I (along with a lot of other people) adore goats these days  – something about their weird pupils, floppy ears, and bleating voices always make me smile and I can watch bouncy baby goat videos all day long.

I have toyed with the idea of goats on the homestead since before we actually moved to the country, but Matt has always held a steady “no” stance because we don’t have specialized fencing or housing for them (and he doesn’t really want anything else with a feed bill). I get it – we do not have a ton of spare time since we both work and all of our other animals (except the chickens) seem to have a free ride without paying any rent. BUT, I do buy goat’s milk at the store to make our soap and we love goat cheese…AND the goats would pay their way with their milk for both of these, right? Right??

Fueling this little goat love affair are a variety of social media pages, including the Instagram and Facebook accounts of Jenna, the owner of Bee Tree Farm & Dairy located just down the road. I’ve seen various delicious cheese events and goat-related classes posted on their Facebook and was finally able to make it to Jenna’s “Goat Milking 101” class this weekend.

When I arrived at the farm I was greeted by tiny Hugo and giant Betty, a little pup similar to our Romeo and a livestock guardian dog, respectively. Jenna was warm and welcoming and held the class for the group of 12 at a table just outside the red barn while the guard pups and a couple of free range hens supervised. Her story of going from a backyard milking operation for her own use and experimenting with cheese recipes to the commercial dairy and cheese-making operation she has now is pretty inspiring, especially since she explained she built to where she is now in just five years! We could see the goats of Bee Tree in their tree-filled pasture while we learned the basics of choosing a goat breed for your home dairy (think of what you want to use the milk for and how much milk you need to produce), what supplies are needed, feeding and milking routines based on what your schedule is like, and touched on different illnesses to know about as steward of a dairy herd.

After we reviewed the basics we all scrubbed our hands and donned latex gloves to ready ourselves for MILKING A GOAT! 😀 Jenna brought “Dixie Carter”, one of her pregnant dairy goats, out for us to test our milking skills. Dixie hopped right up on the milking stand and started munching on the grain hanging from the front. We each got to try our hand at milking Miss Dixie and, even though she was a bit jittery (I can’t blame her with all the novices!), we were all successful. I was surprised that I was able to milk her easily and agreed with Jenna that it would be a relaxing way to spend time with the animals on your homestead.

After the milking we took a tour of the commercial dairy portion of Jenna’s operation. They make amazing cheeses that are sold locally at farmer’s markets and some specialty stores in Austin. We were able to try one of her cheeses, the Diablito, after the tour. BEST CHEESE I’VE EVER TASTED – it is goat cheese with honey and a chipotle powder topping. (I had to restrain myself from eating the whole thing.) We were also given the opportunity to taste fresh raw goat milk. Game Changer. I have tried goat milk from the grocery store when I buy cartons to make soap and found it to have an “off” flavor compared to the regular cow milk I am used to. This had none of that “goaty” flavor – it was sweet and rich and wonderful. (This is coming from someone who is not a huge milk lover – I would have happily sipped on an entire glass of it.)

Once we had our fill of cheese we were able to spend time with the herd in their pasture as they lounged in the sun. Some were super affectionate and came up for snuggles while we all chatted and got to know one another and our homestead/farm goals. I was excited to meet some fellow homestead-minded folks who live nearby and look forward to comparing notes!

If you are in the Austin area and are goat-curious, I highly recommend taking one of Jenna’s classes. It was super informative and I think it is always helpful to get a first-hand look at what owning a certain animal is like. I have been sure to volunteer or take classes when we are thinking of adding a new animal, whether it was volunteering to care for chickens or a class on beekeeping.  I’ve found that it really builds confidence and lets you know what you are in for better than reading about it online or in a book (or mooning over Instagram photos). It’s also a great way to meet people who have tons of knowledge to share and who can help you on your journey. I am so happy to have met Jenna and will likely attend one of her “Goat Husbandry” classes in the spring to get more information on proper general care, veterinary information, and how-to’s in case we decide to start a little herd.

Fingers crossed that at some point in the near future we can discuss what it would take to prep the pasture or a part of the property and add a couple of milk goats to the homestead for milk, cheese, and soap, as well as adorable entertainment. I would love to close the loop on another portion of our food chain by incorporating dairy (and possibly meat) options. (I guess I should warn Matt that the goat emails are coming… 😉 )