Small-scale farmers across the country are turning to goat farming because the animals require minimal...

Small-scale farmers across the country are turning to goat farming because the animals require minimal land, are strong foragers and offer multiple revenue streams.

Seven Gables Farm and Apiary in Hardy raises Nigerian Dwarf Goats, and chief operating officer Angela Gress-Gurr said the farm has raised goats for a decade. "I think that there is definitely a goat craze in the United States right now. I think it's also maybe a little bit more since COVID, when people started to really want to know where their products that they're putting into their bodies come from," Gress-Gurr said. She said anyone considering goat farming should research breeders before buying, noting most of their herd comes from Better Ways Farm out of Charlottesville. The goats at Seven Gables are registered with the American Dairy Goat Association, and the farm sells its goats in pairs for the health and well-being of the animals.

Gress-Gurr said not all breeders prioritize strong genetics, and that prospective goat farmers should also consider the level of commitment required. "If you're in milk, you can't just go. You're attached to that farm. Somebody has to milk those animals, and it has to be somebody, if you care about your animals, that knows how to milk them, that can keep them on that schedule and follow the routines that they're used to. Otherwise, you're going to end up with sick animals," Gress-Gurr said.

Original Facebook source: Open post

Source note: Star News TV · Oct 19, 2026 11:40 PM.