Lamancha Goat Breeders

Gowen takes stock in bounty of Little Flower Farm

GOWEN — Chickens are blocking the driveway at Little Flower Farm, either oblivious to the impending danger or confident the driver will say, “Whoa — chickens!” and stop cold.

It’s hard to tell with chickens.

A goat bleats a greeeeeeeeeting amid the cluck-cluck-clucking, newborn farm kittens frolic in the grass, an old-fashioned stenciled sign advertises fresh eggs and the melon sprouts are green and sturdy.

It’s easy to idealize the life Shane and Chiara Dowell live here with fair-haired daughters Bothilde, 5 and Una, 2, who happily romp through the fields and get paid a nickel for every potato bug they pluck from the crops.

But there’s a lot of toil and sweat behind those perfectly crunchy French Breakfast radishes.

Little Flower Farm and its partner across the way, the Schmiedicke family’s Eden Farm, joined together this year to form a community supported agriculture farm — CSA for short .

You pay $450 at the beginning of the growing season, which gives them money to operate. In return, you get a box of bounty every Wednesday for 18 weeks, from lettuce and radish season right through pumpkin time.

The bounty

What’s in store? Salad greens, peppers, eggplant, onions, sweet corn, heirloom tomatoes, squash, melons, pumpkins, spinach, carrots, green beans, potatoes, herbs, broccoli, cauliflower and more.

Members can get fresh eggs from free-range chickens, first dibs on pastured poultry, pork and lamb; opportunities to participate in farm tours and workshops. Lupe the Nubian goat gives plenty of milk, which Chiara turns into goat cheese. Sign up for four weeks’ worth of chevre to spread on crackers for $20.

Customer Barb Steury pulls in the driveway, navigating past the wandering chickens to pick up a box of produce for her daughter, Niki, a family practice physician in Sheridan.

The farm also offers weekly pickup at other locations — one in Northeast Grand Rapids, another on the Northwest Side.

Long Term Goat Plans « Red Gate Farm

Since getting goats, getting a little experience in the milking realm, and doing even more research based on what I have learned so far, I have really been contemplating my long term goat plans and goals.  The way I see it, we have been truly blessed with the stock we purchased, considering how little we knew about dairy goats (almost all book learning).  

First, I found Lilac. 

I have since talked to her original breeder to find out her history.  Lilac was born in 2009.  The breeder is one of the top breeders for milk lines and show in CO, and he aquired his original Alpine stock from one of the top breeders in the nation (Mamm-Key).  Lilac’s breeder has two herds–Alpines and Nigerian Dwarfs.  One day, somehow, they discovered one of his better Alpine bucks had jumped the fence into a ND doe’s stall.  They figured nothing could have happened due to the size difference.  5 months later, Lilac was born.  He had no use for a cross bred, so he sold her to a neighbor who had her bred in fall of 2009.  She easily deliverd twins, with no assistance in 2010.  She was then sold to the lady where I found her, and she was sold to me strictly due to the size of her teats (too short for easy milking).  As a newbie, I figured, “why not?”

I fell in love with Lilac from the start.  She has a great temperament, good conformation, and milks beautifully–a perfect beginner goat.  Thanks to her top milk lines, she has a great udder, and produces on the upper end of her cross-breed.  And the milk is wonderfully delicious–much whiter, sweeter, and creamier than my Lamancha doe’s.  I initially thought I would like a whole herd of this cross, and upon researching, discovered there is a recognized breed for her cross–the mini-Alpine.  The cross is typically an Alpine doe with a ND buck, and the offspring is expected to have all the physical characteristics of an Alpine, with slightly decreased size and milk production, but increased butterfat.  An Alpine averages about 3.8 percent (depending on the source) butterfat, while a ND can vary from 6-10 % butterfat!  That explains the richness of her milk and why Dayjay thrived on it!  Maybe it explains our chunky baby, who gets a good 30% of her diet from the goats!  LOL!

Lilac’s only real downside is the size of her teats.  I assumed they would increase in length after her next freshening.  Upon researching, though, apparently, this is the one downside for all the mini-Alpines.  And they really don’t change a whole lot with future freshenings.  It is nearly impossible for S to milk her, with his big man-hands.

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