As horse enthusiasts, we are no strangers to livestock care and as food enthusiasts, we like having great ingredients to use in recipes. We combined the two in 2008 on our ranchette in Tucson, Arizona with a small flock of chickens. The whole family was thrilled eating farm fresh eggs. A year later we expanded into the dairy world with a few goats, built upon three does we purchased from Sean and Karen Ruddy's farm, Jolly Roger Goats, in Sierra Vista, Arizona.
In the summer of 2013, we moved from our home in the desert to a farm in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, roughly 50 minutes Northwest of Philadelphia. We brought four does and two wethers with us so we could continue having the wonderful milk supply these goats provide for the family. We drink our goat's milk and have enjoyed making and eating fresh cheeses including chevre, cream cheese, queso blanco, ricotta and even mozzarella. The milk has been wonderfully sweet and the whole family enjoys our homemade dairy products. We also have tinkered with goat's milk soap, which has been wonderfully moisturizing.
The experiences of raising livestock in the Pennsylvania environment has been very rewarding. As with all animal care, we are constantly learning something know and would be happy to share with our learning with you!