In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a new movie out titled “The men who stare at goats“. While that’s all about military psyops and such, this post is actually about people who raise dairy goats in an urban setting.. for instance so they’ll have a ready supply of raw milk and not be dependent on the whims of regulators. This is an excerpt from Jennifer Coughlin’s excellent post on “Neighbourhood Notes” blog, titled “Goats in the City: Portland Neighbors Take a Step Towards Self-Sufficiency“:
And the goats are staring right back!
“I have said before that the lessons of our grandparents could really come in handy now that our gross economic negligence has come back to bite us in our entitled behinds (NOTE: I am making a big generalization for effect here, so don’t get upset if you don’t feel that you’re in any way responsible for the Fine Mess the U.S. finds itself in). It seems that others feel that way, too, that a return to the ways of our much more self-reliant ancestors is long overdue. Thus more and more folks are planting vegetable gardens, learning to sew and knit, and are even keeping livestock. Chicken coops (and even bee hives!) are a familiar sight around Portland, but some people are turning to another animal as well—the goat.
Goats and humans living together is nothing new; they were among the earliest animals to be domesticated—some 10,000 or more years ago. In that time, goats have been kept for milk and meat, their dung used for fuel, and their bones, skin, and fur used for shelter and clothing. Today in the U.S., the number of goats kept for meat is growing, as people from parts of the world where goat is more commonly consumed migrate to this country, but Oregon ranks second in the keeping of dairy goats. And in a city like Portland, it would be safe to assume that the majority of goats being kept are for the purpose of producing milk.
According to the Multnomah County Health Department’s Environmental Health section’s Vector and Nuisance Control department (whew, that’s a mouthful), there are officially 30 registered goat keepers in Portland. But, according to Dave Thompson, code enforcement officer, that may not be an accurate picture of how many people actually keep goats. The city code (though enforced by the county, goats fall under the city’s jurisdiction) stipulates that three or less goats are considered pets and therefore do not have to register with the city. Thompson explains that there is no formula for regulating goat keeping; they basically look to see how it will affect the neighbors, and make sure that the conditions will be adequate and humane for the animals….”
“….Starting small, dreaming big
Who knows how many suburban garages feature goat milking stations?
I visited Abita Springs Farm, smack dab in the middle of the Cully neighborhood, where Ed and Nancy Arcament have nine goats. In the four years they’ve been keeping goats, they’ve had 17 kids born; unfortunately 14 were male, which won’t help much with milk production. With their great pedigree though, all but two of the male kids were sold as bucks for breeding. The two that were not chosen for bucks are now pack goats at Yellowstone National Park—not a bad life for animals native to mountain climes. Their Alpine goats are top milk producers, so they are able to sell milk and still have enough left over to do what they’re really passionate about—making cheese….”
Read the rest on Neighbourhood Notes blog.
Photos are also from the Neighbourhood Notes post
Trailer for “The Men who stare at goats” movie.
