the news today, you will see none other than our own sweet LexFarm goats looking out at you from the Lexington Patch home page!

Click the link under the photo of our goats, and you will see that visiting the goats this Sunday is one of the Patch’s “Five Things To Do This Weekend.” So, come on over for visiting hours this (and every) Sunday, 1-3pm!

We are delighted to introduce new hands-on farm-based education programs at the LexFarm Goat Yard!

• Learn & Work Projects (2nd Saturday of each month, 10:30-12:00)
• Pasture Walks (4th Thursday of each month, 1:30-3:00)
• Goat Care Skills – Overview (8-week session, Saturdays January 14 – March 3, 7-8am)
• Goat Care Skills – Focus on Pregnancy and Kidding (8-week session, Tuesdays January 17 – March 6, 6:30-7:30am)
• Goat Stories at The Elephant’s Trunk (days/times to be announced)

For more information, please visit our Programs and Group Visits web page.

And, of course, keep coming to our regular visiting hours (Sundays, 1-3pm). We and the goats are always happy to see you!

Yes, the LexFarm Goat Yard is open on New Year’s Day (Sunday, January 1), from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Ring in the new year with our wonderful Nigerian Dwarf goats!

Suggested donation: $2 per person ($5 per family). Please park in the Busa Farm lot at 52 Lowell Street, Lexington, and walk back to the red barn. We’d love to see you!


Great video from Patch (click on picture to play and read accompanying patch article.) We are thrilled that the word about the goat yard is spreading, and we’re beginning to realize our mission for farm-based education right here in Lexington, MA! Many thanks to Patrick Ball, editor of Lexington Patch.com for spending time at the goat yard yesterday and providing this great video for the community. We think we’re doing a great thing! If you think so too, please help support us by becoming a member…or “adopting” a goat!