When milk is $4.50+ per gallon at the supermarket, keeping a dairy animal starts to look really economical, especially when you drink a lot of milk.  For us, with 5 children, we will use 1-1.5 gallons of milk each day.  At today’s prices in our area, that adds up to about $130.00-$135.00 a month.  We were resigned to high milk prices, as we didn’t know anyone to trade milk with, and we couldn’t afford a cow.  We also did not have proper shelter for a cow, nor anywhere suitable for milking.  Many families like us, are spending quite a lot of milk each month, just because of these problems with owning a cow.

We met a local family through our church, and imagine our surprise when they had a dairy goat.  We actually kept their goat for them while they went on vacation, and she was so terrible in temperament and attitude, that, although we thought we might enjoy the milk, we couldn’t stand the thought of owning and caring for such an obnoxious animal.  We didn’t know the number one rule of goats!  One goat wants out, but two goats want out less.

To say the least, our sheep tight fencing was not acceptable for a goat.  Since the goat was alone, without a buddy, she was cranky, mean, and always trying to escape.  When her owner came back from vacation, we shipped her off and said “GOOD RIDDANCE!”  However, the idea of the goat stuck with us and after a long enough time, I found myself reading up on dairy goats, despite my unpleasant encounter with that particular goat.

With lots of reading and research I found out about that number one rule of goats, and according to the books and websites, most dairy goats are entirely different than that goat.  They are known to be gentle, friendly and are reputed to be excellent children’s companions and pets.  We found some milk, tried it, and found it to taste wonderfully sweet and good.  It has a milk flavor, with a nice creamy texture, very much like that from a Jersey cow.  It is rich and creamy, and does not taste “goaty” at all.  Some breeds can have a stronger flavor, namely the Toggenburg which was bred for cheese-making.  The milk we drank was delicious and we all liked it.  So we found ourselves looking for a breeder from which to purchase a couple of goats.

From the reading, there were a few criteria that I wanted to meet, without exception.  First of all, we had a price to find, one we could afford, and some of the dairy goats are very expensive show-type animals.  We also wanted a goat that had been dis-budded, and therefore would have no horns.  We knew for SURE we wanted two goats and not one.  Since we had never milked before, we also wanted a seasoned milker that was very easy to milk.  We needed an older goat that could teach us what to do.  Since it was also for a 4H project, the goat needed to be of good quality as well so that it, or its kids could be shown for the fair.  With the low price we needed to find, it was not looking very good for us getting any goats, but luck was with us, and we found two.

Often the good breeders will have a doe or two, that is perhaps a little older, has a limp from injury, or some other defect.  These can often be purchased for a very reasonable price, and they met all our other criteria as well.  One had a bum leg, and the other was just very small and therefore not show-material.  We bought these goats, and after a hard and fast learning curve on goat care, we have become successful goat herds.  We milk the goats, and they save us about $75 or more each month with their milk.  We can always find someone who is happy to take extra milk, and often make cheese and soap.  Best of all, they were both bred to show-quality sires, and both of them were of show-quality breeding, just not show-quality themselves due to environmental factors.  We ended up with three beautiful kids for the fair, and plenty of milk to drink.

The story has a happy ending, with the family having lots of milk, ice cream, cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, and other dairy products to eat and enjoy.  We can sell (or make for ourselves) wonderful soaps, as well drinking our goats’ milk.  The does are personable, pleasant and easy to handle.  The children play with them, and they are ideal pets and companions, even for very small children.  The lack of horns and pleasant disposition of these two animals have completely erased our negative impression of these now well-loved individuals.

So, looking back I think that a person considering a dairy animal is very well served to consider a dairy goat.  They do require some special care and also have some needs that must be met for optimum output.  A very happy goat is wonderful, and a very unhappy goat is horrid.  Compared to a cow, a good dairy goat is much cheaper, with a pair of does costing about $200 – $500 for a good pair.  A cow would cost at least twice as much, and often more.  The price of the cow notwithstanding, they also have a much higher maintenance cost, as well as a higher breeding fee.  A dairy goat is so much more economical and gives you so many benefits that every small farm should look closely at the possibility of keeping some dairy goats.

Goats are small and can be easily transported in regular vehicles.  You can put them in the backs of trucks with camper shells for example, or even in the back of a van or station wagon.  If you are careful to protect the surfaces from soiling, then a goat will happily go, even in the back seat of a regular car.  Goats are easy to transport and take to the vet, or to be bred.  A cow, on the other hand, requires a trailer, and a big vehicle to tow it.  Transporting a goat is much easier than a cow if you do not already own a trailer and truck or towing vehicle.

Goats also have a much lower feed cost in comparison to a cow.  One cow will eat as much as 3 to 6 goats, depending on the breed and needs of the individual goat.  Pygmy goats are the miniature milkers of the goat world, and they are extremely economical to keep, and yet put out plenty of milk for the average family.  Even larger breed goats will only need about 7 pounds of hay a day, whereas a cow can need as much as 25 or more pounds each day just to maintain her condition.  Add lactation needs on top of that, and the savings on milk are gone into the expense of hay unless you have the equipment to cut your own.  Goats will happily eat “weedy” hay that cows and horses will not, so hay is often very cheap and perfect for goats as long as it is not moldy.  Grain, mineral and other expenses also come into play, and the goats win every time with a lower cost of upkeep.  Two goats are much cheaper to raise and keep than even one cow, and with two goats, you can keep one fresh almost all year.

Goats are also easier on the land and graze very well with other livestock such as cattle or horses.  Because they prefer to browse, or bushes, instead of grass, you can use your goats to keep the brush down, and fence rows clean.  They will go along behind horses or cows and eat down what was left behind, cleaning up brush and weeds.  Provided they are getting good mineral and grain, they will still fill your pail with wholesome and delicious milk, all the while helping to keep the place looking great and the pasture nice.  They do not share worms with cattle or horses and they get along well with both.  Goats can keep a wooded area completely clean and park-like in suitable numbers, without a chainsaw or rake in sight.  Fence rows are clean and brush free, with no brambles or thorny bushes to clear away for repairs.  Goats have a real positive effect on the appearance of their home and can save their owners much back-breaking labor.  They are easy on the land and will prefer to eat food that is left behind by other livestock.

Shots, medicine, and general care of the goats are also easier and especially better if you plan on having children to help with milking and caring for the animals.  Keeping dairy goats is a great way for children as young as 4 or 5 to contribute and produce a product for the family to consume.  Children get a big benefit from learning how to care for an animal and they also get a good sense of accomplishment from being in charge of providing milk for the whole family.  Goats are generally much easier to milk, as they have a softer udder and their small size and wonderful disposition make it easy for a child of 7 or 8 to learn to milk the goat.  Younger children can help bottle feed the babies, put out hay or help with other parts of the goats’ upkeep.  Children can also learn how to make money with an agricultural project as they care for the goats, which makes them perfect for 4H or FFA.  The will be able to sell the milk to Mom, and also market the kids that are produced from the breeding of the does.  Children can really benefit from the responsibility of raising and caring for a pair of dairy goats and their kids.

Dairy goats are also easier to keep as they do not have the need for a large barn like a cow does.  A simple shelter that is draft free in winter and dry will suffice.  It can be as simple as a small shed, and the goats will thrive and be happy.  Each goat needs about 25 square feet of space to move about, and they will do well if they have a place to walk and exercise that is protected from the weather as they do not like to get very wet.  If your shed doesn’t have a floor, then you can put down pallets and bed them deeply with straw with great success.  They also do not require a large area for milking, you can easily bring them into the garage, on the porch or another small area for milking and have no problems what so ever.  A goat will not soil the milk stand under normal circumstances so waste and urine are not an issue to clean up if the goat is brought inside a garage to milk.  A simple milk stand is easy to build and very low in cost.  The goat stands on the stand to be milked then is whisked away back to its pen afterward, with hardly any mess to clean up.  So a small part of a garage, shop or even a porch is just fine for milking a goat.  Goats have a very minimal requirement for shelter and milking facilities which again makes them a smart choice for the small farm.

Goats are obviously more economical than a cow, but what about the milk?  Goat milk is also more healthy, easy to digest, and tastes wonderful if the goat is well treated, healthy, and kept properly.  You must keep bucks away from the does at all times except during breeding season, at which time the does are dry.  Exposure to bucks can cause the milk to taste goaty and disgusting.  You will also need to handle your milk in a sanitary way.  Any bacteria, or unsanitary conditions, can also cause your milk to taste bad.  You can drink the milk raw, or you can pasteurize it.  It will keep longer if it is pasteurized and you will not need to worry about problems with bacteria.  Once you are familiar with milking, then you can drink your milk raw if you choose.  You will also need to make sure that the goat has a proper diet, good minerals, and watch out for mastitis and other illnesses that are related to dairy animals.  There are tests available, and lots of resources and after a bit of learning, the new goat owner will soon feel confident and be able to care for their goats, and maintain good milk production with ease.  The milk is not only healthier, but it tastes sweet and delicious with a wonderful creamy texture that is great for many dairy products.

Goat milk is also excellent for soap making, with many of the handmade goat milk soaps selling for impressive prices at farmers’ markets and festivals.  A person keeping goats can easily begin to learn to make soaps, and there is a real potential for a side hustle income from a mail order or booth type business.  The soaps can contain natural botanicals, be organic, and contain oils and fragrances that are beneficial and healthy, which makes it perfect for the niche markets.  The soaps are rich in conditioners, and once you use one, you will want more.  Getting started doesn’t have to cost too much, and you can grow and add to your soap making business as you make profits.  The money you save with the goats, could, in fact, start a business that had good potential to supplement your farm and household income.

There are many dairy products that are very good made with goat’s milk and you can learn to make many of these at home with your own high-quality milk.  Yogurt, soft cheese, pressed cheese and cultured products like buttermilk become economical and easy to come by, as you can easily make them for yourself with surplus milk.  Ice cream and other treats such as homemade pudding become even better made with fresh goats’ milk.  Gravy, cream sauces, and other milk-based foods are also improved with goat milk because of the creamy texture, and light flavor of the milk.  Goat milk is not only wonderful for drinking, but also for making cheeses and cooking as well.  The rich flavor and creamy texture make a lower-fat alternative to cream but with a comparable texture and flavor.

Goats are fun, personable, and pleasant animals that require very little in the way of fancy housing, fancy food, and fancy surroundings.  They need lots of love, a good buddy, proper diet, and good fencing to be healthy, happy, and productive.  They will eat on weeds and brush, and as long as they are supplemented properly still give you over a gallon of milk in the pail a day.  You can clear your brush out, and feed the family at the same time.  You can make your own cheese and dairy products, which will save a ton of cash in the long run.  You can even make your own soap and market this for resale if you want.  You can get all of this, and save money with a pair of good dairy goats.  The dairy goat is truly the small farmer’s dream come true.

The post The Economics of Dairy Goats appeared first on Homestead.org.

One winter, I decided to try raising a few home milkers, in the form of dairy goats.  After much research via the internet and books on the subject, I chose Nigerian Dwarf goats because of their small size and generations of official milk production records.  Our small 3+ acres seemed best suited for a miniature dairy goat.   I carefully chose 6 does and 3 bucks to start our herd.  I intended to sell enough kids every spring to buy the hay during the summer.  I planned to make cheeses and yogurt for my family with the excess milk.

The fall rolled around and as I was investigating goat’s milk recipes, I found a basic recipe for goat’s milk soap.  Wow!  Soap!  I had recently began collecting the supplies I would need to make my first candles and I decided the combination would make excellent Christmas gifts.

So, in September, I made my first batches of goat’s milk soap.  I used recipes which called for lard or tallow because the fancy butters and oils simply are not available in small, rural markets.  I anxiously watched as the soap hardened.  I was shaking with pride and anticipation while I unmolded and cut those first bars.  I think I checked those first soaps a half dozen times every day during the three week curing period.  I wrapped the cured soaps in plastic and because I couldn’t have possibly waited until Christmas to show them off, I gave every single bar away!  Friends and family took the soaps and gave them away at work and at church.  In a very small town, it takes about 20 minutes for the entire community to know you’re up to something new.  Those free bars of soap paid off for me in a big way.  In a week’s time, I had orders pouring in.  I thought, “Great! Maybe I can sell enough soap to pay for the supplies I’m going to need for my Christmas gifts.”

By, the time I had those orders made, there was a pretty good bit of word-of-mouth advertising going on.  Sometime in October, a lady passing through town ordered 47 bars for resale in another state.  A week after that, the curator from an area museum asked me to supply their gift shop.  The local newspaper came out to our little farm and we made the front page.  The individual orders for gift sets and gift baskets meant very little sleep for me during November and December.

As it became clear to me that a little hard work might turn this new hobby into a profitable business, I began researching the rules and regulations regarding packaging, labeling, and marketing of homemade soaps.  I also decided to start looking into a liability insurance policy.  Again, the internet was an invaluable tool for this project.  I chose to label my soaps with plain address labels.  I use the computer to print our business name, location, telephone number and a list of ingredients.  I also print, or handwrite, the name I’ve given that fragrance or style.

I stayed with my simple recipes.  The ingredients are readily available to me and my customers like the products.  I have found my market.  There are many soap makers for a customer to choose from.  The soaps at craft shows and on the internet are getting more and more fancy.  With more expensive butters, additives and custom oil combinations.  I considered changing my recipes, dropping the lard and adding herbs or flowers.  I may still develop an herbal line of my own.  But right now, my customers are people who really seem to enjoy the simplicity of my products.  I list my ingredients, in order of the amount used, right on the label.  I have never lost a sale because my labels say “lard” and “lye” right upfront.  While there are people who would not feel comfortable using a soap made with animal by-products, because I use goat’s milk in every bar, there is no need for me to waste time and resources trying to find a spot in that market.

Initially,  to fill all the new orders and meet the Christmas deadline I had to invest more money in equipment than I had planned.  I was, and still am, learning how to make soap.  Every new recipe and every custom order means a little more trial and error.  I had to buy more molds to meet the demand and I bought specialized molds for the custom gift baskets.  Also, several botched batches meant losing precious time and some expensive ingredients.

Since I had been buying supplies and materials a little at a time, the total start-up expenses were spread over a much longer period than they would have been if I had started making those purchases with the intention to go into business.  Soap making, as a business has been ideal for me.  There are several reasons.  First, I already have the goats’ milk, which is the one ingredient that distinguishes my soap from competition in our area.  Secondly, the “off-farm” supplies I need are right down the street at the local grocery store.  Next, the equipment needed can be purchased inexpensively.  For example, my scale, plastic utensils, mixers, blenders, et cetera all came from Wal-Mart at prices ranging from $.97 to $39.97.  The molds can be purchased as well, but for those first batches, I used old cardboard boxes, lined with freezer paper.  And lastly, I enjoy the work.  It’s easy to put in a 16-hour day.

I was sure the business would come to an abrupt halt after Christmas but that’s not been the case at all.  I changed my marketing after the holidays and started making baskets for birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, and bridal showers.  I have found new suppliers for most of the products and ingredients I use in order to add more variety and cut expenses.  I also invested in a website.  The cost for a website is minimal compared to the interest it has generated, so far.  I am so fortunate to have the twenty-first-century tools to help market my “days past” products.

Now, I am constantly looking for new goat’s milk soap recipes to try and products to add to our sales list.  We’re making soaps, bath fizzies, lip balms, and several different styles of scented waxes and room fresheners.  My mother has taken up candle making and supplies us with coordinating candles at reasonable prices.  I love being at home and doing so much of what I truly enjoy.  I think it must show because the response has been overwhelming.  We now have a business license and the whole family pitches in to keep the goats cared for and the soap shop well stocked.

Not including the expense of the goats, we invested around $800 in our soap business this year.  From September until December 31,   total sales were a little over $1,700.  We cleared just under $1,000 during the holiday rush.  The goat herd is still our first priority and now our “girls” are paying for way more than their hay!

My Favorite Soap Recipe

• 1 lb lard, just melted enough to become liquid
• 3/4 cup fresh goat’s milk partially frozen
• 2 oz lye
• fragrance or essential oils (to “taste”)

First, I put the lard on the stovetop at my very lowest setting.

I recommend using rubber gloves, long sleeves and safety glasses for every step after this point.

Measure the lye and set it aside. Measure the milk into a glass pyrex measuring cup and slowly add the lye. Adding the lye usually takes me about 10-15 minutes of slow, constant stirring. (I use a hard plastic spoon for stirring.)

You can just dump the lye into the milk and stir enough to get the lye dissolved if you aren’t worried about the color of your soap. I’ve done it this way with no problems, but the more slowly you add your lye, the lighter the color of your soap. Also, if you allow the lye to heat your milk too quickly, you will get a sort of burnt/soured milk odor to your soaps.

I watch the lard melting while I stir the lye/milk mixture and quickly remove the melted lard from the burner as soon as there are no solid pieces left in the pot.

With such a small batch, I don’t bother to check temperatures and such. When the lye mixture hits the oils, it will saponify. After the lye is completely dissolved into the milk, I pour the melted lard into a stainless steel mixing bowl and slowly pour the lye mixture into the oils, stirring with the plastic spoon. I use a hand blender (stick mixer) to bring the mixture to trace and then pour into molds. (if you want to add fragrance oils or soap dyes, you would add them at the trace and stir them to combine everything.)

Let the soap set in the mold for 12-24 hrs, unmold and cut bars. This soap will be cured in about 3 wks.

By making a small batch like this, I can turn out 3-4 different fragrance/color combinations per day.

I use one of several online lye calculators when I want to change a batch around. You just type in the type of fat or oil and the amount and the calculator will tell you how much lye and liquid to use.

For other kinds of milk, check out “How to Make Milk Soap from Scratch”.

The post My Homestead Income: Selling Goat’s Milk Soap for Profit appeared first on Homestead.org.

Moving to the Country Step 1: The Mind – Wrap Your Head Around It.

Annie Plessinger wrote a report for the Vanderbilt University psychology department in 2007 called “The Mental Edge”.  She cites scientific studies comparing control groups with those who are trained in visualization in preparation for a variety of sports.  The outcomes of these studies found a significant improvement in performance for the visualizers.  Imagery works because it lays down the same neural patterns in your brain as if you had just performed the action.  It appears your brain doesn’t know the difference between what you visualize, and what you’ve actually experienced.  (This also works for negative visualization, by the way, so beware.)

Get a binder, something with loose-leaf pages you can rip out and replace when life throws you a curve.  Any time you read an article or see a picture in a magazine that inspires you, cut it out and put it in your binder.  We have floor plans, pictures of homes we like, garden layouts, wind turbines, ads for metal outbuildings, beautiful scenery, goat cheese recipes, photos of goats—get creative!

Make a wish list and stick it in your binder.  Imagine yourself on your property.  What does it look like?  What will your days be like?  What critters, plants, and chores will you encounter?  Create a timeline with tangible mileposts like paying off the mortgage or getting a blacksmith license… whatever!  Include any idea, no matter how unlikely you may be to follow it.

Update your binder regularly.  Hone your plan as time goes by.  Keep the vision alive.

Moving to the Country Step 2: The Body – How Old are You? How Healthy? How Strong?

Don’t limit yourself.  If you’re a single woman, you can do this.  If you want to retire to homesteading, you will be able to.  Anyone, no matter who they are, has physical strengths and limitations.  Get to know what yours are.

For instance, we’re closing in on the “golden years”.  What this means is we need to get real about our physical age and what’s to come.  So far we’re doing very well, but no matter how old you are, you should be aware of your blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), blood sugar, etc.  Are you fit?  Are you doing everything you can to stay (or get) that way:

This is even more important if you’re older.  In a 2013 report, Canada’s Heart and Stroke Foundation warns that, without immediate action, the average Baby Boomer may spend his or her last ten years in sickness, disability and immobility.  The good news: you can radically change this with exercise now.  Weight training is one of the best ways to fight the effects of aging.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exercises using weights “have been shown to increase the strength of your muscles, maintain the integrity of your bones, and improve your balance, coordination, and mobility.  In addition, strength training can help reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic diseases, including arthritis.”

So quit smoking, limit alcohol, eat right, and exercise.

Moving to the Country Step 3: The Soul – Match Your Homestead to Your Philosophy.

Are you a strict vegetarian?  If not, do you think you could “do in” your own chickens?  What about rabbits, cattle, or other animals?  If you are a sensitive person likely to make pets of all your critters, then that’s splendid; you just need to take that into consideration when planning your homestead.

If you long for wide-open spaces with few neighbors, you’ll either need to win the lottery or move to the parts of the country that offer this kind of land at cheaper prices.  Don’t go looking for them in Florida or Maryland.  On the other hand, if you thrive in a communal setting, there are many successful and long-standing cooperative homesteads out there.  It seems we’ve learned a lot since the failed back-to-the-land movement in the sixties.

For us, a diversified small farm with a large garden area and enough pasture to support some animals is good, but owning some natural woodland where we can go to recharge is also a requirement.   We want peace and quiet and a natural setting.  So a property adjacent to a dirt bike track or snowmobile trail is probably not a good idea.

Take some time to consider what gives you joy and what bugs you.  You won’t last long if you’re successful at feeding yourself and your family, but don’t have peace of mind.

Moving to the Country Step 4: Your Character – Know Your Strengths and Your Limitations.

Look at your past behavior; do you have a slew of unfinished projects strung behind you?  Procrastination makes achieving goals almost impossible.  On the other hand, are you so goal-oriented you miss out on the journey and neglect family or friends?  Ask people you know well and trust to be honest with you to give you a good personality assessment.  What they tell you will help you design your homestead.

For instance, I am an introvert, but Hubby is an extrovert.  What turns his crank is having a gang of people over, listening to music, and having loud conversations.  The more he gets of this, the more energized he becomes.  His people skills are excellent, and we’re sure to have a lot of company.  All this, for me, is a recipe for a nervous breakdown.  I like company, but after a while, I need a break—somewhere to go for a breather.

Knowing this, we’re building our home so that there is a cozy, quiet place far from the main living area.  Hubby and I are well aware of our different personalities, and we have learned to accept who we are and the need to adapt.  This kind of self-awareness will help when you make your essentials list for your homestead.

Moving to the Country Step 5: The People – Like It or Not, You Will Need Them.

I grew up in a small agricultural community of about 1,000 people.  Everyone knew everyone.  If you sneezed, the news went out and furthest neighbor over called to say “bless you”.  This can be a good thing, and it can be a little trying at times.  If you’ve always lived in a larger urban area you may be a little disconcerted by this when you make your move to the country.

Expect drop-ins.  People will want to get to know you.  Prepare for this and count your blessings.  Develop your people skills.  If you’ll need help, consider farm interns or apprentices.  These are usually younger people who want to learn more about farming.  There are many options for this: you can offer free room and board and the chance for people to learn without any cash outlay, or you can pay them something.  Many agrarian colleges and universities offer courses where field-work is mandatory.  See if you can sign up and be prepared to keep work records for students.

If you plan to participate in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture group), farms often ask members if they’d like to volunteer.  Having the first choice of pickings or the chance to see where their food comes from is a good incentive for city folk who don’t mind putting in a few hours on a weekend.

You could also try WWOOFers (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms).  These are folks from all over the world who will work for free.  All they need is room and board and an opportunity to learn.  They can stay for years or weeks, whatever suits you both.  WWOOF.net links up workers with farmers.

Moving to the Country Step 6: The Place – Research Different Locations.

Make a checklist of what you’re going to grow.  If primarily veggies, good soil is important.  If you’re going to raise grass-fed beef then you want land that provides good pasture.  Know the ground you’re looking for.  Will you grow your own winter forage?  How much acreage will you need to do that?  There are online calculators for figuring out how much land you need per animal to provide enough pasture and hay.  And, of course, you’ll want access to good, clean water.

What are your plans for energy?  Focus on the energy options that make the most sense for where you’re going.  We plan on moving to the Maritimes, where nor’easter winds make windmill power commonsense.  This area is also famous as the cloudiest in the country.  Even so, we will have solar, but it may not be our main source of energy.

Once you’ve determined where you want to go, get as many maps as possible.  You want to know topography, watersheds, population densities, and type of farms around you.  Are there a lot of factory farms in your location?  Do you really want to be downwind of a giant manure pit?  Is the water source downstream from a city or mining field?

Look at development: are people moving into or out of the area?  What zoning is currently in place?  Go to the local Chamber of Commerce and see what zoning applications have been submitted.  If your area is zoned for forestry, that beautiful view might change.  It also might limit the type of homestead you can have.

Check out mineral rights.  Could someone else make a claim on your property?  If you want deep woods, how prepared are you for the annual hunting season?  Is your area slated for “development”?  You might not want to plant yourself beside a road that will become a major artery in the near future.

Make a list of all potential negatives.  Don’t be scared.  Be prepared.

Moving to the Country Step 7: Your Product – What Will You Grow and Why Will You Grow It?

What are your reasons for homesteading?  If you aim to be as self-reliant as possible, take a look at your pantry.  Can you grow what you see?  If you love bread, will you be able to grow your own wheat?  If not, consider your location and the communities or farms around it.  Is there a farmers’ market near you?  If your area is covered mostly by corn or soybeans, you might find yourself driving to town for supplies more often than you like.

If you plan to sell some of what you grow how will you distribute your produce?  If you start a CSA, you’ll need to be within reach of your market.  Draw circles around any urban areas where you plan to locate.  Where the circles intersect will be the best distribution point.  If not a CSA, is there a local farmers’ market or another outlet where you can sell what you produce?  If you intend to sell items online, what is the internet service like where you’re going?  What about courier services if you need them?

If you want to raise meat animals and won’t be processing them on-site, how far is the nearest abattoir?  Does it meet your personal standards?  Is there a portable service available?  Make a wish list of everything you want to grow or raise and reference it often.  Make an A-list for “must-haves”, and a B-list for “would-like-to-haves”.  This will help you keep your eye on the prize, and you’ll be able to make adjustments to your B-list as you get closer to your move.

Moving to the Country Step 8: The Market – Self-sustainability or Business, How to Get the Word Out.

The very best way to start a business is to buy one that’s already doing well.  The same goes for a small farm.  We looked for a while at a greenhouse growing operation that had a well-established market.  The factors that turned us against it were the size of the business (too large for us) and the price.  For now, we want to be self-sustaining and perhaps just sell our excess.

However, you may want to make your homestead a money-making venture.  Good for you!  Be prepared for paperwork.  You need to keep track of output vs. input and eliminate anything that drains your bankbook without giving something back.  There’s nothing wrong with being sensible about profit.

Check to see what folks are already doing in your preferred area.  You could partner with other farmers at farmers’ markets: offer homemade jams to go with freshly baked bread, homemade pickles to sell alongside grass-fed beef or pork for instance.  Ask market organizers about costs; a stand facing an incoming door or along the main aisle may be the best position and could cost more, but you’ll make it up by selling more.

If you want to market online, check out sites that already sell what you have to offer.  Tell the web host what you want to do and ask how they’d drive business to your site.  If you’re not selling online but want to bring people to you, a website with information about your farm, when you’re open and driving directions is invaluable.  Many people now use the internet to plan their day-trips to the country.  Websites are also invaluable for CSAs to get volunteers or let people know what they grow.

Local fairs and events may offer vendor’s free listings in brochures.  Local newspapers are always looking for a new story.  Consider offering tours and tastings, or write food or opinion columns.

Moving to the Country Step 9: The Money – Try to Get Lots of It.

I was once told to buy guns with credit and butter with cash.  The idea is that a gun is an investment, something that will last a long time and bring meat to the table.  Butter on the other hand is a perishable item.  A luxury to be enjoyed with no future potential beyond that savory melting moment on the tongue.  Credit, therefore, is worth it if there’s a long-term return on your investment.  So finance businesses with credit and groceries with cash; get mortgages for housing and greenbacks for toys.  Trouble is we’ve gotten into a very bad habit of borrowing against future income for virtually everything.

Old-timers will tell you it’s always better to pay cash upfront.  That’s partially true.  You need a good credit rating, and cash won’t give you that.  Besides, it’s just not do-able to ask everyone to wait twenty years to pay for their home with cash.  Perhaps a better way to look at it is to say that credit isn’t bad, but debt is.

The less debt you have when you start your venture the better.  One of the reasons you’re doing this is to assert some control over your own life.  Debt means someone else can call in your loan and kill your dream.  With the economy the way it is, we just can’t rely on the traditional financial process anymore.  Being as debt-free as possible is power.

You also don’t want all your cash tied up in assets.  Like it or not, you’ll need some cash flow to counter those unplanned for costs that crop up almost as often as garden weeds.  You won’t be able to sell your tractor to pay for a flooded basement or dental emergency.  Credit might get you the farm, but cash is the oil that keeps the engine running.

Moving to the Country Step 10: Your Experience – Learn Before You Leap

While you’re saving for that day you pack up the family and head for the farm, there are skills you can learn now that will help when you get there.  Make up your own list and get going!  Here’s a good place to start:

•      Learn simple accounting.
•      Join and volunteer at a CSA.
•      Take a farm vacation.
•      Research locations, regulations, soil types, breeds, and seeds as if you’re ready to buy.  You might not become an expert this way, but you’ll have better questions when you’re ready.
•      Volunteer with urban gardening groups working to improve food accessibility in cities.
•      Grow a garden.  Save your seeds.
•      Meet like-minded people in your area.
•      Learn how to drive stick-shift.
•      Check your regulations and get some backyard chickens if you can.
•      Learn to sew, preserve food, make soap, cheese, or bake bread.
•      Read everything you can get your hands on about homesteading.
•      Do light weight-training.  Eat right.  Exercise.
•      Make your own compost.
•      Grow mushrooms.
•      Volunteer with community support groups like Habitat for Humanity.
•      Organize a farmers’ market in your community.

Have faith.  The time will come when you can implement everything you’ve learned on your very own homestead.  Create the future you want to live in.  And don’t forget to dream.

The post Countdown to the Country: Ten Steps on the Road to Your Homestead appeared first on Homestead.org.

Why Did We Choose Nigerian Milk -goats?

When choosing goats, you first need to decide between meat or milk goats.  If you want meat goats then you would buy Boer’s, most likely.  They are the most popular meat-goat.  The most popular milk-goats are probably Nubians.  We chose milk goats, but we didn’t choose Nubians.  We chose Nigerian dwarf milk-goats.  Nigerian dwarf milk-goats are small, friendly, and cute.  They don’t produce as much milk per day as Nubians, but we don’t need more than one to two pints of milk per day anyway.  What would we do with a gallon of milk per day, every day?

The information in this article will work equally for Nubian or Nigerian milk goats.  Just know that Nubians are a bit larger than Nigerians and they can provide twice as much milk (or more) per goat.  This article will only discuss milk goats.

How to Pick Your Milk Goats

Milk-goats are there to make milk, so the most important section of your new milk-goat is the “trunk.”  How much junk can your goat keep in her trunk?  All the action is in the udders.

You want a goat with great udders.  What does that mean?  Firm, strong, balanced udders with good teat development will make for a great milk-goat.  In the picture, you can see that the tan goat’s got it goin’ on, and she knows it.  The gray goat is a great mother and a wonderful goat, but she has bad udder development.  Her udders almost drag on the ground; they have actually been cut and scraped when she climbs over things.

Why do we have a goat with bad udders?  The gray goat was our first purchase.  We didn’t know what to look for and she was cheap: she cost $75 instead of the normal $200+ for a goat with better udders.  A goat with great udders will make baby goats with great udders.  When you sell females, good udders mean good profits.  When you milk a goat, good udders mean easier milking.

Goats are social animals; never try to keep just one goat.  You will need to buy at least two goats, otherwise the solo goat may not eat and will make constant noise.  We made the mistake of only getting one goat to start.  She would only eat if I was standing out in the field with her.  Otherwise she would stand at the fence and cry.

Along with udder development you want to find a goat with a good build, well filled out, clear eyes, healthy appearance, and “clean” pelleted poop.  Don’t buy a goat who has diarrhea, isn’t energetic, or otherwise makes you uncertain.  A bad goat will take just as much feed and space as a good goat.  A goat that consistently has triplets can make a thousand dollars more in profits (over her lifetime) than a goat that only has twins.  In other words, paying an extra $100 up front is better than spending lots of food, medicine, and time on a goat that under-performs in the long run.

Milking a Goat

It may seem obvious, but not everyone knows that in order to milk a goat she first must have recently had a baby.  Making babies is what makes milk.  If you buy a goat for milking, she should be pregnant, recently have given birth, or you will need a buck to impregnate her for future milk-production.  Generally, you will let the kids nurse until weaning at about eight weeks, then you will start milking after that.  It is possible to keep a goat in milk for months.  Then she will need to be “freshened” by getting pregnant again and having babies.

If you want milk year-round you will need at least two females on rotating birthing cycles.  It is also possible to hand-rear the kids on artificial formula and milk the doe from the time she gives birth.  Just let the kids nurse for the first few days in order to get antibodies from their mother.  We leave the kids with their doe until weaning time, but we aren’t aiming for maximum productivity.

Building a Head Hold for Your Milk Goats

Even the most friendly goat isn’t all that interested in standing still for twenty minutes while you milk her.  You will need a head hold, or a milking station.  You don’t need to buy one.  They are easy to make and fairly self-explanatory.  My first milking station was made from a wooden pallet and a 2×4.  That’s it!  Later I built an entire goat “tractor” with a milking station and a yard to hold the goats about to be milked.

A milking stand really just needs two pieces of wood with notches cut out to go around the goat’s neck and hold her head in place.  It helps if you include a feed bucket where the goat can eat a little while you are milking her.  The head hold in the picture is made with two pieces of wood, a screw at the bottom of one piece that allows it to pivot, and a screen door latch on top to hold it shut.

Milking a goat is simply a matter of pinching the teat up near the udder—to trap the milk in the teat—and then squeezing down (like squeezing toothpaste from a tube) to get the milk out.  Repeat those steps over and over again until the udder is empty.  Occasionally, I will massage the udder to get more milk to drop.  Repeat the same steps with each side.  You can even go back to side one after milking side two to get a little more milk.

Generally you will want to milk your goats twice each day.  Milking more often creates more milk production.  You will get more milk overall by milking twice each day than you would by only milking once each day.  For us, the process of milking takes about 20 minutes per session per goat, or 40 minutes per day per goat.  We aren’t in a big hurry.  They do make milking machines for goats, but they are expensive.

My wife wears latex gloves when milking in order to keep her hands from smelling like goat.  The exact process for milking is as follows:

1.  Put goat in milking station (with some feed).

2.  Sanitize the teats and bottom of udders with warm soapy water or a sanitizer diluted in water (like StarSan).  Some people also shave or trim the udders to keep hair from getting into the milk.

3.  Use a clean jar and milk each side of the goat. Be careful to not let the goat kick over, or put her dirty foot in, the milk receptacle.

4.  Cover the jars to bring into the house then STRAIN out any hair or other debris. A quart mason jar is better than a metal bucket for milking goats, in my opinion.

5.  Refrigerate, and drink or use to make other products like cheese or soap.

A Word About Goat Milk

Goat milk has smaller fat particles, so it’s harder to separate into cream and milk.  The fat stays in the milk, making the milk taste richer than cow milk.  Contrary to popular belief, goat milk has the same affect on people with lactose intolerance as cow’s milk.  However, many people (like myself), who thought they had lactose intolerance, actually have a milk allergy.  If you have a milk allergy (like I do), then goat milk will not cause gastric distress.  I’m a big fan of goat milk because it doesn’t affect me like cow milk does.

You can make cheese out of goat milk.  We have made both mozzarella and feta type cheese from our goat milk.  You can also make soaps and lotions from goat milk.  I have never done it myself, however.

What does goat milk taste like?  The first time you drink it it will taste “funny” because your brain is telling you that it’s “farmy.”  That quickly passes and it tastes just like cow milk, only creamier because the fat is still in it.  It can have a slight “earthy” smell depending on how well you clean the teats.  It helps to remember that cow milk from the store is separated, processed, and pasteurized before packaging.  So consider the difference between goat milk and cow milk to be the same as the difference between fresh-picked green beans from the garden and a can of green beans.  Fresh smells better even though it is “farmy.”

Making Goat Babies

A great way to have fun while making profit is to make new baby goats.  It’s a trip!!  Baby goats are just like any other type of baby, they are fun to watch!  In order to make babies you will need a buck.  Having a buck in your herd is just like having a man anywhere else… it’s a bit more trouble but you need one to get certain chores done!

Picking a buck is the same as picking does.  Look for healthy, clear eyes, good structure and plenty of junk in his trunk.  In this case his junk is his scrotum.  Don’t worry, it’s easy to spot.  It hangs down farther than a does’ udders.

If you want to make “registered” babies then you need a registered buck and registered does.  If you just want to make great goats of the same breed then make sure you get goats that look like good examples of the breed.  I recommend against getting any sort of cross-bred goats.  I’LL SAY THIS AGAIN IN ALL CAPS: DON’T GET CROSS-BRED GOATS FOR BREEDING.  They exist, and people may claim that they are just as good or even better.  No, they aren’t.  And even if they might be, there’s no way to know that what you’re getting is better.  Trust the system and keep your herd pure to the breed.

IMPORTANT:  If you are going to have baby goats, then it’s very useful to make your goats very FRIENDLY and TRUSTING of humans.  Feed them by hand often.  Make sure they trust and like you.  Because when they start having kids, and you want/need to help the birth, they have to trust you.  Otherwise, they will try to run away.  Running with a kid hanging out of the back of a doe is not good for either party.

It is possible to just let the doe have her kids “au naturale” without any assistance.  But it generally results in more dead kids and possibly even a dead doe.  Having assistance can mean the difference between one live kid and three live kids.  Since a goat is worth about $200, that’s a $400 profit just from helping out with the birthing process.

To help with birthing you will need a “kit.”  The kit should include: iodine, latex gloves, towels, floss, and scissors.  The scissors are used to cut the umbilical cord, if necessary (it has never been necessary for me).  The iodine is there to treat the umbilical wound on the kid and keep it from getting infected.  The gloves and towels are there for obvious reasons.  The floss is there to assist in birthing in complicated births.

You will need to research how to deal with goat birthing issues.  This article is not designed to do so.  Suffice it to say, a kid should come out with it’s front feet and face emerging AT THE SAME TIME.  The proper goat birth posture is with it’s face resting on it’s front feet.  Anything other than that requires intervention to re-position the kid.  One of the most common problems is Rear-First positioning; you will need to turn the kid around.  Another problem is Face First But No Feet; that means that the front legs are folded backwards and assistance will be needed to keep the kid from getting stuck in the birth canal (generally a gentle tug).

Do not try to pull on the after-birth or do anything more than is absolutely necessary to help the birthing process.  Clean the kid’s nose and mouth to make sure it is breathing, but otherwise leave it alone.  The doe will lick it clean.  If the kid can’t find the teat in a reasonable amount of time, then help it.  What does this look like?  It looks like a kid trying to nurse on the barn wall or getting stuck in a corner unsure where to go.

You will be amazed at how fast these goats get moving around.  They will be following mom around within hours of birth, and by day two they will seem like they’ve aged a month.  The kids in the picture were just born minutes before.  The white one was born first, which is why it’s cleaner.

Raising Goats for Fun and Profit

Like I said at the beginning of the article.  Goats can be eaten, milked, or sold (to be eaten or milked).  Goat milk can be sold (depending on local, state, and national laws) or can be made into products.  The difference between making goat cheese and goat milk soap is the FDA.  There are lots of rules about making and selling cheese or milk products, but no real rules about selling soap.

We sell male kids at the time of weaning.  Even though we sell “dwarf” goats there is a market of people who will raise them to eat.  Generally, we will take the males to the local “sale barn” where they are auctioned off.  That’s where most males are destined to end up.

We sell females when they are ready to be bred, or we sell them as bred does.  It isn’t hard to find buyers.  Craigslist.org will do the trick.  The lower the price the faster they sell.  But, since goats mostly just eat grass/vines/etc., it’s not a great cost to keep the does around until we get the price we want.  Worst-case scenario is that they stay long enough to make even more babies!  It’s a win-win scenario.  However, we have ten acres of pasture.  If you are doing this on dirt, or rocks, or in your backyard, time means feed.  You can do the math.

What about soap or lotions?  If you have a market, they are very profitable.  One could go to people who have booths at local antique-shops and see if they have a shelf to rent, or would engage in some sort of profit-sharing arrangement.  Generally, you won’t have enough product to justify a booth of your own, but if you can sublet a shelf, then it will be a profitable undertaking.

The idea of selling these things at the flea market may seem like a good idea, but flea markets cost money and will eat up your entire weekend.  So it’s better to find a passive way to sell your products.  Online places like Etsy may work as well.  But remember what you are selling isn’t a product.  You are selling a STORY.  “This lotion was hand-made in God’s country on a sepia-toned farm using traditional methods on a red-checker-covered farm table while a rooster crowed in the background and happy goats grazed on the hillside.  Won’t your hands feel softer because of it?  Of course they will!”

No matter how you do it, no homestead is complete without a couple of goats, even if they are just for taking cute photos.

The post Nigerian Dwarf Goats: Complete Your Homestead with Milk Goats appeared first on Homestead.org.