Helping clients for 30 years to find the best use of real estate for their lifestyle was what I used to do. Contemplating retiring my Realtor(R) license, I wondered if I couldn’t find the same thing for myself and my husband’s lifestyle. We had the land, yet it was missing something. As I gazed out our windows, I envisioned animals grazing in a pastoral scene on the native prairie grasses. A small piece of land that still qualifies as a farm in our county didn’t seem to require much work. We had a house and a small pole barn and enjoyed watching deer and pheasants venture across it now and then. Then one day, a utility company asked for an easement to lay down some underground phone lines. Open earth introduced weeds. Weeds started to take over the back of our 40 acres. Chemicals were ordered. Then as the Covid-19 epidemic progressed, our social calendar was empty, and our hours at home increased. I chose to research, you guessed it, WEEDS! I decided then and there that a more natural choice would need to happen, and the chemicals remained in their container. As I learned more and more about the benefits of land management, it was not long before I realized having my own goat herd fit many of my lifestyle wants list.
Studying the many breeds of goats created a path to the breed that fit what I wanted from them. I wanted animals that would be pleasant to be around, curious and friendly. They needed to be able to eat weeds and the natural grasses and shrubbery growing on our land. What about their size? Were they simply cute animals that I would feed and watch? No, I wanted my herd to meet a purpose. I did not want to raise them and send them to a livestock ring for meat. The thought of milking the does and committing to a milking breed at this stage, of my knowledge, didn’t seem to be the right choice either. The other breeds talked about fiber. Fiber? Did you realize certain goat breeds grow long enough and desirable enough fiber that when you shear it and process it, you have beautiful fiber for hand-spinning, felting, or simply sending to a mill to have them make it into yarn?
It was then that I discovered this wonderful breed called Pygora® We are so grateful for the pioneering done to create this fun goat breed and the helpful cooperation of the Pygora Breeders Association that helped me find other breeders.
I had made the choice of what to bring to our farm. And so the journey to the meadow began…