Organic, organically raised, organic practices or what does it all mean?

Greetings Folks, let’s have a very frank discussion. I am in WV and with a few minutes to write up a post I have been thinking about for quite a while. I did post a blog in December covering Grass Fed Goats – The Florida Myth (https://tinyurl.com/4fsydxfj) but there is also another question I get sometimes two or three times a week I need to cover which is “are your products organic”. So grab a cuppa of your favorite beverage and sit a spell. I promise, I tell you like it is. I do not apologize for that and hope you can appreciate my frankness, even if sometimes maybe NOT what you want to hear.

First, let’s talk organic, Organic, Certified Organic, non-certified organic, organic practices, organically raised – however you want to twist it. A lot of terms used that are “get your boots on because it is getting deep”. I don’t think people realize what they are asking when I get questioned if our products are organic. Certified Organic has many variables but the basic concept is stewardship of the land, using only OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) approved chemicals, and certification by a third party. There are farms with organic practices, but do not have certification, however, this is where the consumer must be savvy. Is this really true? If we were organic, the price of our milk/products would almost double. This is the major red flag. Same price or a dollar or so higher? Ask questions, a lot of questions. The question I pose to you is: Would you rather us go organic and cut out 90% of our market which would close our doors or would you rather we take the approach of no chemicals (the folks getting manure at our farm know we are a chemical free barn – with the exception of wasp spray) and continue to provide milk in the safest way we have learned?

Is the Walmart brand of milk the same price as the (big factory farm) Organic Milk on the shelf? Then how do you think we would do it as a small farm with no dairy subsidies like the big time dairies? We work on a 10-15% profit margin now and have been trying to absorb the rising costs of products to us that are necessary to producing a product from hay to containers and have suffered through increased prices on most everything the past few years on many items (milk, cheese, kefir, etc). We have had a 25-40% increase in the cost of containers alone over the past few years and close to 100% increase in our grass hay. I thought they may go down when diesel dropped but hanging tight at the higher price.

I see people out there saying “using organic practices”, “organically raised”, “non-certified organic”. With crops it is a smidge different so as a dairy farmer, I will address what I know best for now. Just for a comparison, our feed is right at $18 a 50lb bag. It is a feed that is milled from fresh natural grains by a small family run feed mill located in Dade City. Probably not non-gmo but none the less, the best we can obtain. Non-gmo? Ditto on the higher price of the grains. All organic is non-gmo but not all non-gmo is organic! Our feed contains a vitamin and mineral pack to add in valuable nutrients to make sure our goats (we do the same for chickens but will cover that in possibly another blog) get all the supplements they need for our locations/environment. We do not feed synthetics – one of the questions last week. Snickered a little at that one as people always think goats will eat anything – they don’t – but maybe they thought we were feeding plastic bottles or grocery bags???? Great recycling concept (and price reduction) but the goats may object! Organic feed runs in excess of $30 per bag – and that is a FORTY pound bag – 20% less than our current bags which equates to approx $.36 a pound for our feed but a whopping $.75 a pound for organic. Add in the cost of transport as most organic (if not all?) is trucked in from out of state and you have to travel the state to get pickups of it.

We go through approximately a ton of grain a week to feed everything from alpaca, emus, chickens, quail, ducks, geese, horses AND goats. Our feed bill is easily $500 plus a week. Add in grass hay and peanut hay and we see in excess of 5K a month to feed the farm – remember that doesn’t include electric (600+ monthly), water (3-400 monthly), repairs (varies) and containers (easily 700 monthly). There is no way we could sell enough products to cover 10K a month to buy organic feed. Please remember that we are “different” farmers. Our boys are only sold for pet and horse companions and when we do sell them after weaning, we lose money with the amount of milk that has gone into them. Our older does that are retired from the milkline remain on our property in C.A.L.F. (Caprine Assisted Living Facility) until the day they die. We do not believe in sending them off after giving us their babies and milk for so many years. By the way, we do the same with our hens. They deserve pampering. That costs us a lot of money but it is the right thing to do in our hearts.

Why mineral packs and vitamins? One very important supplement we add is selenium. Florida is a selenium deficient state with 95% of the state being deemed as having soil that is deficient in selenium. Selenium is very important to goats. All of our hay is produced in Florida (the majority of the time it is within 50 miles of the farm) and we must assume that the hay fields are on deficient soil. A deficiency can cause weak or un-thrifty kids with diarrhea and listlessness along with poor muscle development. For adults, one red flag on selenium deficiency is dulled/changing color coats and even hair loss. We give BoSe 2x yearly which is a veterinary form of selenium mixed with Vitamin B. Selenium alone can be toxic in high quantities. Vitamin E will nullify the toxic effects of the selenium and the mix makes the Vit E six times more effective. A wonderful synergistic effect!! That is just one example. A CERTIFIED large animal Nutritionist has approved our feed formula (also tweaked seasonally) which was a 20 yr project in the making. As part of the feed, we are basically giving our goats their “One A Day” vitamins. Do you give your children or do you take vitamins yourself?

Now let’s broaden our scope a bit. If the hay, environment, everything isn’t deemed organic, how can you claim to be organically raising your animals? For hay, the fields must not have been sprayed for at least 3 years. If you are a hay farmer, you understand that the nut weed and other weeks will move into the field and choke out the hay growing there. One hay farmer that didn’t want to spray went from a 12 acre field of hay to less than 9 acres of hay he could harvest withing 2 years. The weeds moved in from the perimeter and the hay was diminished. It is hard to make a living by not spraying and losing over 25% of your crop. Yes, there are alternatives but not alternatives that are economically feasible for the most part. Remember, rain will wash the herbicides off the leaves, plants and I have been reading that the roots will not adhere to the herbicides. I am not a scientist so I have to research as much as possible and rely on my research (read that as sifting through the propaganda) to find truth. Did you know that pressure treated wood can cause a farm to lose organic certification? For the most part, use of treated wood on your organic sites is considered an application of a prohibited material. Who would build a barn in Florida without pressure treated wood? Maybe if you were milling your own cedar or cypress but who has access to that?

For our animals, we always look at holistic first, when we can, and we do not give any lactating goats a chemical dewormer, opting for the copper bolus which sets up an environment in the stomach chambers inhospitable of parasites. We do use antibiotics as a last resort as 1) we do not want to cause a resistance due to overuse – the reason they were pulled off the sales shelves on June 11 of this year because of indiscriminate use by livestock owners and 2) once they have an antibiotic, they are no longer on the milkline and we adhere to triple the recommended withdrawal time by FARAD (Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank). It is FARAD’s goal to provide expert advice to veterinarians, extension specialists, and livestock producers regarding extra-label drug use and contamination emergencies to prevent drug residues in meats, milk, and eggs. Depending on the situation, some of our goats may return to the milk line or will be pulled off for treatment and will not be used for milking until the next lactation (i.e. after a pregnancy). I drink this milk, am holistically fighting breast cancer for the last 2+ years, as well as raised my kids on it and we do not want chemical residues in the milk.

Please, do your research and do not accept things as written – from me or anyone else. We are very transparent at our farm. I am glad to answer any questions. After 15 plus years (yes, check with FDACS – we received our permit on August 17th, 2007) of selling goat milk, I think I have heard every last question that could be asked – then the next phone call comes in. Want to check how long someone has been in business? Look at the FDACS Permit Number. Ours is 1280 and the numbers increase the later the permit was approved. So if someone is permit number 3522, it would have been issued years later. The 4000s were issued near the 2017/2018 year per my conversation with FDACS yesterday. We were among one of the first raw milk dairies permitted in the state and have been working to set the standards for all that time!!

I hope this is “food for thought” for those who are looking around to buy raw milk or are one of our customers just to know more about our operation. Want to really know from the inside, be one of our volunteers. We do not host one time volunteers unless it is mentioned when we put out emergency calls. We need long term volunteers that can come at least once a week (possibly every other week) and take a specific task, learn it well and not require total supervision. We are looking for milkers for the farm which is a 6 month minimum commitment and offered a token gas allowance and Bright Future or Vet Assist hours. You do not have to be a teen, but good physical activity tolerance is needed. Interested, send me a DM. Thank you for reading!

Doing the right thing!

When my kids were small, I was always trying to instill in them to do good all the time. Play at school with that person that doesn’t have a friend. Seek out new friends. Sneaking to get into the Halloween candy was akin to stealing and had harsh consequences (no video, no pool time, no trampoline time – some of their favorite things). I knew I was teaching them for a lifetime and needed to lay the foundation. Not doing your homework and lying that it was lost, again, not the right thing. Making another person look bad just to try to make yourself look good – again, not the right thing. It seems in this crazy world we live in, too many parents skipped those harsh consequences and now we have grown ups who have no clue of that concept. We can’t raise perfect children, but it is up to us to try.

I see people every day that are out for themselves. Millenials, GenX, Baby Boomers, it spans generations, no group is exclusive. Narcissism is a cancer that has invaded our society. There are awesome people out there doing what is best for the world, their family and their community, honestly and being forthright about everything. Then there are those that would, as my Mother said over and over, “they would climb a pole to tell a lie, rather than stand on the ground and tell the truth”. Trying to be something they are not, not a good thing!

I can’t stand liars. Lie to me once and I will never trust you again. I might not say that to your face but it is in my heart. I don’t like people trying to get over on others – claiming benefits they might not otherwise be entitled to collect, telling the customer what they want to hear just to sell something, being deceitful in any area of their life. If you lie once, what else will you lie about? The truth is hard sometimes. You don’t just tell people what they want to hear. It will backfire.

What will you do today to be the role model to others and the next generations? Will you sluff it off and figure it is the parents responsibility or will you stand up to be THAT adult that makes a difference. I just pray I don’t lose faith in humanity with what I see going on every day in this world! Be that ONE person that wants it to change with me.

If you want to see change in the world, start in your own little corner!

Grass Fed Goats – The Florida Myth

Grass Fed Goats

I see it thrown around all the time …. and I get the phone calls daily…..”Do you have grass fed goat milk?” First, goats are NOT grazers. goats eat from the 12-18 inch level and are foragers – read that as they prefer weeds and brush to grass! If you hear grass fed in Florida, run! We have really crappy grass, and not because of the manure being dropped by the animals. It is because the grass is not nutrient dense to provide the appropriate sustenance for a lactation – goat or cow. Go to farther north (N. GA and above) and you will find alfalfa fields (actually a legume, not a grass but a forage) that goats love. University of Florida has been experimenting for years looking for a strain of alfalfa that will thrive in Florida to no avail.

What do we feed our goats? Sure there is grass in their paddocks. They don’t eat it unless we starve them. Our dry goats are on pasture – so why do I have to mow that pasture? Give a 5 yr old kid (two legged, that is) a bag of candy and see if they say they would rather have a balanced meal? I would wager that 90% of the kids would eat the candy. Same with goats – weeds are their candy!

If not grass, then what? Our goats get room service…….excuse me, stall service, to make sure they get a balance diet to stay healthy and make milk. Only the most optimum nutritional items are offered to them. They have grass hay which may be under the names of bahia, coastal or Tifton, all names for the grass hays, in front of them 24/7. This is very important to keep their rumen* working in tip top condition. They are also given peanut hay at am and pm feedings to give them way more nutrition than the grass hay can provide. However, if I left the peanut hay in front of them 24/7, they would be very over conditioned (the livestock way for saying FAT). The crude protein content of perennial peanut hay (a rhizome ground cover, not a legume that grows peanuts) is 13-18% and what puts milk in the bucket. It provides a very digestible and nutritious forage – yes forage, though the term perennial peanut hay is mostly used – that goats adore. In addition, when on the milk stand they get natural grains with minerals and vitamins added. Without grain, they would not maintain a lactation. We follow the Weston A Price 1% of body weight suggestion. We supplement bananas for their treats. Some like the peels. Some like the meat of the banana and some will eat the whole thing. They get pumpkins seasonally. Banana leaves are a big hit. And did I mention animal cookies? Want to get on their good side? Show up with a bag of animal cookies and you have friends for life! Doritos work too and they adore granola bars. No tin cans are offered…and if you haven’t caught on by now, goats do not eat tin cans or everything they see. They have a texture response and have to “mouth” everything but they really don’t eat it. We do supplement with vitamin E and selenium injections a couple times a year. Florida is a selenium deficient state and we feed Florida hays so the extra selenium is needed.

We use all holistic measures as a first reaction. Our use of conventional meds is minimal and not without much consideration and evaluation. We practice three times the suggested milk withdrawal times anytime used. And if antibiotics on a lactating goat, they are pulled from the milkline and most likely will not return during that lactation. I am not going to tell you we are organic because if we were feeding organic grains, the goat milk would be almost twice the price. If you find goat milk at our price and they represent it as organic, be sure to really question it. We may be non-profit, but we need to keep our price consistent with the cost of feed.

Looking into the Future

Musings from an Old Goat!

The last three years (2020, 2021 and 2022) have been especially trying both in personal and professional life. I am looking at 70 in the next couple years and while I intend to hang in there until there is no more hanging to do, I am going to need to change my pace. We are having difficulty finding help at the farm – as a non-profit, we can’t pay much and we primarily depend on volunteers. With Gov. Desantis new move to allow any job to count for Bright Futures, we do not have the high schoolers we have enjoyed hosting for the past almost twenty years. Many of our students have held an outside part time job and still come to us for an evening a week and no complaints. I thought the entire Bright Futures experience was to teach the students to “give back” in life. Speaking with other non-profits, they are hurting too from Metropolitan Ministries to local food banks and programs. We still have the opportunity for the Vet Assist Students for part of their 250 hrs required for the certificate, and a veterinarian that oversees and signs off on the skills learned here. With a serious reduction in team members, I am doing a lot more of the day to day farm work (which I LOVE). Getting back to my roots, fixing coop doors, rehanging feeders, patching chicken wire, fixing the hotwire, and all the fun farm things is really what I missed for so long after we expanded. I felt like I was missing out on all the fun.

After serious pondering, there will be a new addition to make market life easier, I am currently looking for a 10-12′ long pop up camper to renovate to a vending trailer. If you know of one, speak up. I have been looking all summer and missed two that were perfect but it is getting down to the wire. Our price point is under 3K for the purchase amount. It must have a solid floor, roof and the canvas in reasonably good shape. We will be outfitting it with solar panels and a new paint job and the interior/push out beds will be removed in lieu of display counters and cooler space. It should make the market experience easier without the 75lb tents and tables and all the lugging required but still the ease of side loading the coolers. AND no more drippy tents on rainy days, just roll down the canvas and close me in! Or drop that roof and head back to the farm.

Markets are great, meeting the customers and answering questions is fabulous, but exhausting. Just mobilizing for a market is an 8 hour day (with others involved as well) after a week of preparation of products, $30 of ice, plus the time/gas to drive there and being there for 5-6 hours (4-5 hr market plus at least 30 min set up and at least 30 min tear down). It is all a crap shoot, a market can really surprise me and be one of the best ever, or it can be an “I should have stayed home” type of day. That said, I am cranking back the number of markets I will be doing. Distance will be a big deal and I may be doing the occasional drop in to different markets. The days of doing a market “for exposure” are over. If The Dancing Goat hasn’t been exposed enough by now, then something really went wrong along the way. The Meet UP in St. Pete twice a month has turned out to be a very popular item and will continue. Hyde Park is a good market and one I really enjoy. It will be my only Sunday Market. The Corey Avenue Market is still in the picture occasionally, but only after the vending trailer is completed. Dr. Phil has been covering Sunday Markets at the farm while I have been busy in WV closing out Mom’s affairs and I think asking him to do more than one market a month on a regular basis is a bit much – after all his heart is in the critters and farm and is here almost always 6 days a week. Our on-site Farm Market twice a week has gained in popularity and has surpassed any expectations and will continue. And people like to come to where the products originate and get to know the farm! We love when we see people taking selfies here and checking in at The Dancing Goat. Dunedin Downtown Market is a definite for twice a month (possibly more at times). Tampa Bay Markets has opened their arms and made us feel so welcomed the past year or so and we would like to give them a huge shout out for the love and support from Greg, Tiffany, Susan, Meredith and the whole Tampa Bay Market’s family.

How many of you actually know The Dancing Goat Farm is Non-profit? Look us up under Sun-biz – Dancing Goat Farm. We are registered as a Not For Profit Corporation and just needing to slow down long enough to get the 501(c)3 application in to complete the process fully. Why are we non-profit? We donate goat milk to various rescues for cats, dogs, possums, raccoons, and even the occasional big cat! Our farm serves as an educational facility for the Bright Futures hours, Vet Assist Hours and even hosts the Certified Vet Tech Classes from St. Petersburg College for ruminant education and a “hands on” with probably the last docile goats they will ever see! In addition, we rescue and foster (currently closed on poultry due to the Avian Flu and protecting our flock) everything from cats, kittens, hens, alpaca, emus, geese, dogs, etc. The cat program is a constant program and we currently have 10 in the foster program at this time. We get all animals fixed and if suitable, they go up for adoption. Many come here that cannot be reintroduce in feral colonies for various reasons. If not suitable for adoption, they get to spend the rest of their lives being working cats on the farm – and they end up warm and fuzzy darlings over time. Don’t let those lounging felines you see soaking up the afternoon sun fool you – one eye is open just in case there may be a mouse or lizard that needs reprimanded. Every penny we take in from the sales of products goes straight to running the farm from hay and grain to electric service, supplies, equipment and lots of repairs.

So that said, the calendar of events on our website (https://dancinggoatdairy.com) is not accurate at this time with the exception of Farm Markets (Sundays and Wednesdays), Hyde Park (1st Sunday of each month), Meet UP in St. Pete (two Tuesday evenings 6:30-7pm per month), Dunedin Downtown Market (two Saturdays a month – probably 1st and 3rd) and Carrollwood (second Saturday of the month). I will have to figure out dates for Corey Avenue Market. I absolutely love that market (and Manager Susan is da bestest) but it is an hour drive each way.

Now you have the nitty gritty of The Dancing Goat. We will back out of all markets except for Hyde Park, Meet UP in St. Pete and Farm Markets during July, August and September to allow a slower pace to regroup for the next season and some personal time. And, anyone that would like to volunteer to assist with The Dancing Goat’s new vending trailer renovation or other farm help is encouraged to speak up! We will need help with exterior paint, interior demolition and rebuilding of the display counters and probably someone that can sew to help with reconfiguring the canvas sides to roll down in stormy weather. It is a dream finally coming true! Keep following the adventure!

Twenty One Year Flashback

It was February of 2001 and we had joined the ranks of showing goats….well my kids had, I was just the sideline coach. But I was full speed ahead into the preparations for the Florida State Fair, our first ever show! I had the cots out to sleep on in the tack area, the food was in the cooler and we even had a microwave packed to heat things up to eat. That was in the days prior to the “no cooking” in the barn rule. It was neat to smell the chili, crock pot meals and other goodies wafting intoxicating smells brought by the show people and occasionally be the recipient of some wonderful homemade concoction that probably had a little extra flavor and roughage of hay.

I had pulled son out of school for that day of preparation and loading the goats to take to the fairgrounds. But first a shower – not us, but the goats. I had watched as everyone spit shined their goats in the cold water at the fair and I didn’t want my precious “girls” to get cold so we opted for the hall bathroom in the house. We only had the four does at the time, Flirty, Goober, Esmeralda and Baby and we thought those were the most special girls in the universe. One by one, son and I marched each doe to the bathroom and gave them a full on shower in the bathtub, complete with good smelling soap and a spitzer of good smelling body spray on the finish. Each doe made more of a mess and the showers continued, the little “nanny berries” making a trail down the hallway from the backdoor to the bathroom and the TONS of “nanny berries” in the bathroom. When goats get nervous, just like cows, they poop, and poop some more and maybe a little more after that in 10 minutes for good measure – but at least it looks more like a spilled box of raisins, a few thousand raisins.

We were running late. That bathroom wasn’t going to be in use so I tidied up the hallway, sweeping up those sweet little “nanny berries” in the dust pan but just closing the door on the bathroom. I could deal with it when we returned but if we didn’t get our scoot on, we were going to miss the deadline. The does were loaded in our ancient horse trailer and off we went carrying everything but the kitchen sink for five days of goat immersion and our first run as an exhibitor.

Little did I know that hubby had invited the boss over after work knowing I was gone. They could have a beer without kids bouncing all around and little did he know of the activities that had ensued that afternoon. Hubby had no clue that I had bathed the goats in the bathroom and coming in the house all looked normal. That is until boss needed to use the restroom. Of course hubby sent him to the hall bathroom as we sent all guests. I will never forget the phone call I got from hubby with his boss hysterically laughing in the background describing what had been found in the bathroom. Besides the fifty towels laying around, the bathroom was covered in “nanny berries”, goat hair, grooming supplies and empty bottles of shampoo. It looking like a herd of goats way bigger than the four we paraded in the house had wrecked havoc for days. We were quite lucky the boss was understanding as he loved following our new “homesteading” adventure and the acquisition of the goats as well as all the stories hubby had to tell over the water cooler of his farm weekends.

So if you are considering going into goats, I forewarn you of all the adventures you will have in store and the memories that can be made! I don’t think hubby ever lived that down at the office and the story of the bathroom goats was legendary fodder at many of the company luncheons.

Why we need more regs on raw milk!

Before I start, I want to clarify that there are two permits to sell milk. The first one is a Feed Master Permit which allows for the sale of raw milk for pet consumption only. The second is a Grade A Dairy which allows ONLY for the sale of pasteurized milk. A Grade A dairy may NOT sell raw milk! To say I am selling raw milk to save up for Grade A licensing is not even in the equation. I applaud those who do want to go that way but I do not believe in pasteurized milk. But I also do not believe we should be selling raw milk for pet consumption only in a reckless manner either.

This is not going to be a popular opinion for two reasons, people want to do something for nothing and they feel like government is invading their lives. Let me start by asking if you have a driver’s license? If so, then you recognize that a person should be competent behind the wheel of a car since there are other drivers on the road and they need protected. Do you feel the government is exploiting you with that license? Oh, but you only sell 10 gallons of milk a month, just a little bit so you don’t think you need a Feed Master Permit? Maybe I only drive 10 miles a month. Do you think the State would exempt me? I think the old analogy of slightly pregnant is appropriate here!

Many have heard my spiel on KNOW YOUR RAW MILK FARMER because they are not all alike. In fact if you go back on my Facebook page, from time to time, I grab images from Marketplace and Craigslist of people selling in used water bottles and gatorade bottles and put pictures of their bottling on the page in an attempt to educate the public of what they should avoid. It isn’t necessary for people to risk their lives to purchase milk that may not be sanitary to drink. I am a fanatic about this! Even if it is “for pet consumption only” we need to make sure it is done right. Do your pets not matter? If we ever expect it to be approved for human consumption there has to be an improvement in the standards for pets.

We must prove to the Dept of Agriculture (FDACS) that we are responsible in what we do – including respecting the permit requirement. I have been lobbying for years for changes. As it stands, a $40 license and you are good to go on selling once you have an approved label containing the required information – which I rarely see. For soap, no big deal but for people who are drinking it – if your farmer isn’t aware they are doing things wrong, from label to drug withdrawal, it could be dangerous. I am sure all the intentions are good, but things can backfire. I can count the number of SAFE raw milk suppliers on one hand and part of the other! Just sayin’!

I have been selling raw milk LEGALLY for pet consumption only since August 17, 2007. There are no regulations beyond a permit and proper labeling (and no it isn’t just the “pet consumption only” phrase – there is way more to it and the label needs to be approved by FDACS), no demonstration of competence, nothing needed but send in that money to get the permit number. I have a HUGE problem with that. Unlike that drivers license where you take a test to prove that you memorized (at least for the moment) all the information that seems needed for driving. If we ever expect to morph to a state that allows human consumption of raw milk (I believe we are one of only 10 in the US required to label as pet consumption), we must demonstrate that we are competent in sanitation, we know drug withdrawal guidelines and our animals are healthy to be using their milk. For the last four years I have been lobbying with FDACS to impose some regulations on the raw milk sales – even if it is just for pet consumption only. I have people call me all the time wanting to come see how I do it to see if they approve. For the record, our family has been consuming our raw milk for the last 20 years. I always ask the caller if they are in the dairy industry and know what to look for in a dairy. After a few hems and haws they admit they read a couple books that talk about grass fed and humane treatment and felt they were educated enough to evaluate a micro dairy. Not in a million years. They have seen the 3 Fs of Fresh, Famageddon and Food Inc and quickly become experts. Can they even tell one breed from the next? Can they pick out an inline system or can they tell me what an inflation is? Sheepishly they agree that they only know the buzz words. That is where I start my education of what they really needed to look for from feed to animal health to cooling to jugging of the milk.

There are silent diseases in goats that can transmit to humans that you do not want to drink the milk. Caseous Lymphanitis – abscesses that can be in the respiratory and mammary system that is transmittable to humans before they ever show outward signs. I am not saying people are not capable of learning about it, just most people do not invest the time or spend the money for testing. We test our goats. It isn’t cheap for 70+ goats but something we feel is necessary for good management! My lobbying includes the requirements of a veterinary exam by a livestock accredited vet at least twice a year. A clean dry enclosure for milking with hot and cold running water adjacent (doesn’t have to be the Taj Mahal but it should be better than a pop-up tent in the pasture with manure underfoot). Proper cooling protocol and a new BPA free container every time milk products go out the door. This business of used Pepsi bottles isn’t acceptable to me.

One of my biggest fears is drug withdrawal. Not from my herd but someone that has no clue of the withdrawal of antibiotics or other drugs. There are dewormers which have no milk withdrawal and some with several days/weeks withdrawal. We have goats that have been milking for several years with no chemical dewormers. That is possible only through good management. Antibiotic residue can cause drastic effects in a person who may be allegic to that particular antibiotic. In this world of allergies and sensitivities, it is more important than ever to provide a clean product free of adulteration.

When it comes down to it, I feel disrespected by those who refuse to get a permit. I jump through the hoops and try to do what is right. How do you feel about that person with the suspended license plowing into you at 50mph and no insurance because they have no license? And I don’t think anyone doing this has bad intentions. I fear that Jane Doe in Pickatown, Florida gets someone sick with their goat or cow milk or Heaven forbid, they die it won’t be them on the front page, but me because our dairy is so well known. It won’t ruin their business – people won’t remember who it is but it certainly will ruin mine. Let’s permit and educate and hold the raw micro dairies up to a high standard allowing confidence in purchasing “for our pets”. Wink wink!

New Girls in the Pasture

Our venture into livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) started with a “ruined” Anatolian/Pyr, Saxy. A lady who raised golden retrievers had received her from a daughter that was going through a divorce and had to rehome her. She didn’t do well with the goldens and the foster knew she needed to find another home. I received the phone call one day wanting to know if I knew anyone that might need her. Being half Great Pyrenees (known to be great family dogs as well as LGSs) and the other half Anatolian (territorial but yet quite personable to the humans) we thought it would be the perfect mix. She arrived to me at almost a year old, never seeing a goat, spending her early months in a crate in a house, getting walked or in bed with her owner. Needless to say, we had a tough row to hoe ahead of us!

Oh, and to add to the misery, I had never trained a dog properly in my life and we had to put her straight in with the goats – eeks!! My salvation was a remote collar and hiding the remote where everyone on the farm could get to it quick to correct inappropriate behavior and at what level, high pitched sound, vibration or shock. The high pitched sound would stop her in her tracks so rarely did we have to go to vibration and I am not sure the shock part was used at all. We all got together and decided how we would correct and to what degree….. exact consistency from EVERYONE involved was very important since there was up to 20 volunteers involved. The voice commands had to be the same and they were followed up by the high pitched immediately.

The first day with the goats, she knew she had to do SOMETHING, but wasn’t quite sure what and kept them in their house all day – blocking them to come out. We started working on that and over the next few days the goats were less afraid (they hadn’t seen a dog, either). I went to the LGD lists and bought the book, Good Dog Bad Dog – not a clue about training LGDs in there but my other dogs improved in the spillover. We found her nipping the back of legs of the goats and had to stop that. She finally figured out her job wasn’t to herd, to nip or really interact with the goats, just guard. In about 6 months she became an awesome guard dog for the goats and shortly after that, we added a purebred Anatolian who was an experienced LGD. Watching them working in tandem is amazing and we are still considering adding a third, male.

Both of the dogs have been rescues and I am happy that we stepped out of our comfort level and added them to the farm. Both dogs LOVE everyone working at the farm but can sense a stranger and watches until introduced by one of the key farm people. The instinct came out for Saxy but did take some honing to make sure it was used properly. Maya walked in the goat pasture and never missed a beat but she is also equally as comfortable playing in the family pool with kids or providing a soft pillow for a nap for one of her goats. They lounge in the daytime in their sleepy spots but as nightfall comes, they are on guard for anyone or anything that might trespass into their kingdom.

Time keeps on slipping…..into the future!

Like the old Steve Miller Band song, my days blend together, my weeks make months and my time keeps on slipping into the future.

There are times I reflect on what I am doing? Should I just retire and travel in the camper? How about vegetate by the pool? Go back to a love of cooking? My husband hates the farm, probably because it takes me away from him. But I know I could never be complete without what I am doing now. Might not be the same in five years or even six months but it is what makes my inner core fell all warm and fuzzy, establishes my values and makes me get up every morning with a smile on my face, well most mornings. How many people can say that about their job? To me, this isn’t a job but my destiny! Retirement seems to be the last phase before expiration and I want to put that one off as long as possible. And why is retirement mandatory? Do people really stay at jobs all their life that they hate that retirement is such a climax of relief?

When I read about elders that have surpassed 100, it seems that most do what makes them happy and that happiness, whether volunteering for a cause, daily dance sessions, or even a shot of whiskey a day, is what keeps them going and looking forward to that next day. I want to make it to 100 and beyond. Vegetating isn’t going to get me there!

Life is short. I didn’t think that way in my teens, or my thirties or even my forties, but now crossing into the second half of my 60’s soon, I realize how short it is. I regret the passage of time and maybe being in too big of a rush to stop and inhale the beauty. But I don’t regret all I have experienced. From a bit (ok, a lot) on the wild side in college and thereafter, to a settled corporate yuppie for many years, a devoted mom and wife to finding my inner love in farming.

It seems like yesterday I was just turning 21. I remember that night clearly celebrating with friends with the world ahead of me – totally invincible. Then came 30 and I was so busy starting a career I cannot even remember that milestone birthday. As 40 rounded the bend, we had just bought the property that is now the farm and were busy in home renovations. When 50 hit I was building a new career as a farmer in the escape from corporate world to my Earth Mama fantasies. No fanfare at 60 – who wants to admit that year came and went. But you can bet your sweet bippy that my 70th will be the party of all parties – if I can manage to stay up past 9pm. I have plenty of time to plan that and catch up on sleep for the next few years.

The New Normal

What a transition time in our economy that we have come to see! I know that the last few weeks have required more creativity, stepping up our game and really just throwing as much as possible against the wall to see what will work – all in masks and gloves and 6′ apart.

Daily I see videos of tractor trailers of squash and zucchini being dumped in a pasture and milk being poured into drains. I am sorry but I have no tolerance for this. In this time, it is the business’ obligation to step out of their comfort zone, think out of the box and turn some of their drivers into salespeople, going from market to market selling a few boxes each time until that truck is empty and going back for a refill.  It beats not having a job.  The dairies are obligated to sell to their co-ops or face a canceled contract. Why in the world are we seeing limits on gallons of milk at the grocery store or none at all? Sure schools and restaurants are closed but don’t the kids still drink milk and eat cheese? That distributor isn’t doing their job or their would be milk in the stores and if they can’t sell it, they would donate it to the food banks. And don’t give me the reasoning they don’t want to put more money into jugging it. If that dairy did that and donated it, I would have no problem of the government giving them a subsidy or grant to cover their distribution costs. At least a local dairy a couple counties away are asking consumers to take pictures of empty milk shelves and send to them so they can send their reps to the stores to sell them milk. BJ’s has milk – their own cooperative supplying them and their milk is still under $2.50 a gallon. Aldi, the same. The stores that got smart are the ones that have the direct line. We are crippled by middlemen!!

This isn’t about a lack of supplies. This is about the middlemen that don’t want to step outside their box but retain a stranglehold on products. They want to buy as cheap as possible, even if it means buying out of the country products, while we are dumping our products. If they can’t get a piece of the pie, no one gets pie! While I am sure the middleman (i.e. co-ops) contracts are written tighter than a tick, it is the big dairies that get the subsidies to begin with and now they are going to be crying that they need bailouts and grants while the head honchos are out bass fishing while the social distancing rules apply. For anyone that doesn’t know, milk is a great fertilizer for pastures. That dairy farmer may not be permitted to sell milk for drinking, but if it was my dairy, I would be out there at the hay farms offering to fill up their fertilizer tankers so they can spread it on the fields or finding an attachment for my truck that would spew it out as I drove the field. Maybe at a discount rate, maybe a barter for hay, but again….a little piece of pie is better than none at all.

For the last week we tried to sign up for the various programs that are out there but having no full time employees, taking not a penny out of the farm for 13 years and being so small, we qualify for NOTHING!!! That means we have to work harder to stay afloat during all of this and still feed our animals!

I just signed up on the County and State list that is supposed to get the name out of farmers that had products for sale and my first text came in last night. One wanted to buy any excess products (we really don’t have many) at 75% off our retail price. This morning the calls started and all were people asking me to donate – so they could sell them and not have to lay off their employees. A couple food banks called after that will I admire for being resourceful. Thinking this was a way to get the word out about being a local farmer I found it was nothing more than the cheapie/freebie list. I will be removing my name if the next few calls are the same. And if the produce people are dumping produce, why are they not donating their produce to the food banks? Oh, they couldn’t cry, “Woe is me!”.

The last week or so, Restaurant Depot, who primarily supplies the restaurant industry, morphed with the times and opened up their stores to the public. Smart move! If the restaurants are only doing take out and their purchasing is down, you have to be creative. People still need to eat either at home or out. A local restaurant distributor of primarily meats has also open their sales to the public. Centerpoint will even break down their larger portions to family sized purchases. An employee of that company lives in our neighborhood and has posted his offerings on our neighborhood social media site and offered neighborhood delivery.  That is the thought process I respect for people to secure their jobs.  These are the companies that will survive the times. Those who think out of the box, roll with the punches and accept that there is a new normal! Perhaps this is shades of Darwinism.

I know many businesses are struggling that are not deemed essential businesses. And I feel for them! I have two restaurant workers now at the farm to help them through these days. Our economy is going to be reeling for years to come from this Pandemic. Call it a manufactured virus, a natural occurring virus, tag it with any conspiracy theory you want but it is here and something we need to deal with in a level headed manner. This isn’t the time to be cemented in our old ways. It is time to become superstars in capitalism and make survival the new norm.

To Ballerina Stardom….or not!

The famous Mr. Rose was my dance teacher until I left Beckley. He was the idol of hundreds, probably thousands of young ladies and gentlemen over the years. I can remember the first seeing him, he couldn’t have been much older than late teens and was teaching for Mrs. Beard’s School of Dance on the stage at what was later the YMCA – bet you don’t remember me during those days, Mr. Rose. I don’t think I was much more than 5 or 6 years old. I can remember my parents signed me up for tap and boy, did I HATE tap dancing. Those shuffle ball changes just didn’t come easy for a tubby girl that had three left feet.

I quit soon after but a couple years later Mrs. Beard retired and Mr. Rose opened his own studio. Not quite sure if it was always Beckley Dance Theatre but it was uptown just two doors down from Smith’s Grocery and the hangout of most pre and teen girls.

I can remember how my world opened up when I took ballet. I was so sure I was going to be the prima ballerina …. somewhere … that the extension would come, the handwork would develop and I could gracefully glide across the floor to the oohs and aahs of audiences everywhere. Not to be! We danced in front of huge mirrors – a girl’s delight! Mr. Rose brought in guest instructors who were famous dancers – I remember him bringing Nico Charisse (husband of Syd Charisse). I didn’t know exactly who it was, but it was a big deal!

I really was never very good. I got by but was never as agile as most around me. I can remember some who could basically wrap their legs around the neck – backwards. I never bent that way – oh I tried but was so long and gangly that it wasn’t going to happen. Nor were the splits on the grand jetes, more like a petite jete loudly landing with a thud instead of the lithe of a ballerina. I made it though a rousing rendition of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th positions and a few plies. The barre work was some of the most fun of the class – it was me and the barre, not the other students – of which so many surpassed me in any dancing ability.

I think I did take tap for a while, to try again, but my favorite was jazz. I just don’t think I was born with rhythm and had it not been for jazz, I am sure I would have never made it through the sock hops and school dances.

Of course the recitals each year gave us a reason to glitz all out and think we were hot stuff because we were performing in front of people (read that parents that all thought their kids were the best). There were some extremely talented dancers that came from Mr. Rose’s classes that went on to the big time and there were mostly those like me that reveled in wearing the black leotards and pink tights and shuffling around uptown before and after classes like superstars waiting to be discovered.

As the years past and I realized I was too tall for most of the male counterparts and no where close to the abilities of many of my class mates, I hung up my toe shoes (which I still have with the lambswool toe stuffing and try on every few years for an en point down memory lane – and pay dearly in days to come) and concentrated on a baton, or two or three.

When I was in high school and I can imagine that most around me recognized that my ballet stardom was in my head, Mr. Rose gave me the opportunity to be his baton teacher and at least once a week I would haul a gaggle of baton twirlers that couldn’t stand still without the baton in motion to the safety of the basement to learn the 8 basics and a short routine. I don’t think we were ever part of the recitals but I know many of those young girls went on to twirl their hearts out, just like me, at the football games and parades down main street.

I am sure I am not describing only me – well evidenced by the Facebook page, “I am one of Jerry Rose’s Kids”. The thousands of kids that filed through Beckley Dance Theatre (where I first learned theatre could be spelled differently) were all there just like me. We loved the feeling we got through dance. While I remember Mr. Rose was the choreographer for Honey in the Rock and many of the amphitheater shows, I moved on to college and beyond and only snippets of his fame was sent to me in newspaper clippings from my Mom.  Thank goodness for the technology we have today where we can enjoy seeing his accomplishments.

It was so good to see you today, Mr. Rose. Keep on putting stars in the eyes of all the young dancers everywhere!