Visiting a farm can be a wonderful experience! Since the bulk of our homeschooling years were spent in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania we visited several different kinds of farms. We visited a dairy farm at one point and drove by numerous others wherever we went. One memorable visit was to a friend’s farm where they kept goats. My mom thought that the goat’s milk would help my asthma so we started purchasing milk from them. I’m not sure if it did or not, but we certainly went through a large amount of Nesquik to try to cover up the “goaty” taste.
One day we were invited to try to milk the goats ourselves. The goat smell (which defines description, but if you have ever been around goats you will know what I mean!) was even more pungent up close! Milking a goat is one of those things that looks easier than it actually is. After several tries I was able to squeeze some milk out and after the initial learning curve it got easier. My particular goat was soft and fuzzy and patient. I enjoyed milking her. I am thankful that I don’t personally have to deal with goats because they can be stubborn and hard to handle.
We visited the farm quite a few times. I was friends with the oldest girl who was my age. She was the oldest of 8 or 9 younger brothers and sisters. In the winter we enjoyed going to their farm for a sledding party. The place where we lived had no hills and their farm was nothing but hills! I loved sledding. Some of the party tried skiing, but I wasn’t brave enough to risk breaking one of my limbs. During the warmer months I enjoyed visiting my friend and doing other activities like walks in the woods behind her farm and helping with various chores. One thing we always seemed to be doing was laundry.
Although you can’t visit and milk the goats like I did at the family farm (this is due to bio security and insurance reasons) you can visit the farm store during the week or visit a couple of different farmer’s markets or visit their website to purchase their various products. You can also connect with them and see cute goat pictures on their facebook page! The owners of Windmill Acres Farm take excellent care of their goats and their milk does not have the “goaty” taste that was so abhorrent to me. I’m hoping at some point I can enjoy their cheesecakes and goat cheese again!
Photos courtesy of Windmill Acre Farm