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!