Caprine Addicts Anonymous
Not looking for a cure...Just one more goat
Having the registration paper for Sallie made me do some thinking. I tracked down the original owners of Laura and Willy and got them registered. Willy was a Purebred French Alpine and Laura was a 50% American Alpine. I read everything I could find out about goats and wrote to many breeders to learn more about goats. I sent money into the American Dairy Goat Association to become a member. I decided that Cedar Ridge would become my herd name and my farm became known as the Cedar Ridge Alpine Dairy Goat farm.
This all started because I remembered I liked goat milk, but I never thought of the barns to clean, the water to haul, the feed and hay to buy, the fences that needed to be kept up, and the cuts and bruises you acquire. I also didn't realize how bad buck goats smelled, although this came in handy because I was having trouble with our neighbors, so I built the buck pen right along the fence line near their house so they could smell him really good.
I was well started on my addiction. I had a small herd and I loved the chores. I wanted more. I decided to have some fun with my goats and made a goat cart to use with Willy. Dustin had great fun scrubbing Willy to get him clean. We never could get rid of the smell, so Dusty carried a spray can of deodorizer in the cart as he went through the parades.
In 1989, five goat kids were born and I bought three more does. I even paid $450 for Sanstorms Georgie Girl and $350 for Blueberry Hill Dairy Dandelion, just because I wanted them. They were both bred does, so I would be getting more goats quicker.
I had found out that I not only did like goat milk, I loved to sit in the field and watch the goats play. I also learned how much fun it was to go to goat shows and talk with all the other caprine addicts. I did realize quickly that I was better at breeding and my son was better at showing, so he does all the showing now.
By 1992 I owned 28 goats and went to 8 goat shows. My son joined 4-H and I took over the 4-H dairy goat project in Rice county. I had become the person other people were referred to.
I was milking 17 goats and I had enough milk to drink, make cheese and sell. I fed milk to my chickens, dogs and cats. We raised pigs, calves, foals and raccoons on goat milk. I had plenty of milk, but I wanted more. I started making plans to become a Grade A dairy and sell my milk to a cheese factory. But I needed many more goats. I even started a list of goat names for these goats I needed. Each name started with Cedar Ridge and is 30 spaces long and has the word "fire" in it. I don't know how to explain the word "fire" unless maybe it spreads as fast as my addiction did.
But in 1993 I went through a divorce and had to sell my farm. I could not give up my goats, but I had no place to keep them. I made arrangements to keep my best 14 at a friend's place and I had to sell the rest.
Today I still live in Northfield, but I live in a mobile home park with my still
growing 16 year old son and my fiancé Martin.
Here is Dustin showing Cedar Ridge Amazing Fire Joele at the 1996 Minnesota State Fair 4-H show.
My goats are kept at my ex-husband's
place eight miles from my home. I bought back a couple more of my original herd and I
had 20 goats over the summer. I have sold eight of them and I plan on keeping twelve for
breeding, although there will be many arguments because I am only allowed to have four.
I am happy because next Tuesday I start my breeding season again and I will have more babies to look forward to, and more milk.
Laura started my addiction and since her death two years ago I have missed her terribly. I still have her daughters, granddaughters and great granddaughters in my herd.
Yes, I do admit, I have a caprine addiction, but I am not looking for a cure, just one more goat.
I will link other dairy goat farm web pages, if you leave me your URL.
I thank you for your time and interest in my home page.
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I hope you have enjoyed my home page. Please visit again and often. I am willing to answer any and all questions about goats and I welcome all new e-mail pals.
© 1997 tbass@polaristel.net
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