It’s easy to get caught up in someone else’s rules of life.

Especially when you’re starting something new, you feel the pressure to follow the pre-determined “rules” that everyone just accepts as fact.

For us, that rule was the old milking schedule:

You must milk twice a day, exactly 12 hours apart.

For our entire first season of milking our goats, we followed that rule to the letter.

But the moment that commitment became an early morning alarm to milk by 5am, and a mandatory rush to get back home from work and prepare for milking by 5pm, our low-stress farm dream started to crumble.

We quickly discovered that balancing a dairy farm while managing day jobs meant our evenings were spent in a blur.

It took a full season of exhaustion to realize something huge:

The twice-a-day rule isn’t actually a farming rule — it’s a commercial maximization template.

It’s a valid system for wholesale volume where the goal is maximum yield to satisfy a demanding market.

But at Shalom Farms, our goal is different.

Our system is built on sustainability, quality, and peace.

Our goal is a life of stewardship — serving the health of our home and the needs of our customers over the demands of the market.

That realization led to a terrifying (but necessary) switch for our second season. We dropped the evening milking entirely and transitioned to Once-a-Day (OAD) instead.

And guess what… we never looked back!

We gained back over 2 hours of critical time every single evening.

That’s over 14 hours a week now spent catching up on admin, finishing projects, or simply enjoying the last of the daylight.

It gave us the gift of rest and “Shalom” for our souls that we value so much.

The Community Corner

If you are feeling overwhelmed or chasing an invisible deadline, we want to gently challenge you:

Look critically at every “must-do” rule you inherited.

If your system is designed to maximize output at the expense of your health and sanity, you’ve likely inherited a template that simply doesn’t fit your life.

You are allowed to build a life-first system, just like we did!

At the end of the day, our metric for success isn’t just volume — it is the health of the goats, the peace of the shepherd, and the quality of the milk.

Did our total milk volume drop? Yes, slightly.

However, the yield was still more than enough for our Herdshare and our seasonal waitlist — and for us, the trade-off was invaluable.

The dairy barn is a busy place these days!

Our 7 mommas-to-be are officially in the “waddle” stage of their pregnancies, and Jeff and I are counting down the days until the first kids arrive later in March.

As we prep for the 2026 season, I wanted to pull back the curtain on how our milk gets from the barn to your table.

We’ve had a few questions about the difference between the Herdshare and the Seasonal Waitlist, so I wanted to explain the “Milk Math” we use to make sure our community is taken care of.

The Shalom Factor

We often get asked if it’s better to just wait for “extra” milk to become available on the waitlist rather than join the Herdshare.

While we love our waitlisters, choosing a Herdshare is really the smart way to go if you’re wanting milk weekly for the entire season.

If you’re using raw goat milk for health reasons—like helping with allergies, gut health, or bone strength—consistency matters.

You don't have to wonder if there will be enough left on the "extra" list this week.

When you own a share of the herd, your milk is set aside first.

You aren’t just a customer; you are technically part-owner of the herd. You’re helping us provide the best care, the best hay, and the best life for these 7 sweet mommas.

How the 2026 “Milk Math” Works

As a small farm, our “production team” consists of only Jeff, myself and our hardworking girls.

I mean, we’re all amazing but we aren’t machines!

This means our milk supply has a natural limit, especially since we only milk once a day.

(I’m finishing up a blog post to explain why we choose Once a Day milking — I’ll share that with you as soon as it's ready!)

The 1-Gallon Threshold

Our milk season officially kicks off once the girls are consistently producing 1 gallon of fresh, wonderful, delicious raw goat milk per day.

That first gallon is 100% dedicated to our Herdshare members every single day of the week. We offer a total of 14 shares (2 shares per day at 1/2 gallon each).

Because many of our families choose to purchase 2 shares to get a full gallon on their pickup day, those 14 spots fill up fast.

These share owners are guaranteed their milk from day one all the way through October 31st.

The Peak

As more mommas have their kids and they are weaned, more milk becomes available.

Once production hits 1.5 gallons per day, we start reaching out to our Seasonal Waitlist for that extra 1/2 gallon.

During the peak of summer, we often see 2+ gallons a day, which means plenty of extra for our waitlist friends to enjoy!

The Natural Dip

As we get into August and September, the girls naturally start slowing down.

Because we always protect that first gallon for our Herdshare members, we usually have to start offboarding waitlist members during this time.

The Bottom Line

If you want the peace of mind (Shalom) of knowing your milk is waiting for you —even when the end of season starts to slow the girls down — the Herdshare is the way to go.

We still have 2 final spots open for the 2026 season!

Whichever path you choose, Jeff and I are so honored to be your local farmers.

Here’s to a season of health and wholeness at your family’s table.

If you’d like to claim a daily spot and guarantee your weekly pickup, you can sign up for the Herdshare Priority Waitlist here:

2026 Herdshare Waitlist

If you’re not quite ready for a full commitment and don’t mind the seasonal fluctuations, you can join the Seasonal Waitlist here:

Raw Goat Milk Waitlist

The first Friday of every month in 2026 is a calendar week; this week we are highlighting March 2026 from our Shalom Farms Calendar.

The Photo

Following the Hoofprints

There is a lot of talk about “finding your own way” in the world, but on the farm, I’m often reminded that the safest way is usually just following the feet in front of you.

This is Walter, one of Daisy’s Mini Mancha triplets from 2025.

As a cross between a standard LaMancha and a Nigerian Dwarf, these “minis” are known for being hardy and productive, but in a much smaller package.

In this photo, Walter is only a few days old. He’s still figuring out how to coordinate all four of those white-socked legs, and his best strategy is simply to stay as close to Daisy’s “tree trunk” legs as possible.

He doesn’t have a map or a plan yet; he just knows that where she goes, there is milk, warmth, and safety.

There is a lot of peace in just staying close.

The Power of Three

Walter wasn’t alone in following those hoofprints; he had his sister, Dorothy, and his bro Edwin to keep him company!

These three were so special that when a visitor came to the farm to look at his sister, Dorothy, they couldn’t bear to break them up and ended up taking the whole trio home together.

It’s a beautiful reminder that sometimes the “extra” isn’t a burden—it’s exactly what makes your story complete.

Spring Kids

Kidding chaos is right around the corner!

For 2026, we are selling our kids as bottle babies.

This means they’ll be ready to go to their new homes at just 1–2 weeks old, which is a wonderful way to bond with them while they are still tiny.

If you’re looking for your own “Walter” or a trio of your own, you can join the waitlist below 👇🏼

Join the Baby Goat Waitlist!

Raw Goat Milk Season

While we are still waiting for the first babies to arrive, the milk season is just around the corner. If you want to secure a spot for fresh, creamy milk at your family table, hop on the 2026 Milk Waitlist.

Go(a)t Milk?

The first Friday of every month in 2026 is a calendar week; this week we are highlighting February 2026 from our Shalom Farms Calendar.

The Photo

The One Who Stayed

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to “unpack my plate” lately.

On a farm, the temptation is always more—more land, more projects, more babies in the spring.

But last year, when the dust settled on kidding season, we made an intentional choice that felt like a deep exhale.

We decided to keep just one.

This is Pauli, our very first Mini Nubian kid.

She was born on a sunny day in the middle of June 2025.

To say we adore her would be an understatement.

The Mini Nubian Charm

If you aren’t familiar with Mini Nubians, they are a cross between the standard Nubian (her mom, Padme) and the Nigerian Dwarf (her dad, Bucky).

This breed was originally designed for homesteaders who wanted a smaller, more productive dairy goat for handling and feeding purposes.

Whereas the Nubian side gives sheer volume of milk with a high percentage of butterfat, the Nigerian Dwarf side gives the sweetest milk on the planet and the highest percentage of butterfat of any dairy goat breed.

With Pauli - we get the best of both worlds.

By keeping our herd small but intentional, we have more time to notice her specific, curious personality.

Our Growing “Long Ear” Family

Pauli isn’t lonely, though.

She has a whole crew of big sisters now!

Over the years, our herd has naturally shifted toward these floppy eared beauties; besides our three Nigerian Dwarfs, all but one of our full size does are now at least half Nubian.

Between our three purebred Nubian does (Padme, Pepper, Oreo), the twin Alpine/Nubian mixes (Star and Crunch), and little Pauli, the Dairy barn is full of these beautiful, spunky and chatty girls.

Pauli is our living reminder that “enough” is a beautiful place to be.

It’s that quiet kind of peace—the kind that comes from being faithful over a few things rather than rushing for the many.

Spring is Approaching at Shalom Farms

If you’re looking to add a little of this “enough” to your own life this year, we have a few ways to get on the list:

Spring Kids and Lambs

Kidding chaos is right around the corner!

If you’re looking for your own Pauli or big sister trio, you can join our Baby Goat Waitlist or our American Blackbelly Waitlist to have your own personal bundles of sunshine.

Join the Baby Goat Waitlist!

ABB Lamb Waitlist

Raw Goat Milk Season

While we are still waiting for the first babies to arrive, the milk season is just around the corner.

If you want to secure a spot for fresh, creamy milk at your family table, hop on the Raw Goat Milk Waitlist for 2026.

Go(a)t Milk?

The first Friday of every month in 2026 is a calendar week; this week we are highlighting January 2026 from our Shalom Farms Calendar.

The Photo

The Best “Flaw” on the Farm

On March 28, 2024, our sheep Hana had twins—Whitefoot and Pua. They were some of the most striking, regal lambs we’ve ever raised.

Being American Blackbelly hair sheep, they have a beautiful uniform coat that sheds naturally, so they never need to be sheared - which is a bonus for us.

Since we are registered breeders with the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep Association International (BBSAI), we usually register every lamb that’s going to be used for breeding stock.

But as we looked closer, we saw the one thing the paperwork wouldn’t allow: a single splash of white on his back foot.

But Whitefoot said “rules, schmoolz”.

He still grew into one of the best dang rams we’ve ever raised—the biggest, strongest, and fastest-growing lamb of his season.

He went on to find a new home as an unregistered ram in North Platte, becoming exactly what he was born to be: the king of his own pasture.

What Whitefoot taught me is that we can spend our lives apologizing for our own version of a “white foot,” or we can just go out and be the best dang [_____] in the field. He is a living reminder to all of us that you truly can’t judge a book by its cover.

Whitefoot is our featured “king” for January in our 2026 Farm Calendar!

If you want a daily reminder to be striking regardless of your “flaws,” grab one of our last few calendars before they’re all gone (less than 10 left!).

Order Yours Today!

We know you’re being bombarded with other offers during this Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday week that it is.

But we just wanted to give you one more gentle reminder that our 2026 Shalom Calendars are available for pre-order at $15 through November 30th.

All orders in December 2025 will be $20 each for these beauties.

Want more fun photos like this to catch your eye every single day of the year?

If you want to add a little more ✨ joy ✨ to your every day for 2026, make sure to grab a 2026 Shalom Farms calendar for your home or office (maybe both!).

25% OFF — Pre-Order at $20 $15 now through Nov 30th.

Order Today!

Just a quick one today.

For the past few years, Jeff and I have spent some time in November curating our BEST farm photos of the year, and putting together a new calendar to have ready for January.

Here are a few of our favorite photos:

These are just a few of the photos we used last year.

If you’re looking to add a little more ✨ joy ✨ to your every day for 2026, make sure to grab a 2026 Shalom Farms calendar for your home or office (maybe both!).

25% OFF — Pre-Order at $20 $15 now through Nov 30th.

Order Today!

We’re opting for a Throwback Thursday today, where we are reaching back into the archives to share a post that perfectly captures the unique rhythm of our lives after milking season: “Before Work: A Typical Weekday.”

This isn’t just a peek; it’s a detailed, minute-by-minute look at how we manage full-time farming before we even head out to our full-time jobs.

So if you’ve ever wondered what it takes to run a small farm while working an off-farm job, this post shows you exactly how we get it done!

As breeding season has officially begun at the farm, I want to share an honest truth (that even I can’t believe sometimes)… at one point in the last couple of years, we had a total of 10 male goats - six intact bucks and four wethers.

Over a third of our goats were male 🫣

Now? We are happily down to just one buck and three wethers.

I wouldn’t call the change a relief, necessarily, but I can tell you that the daily workflow with the boys is now immeasurably more pleasant.

Our three wethers—Aragorn, Vision, and Stark—are, without a doubt, some of our favorite goats on the farm.

They are so incredibly socialized that they get to spend every summer at Camp Sonshine hanging out with the kids and counselors.

Literally everyone loves them (especially us)!

If you have a goal of adding goats to your home so that you can experience joy, companionship, and simplicity, then the biggest lesson we’ve learned is that a goat’s value isn’t always tied to reproduction.

A wether goat is a valuable farm staple in its own right—one that delivers peace (shalom!), companionship, and ease of handling to your homestead.

So if you’re planning to bring some baby goats home next spring, I first want to share the three biggest reasons why we think wether goats might be your perfect addition:

1. No Rut: Intact bucks go through a hormonal “rut” that brings with it intensity, aggression, and general chaos. Because a wether is castrated, they simply don’t experience this. They are consistently gentle and docile, making handling simple for everyone in the family.

2. No Stink: This is a big one. The hormonal cycle in a buck comes with an intense, musky odor (among other things…) that can be unpleasant and extremely persistent. Wethers don’t have this odor, which makes them lovely to spend time with and overall far more enjoyable to have around the farm.

3. No Chaos: Our wethers often act as the calming center of the herd, stepping in to break up little squabbles. They thrive in a social environment and contribute to a much calmer overall herd dynamic than a territorial buck would.

If a low-maintenance, affectionate wether sounds like the perfect addition to your future plans, sign up for our Baby Goat Waitlist so you can let you know when our Spring kids arrive!

Join the waitlist

Farm Photo of the Week

Community Corner

We love getting your messages and starting conversations!

Tell us: What is the biggest thing you worry about when it comes to bringing home a new goat (or any animal, really!)?

Leave us a comment or send a reply and let us know!

Interested in learning more about Wethers?

Read more 👉🏻 What are wether goats and why you should have some

Sheesh. What a journey this summer has been!

Looking at our last post, we’ve got a little explaining to do 🫣

See below for some farm highlights for the last couple of months, and don’t miss out on reserving beef from our last available steer!

Cattle

• GRASS FED BEEF: We’ve got one final steer that is ready to be processed this month so reach out if you’d be interested in a half or whole beef!

• COWS: Our 2026 momma cows get preg-checked this week so we should know in another couple weeks how many babies we can be expecting for next summer - we’re praying it’s all 4!

  • It’s exciting to reflect back on when we first got these cows and how much they are a perfect fit for our little farm. Check out our throwback to when they first arrived! 👇

Goats

• MILKING: Our 2025 milking season officially ends October 31st. If you’re interested in getting some Raw Goat Milk in 2026, make sure to sign up for our Waitlist!

  • Side Note: We’ve been kicking around the idea of testing out a Raw Goat Milk Coffee stand at the farm maybe next season. If we did, would you swing by to pick up a drink to support the farm?

• BUFORD: Welp. It wasn’t just a couple days after we posted our excitement about Big Beautiful Buford in August that Jeff got his hand sliced open by one of his horns when trying to catch him for the first time (who knew those long horns could be so sharp!). Ultimately, we decided we were not set up for such a big guy quite yet so we pivoted our plans, sold Buford to a new home, Jeff got his hand all healed up, and the silver lining is that little Thunder gets to breed all the ladies this fall 👇

Sheep

• SHEEP: One of my absolute favorite parts of chores each day is getting to the ewe pen to feed “my sheepies”, and once we feed the starving little hungries Jeff and I just take a few minutes giving them scratches and interacting with them. My heart just explodes with warmth every single time 🥰

• EWE/LAMB PAIR FOR SALE: These would make a great starter flock for anyone who wants to get started raising American Blackbelly Sheep or a great addition to your current flock if you already have some.

That’s it for today’s update.

See you next time!

Hello, farm friends!

It's Lorraine again with our first Photo Friday for August.

Summer is hard for most of your local farmers, including us.

Between weaning and selling all the spring baby goats and lambs, taking advantage of more daylight (…by working on more projects), and don’t forget to sprinkle in all the work that goes into a hot hay season… we’ve got quite a bit on our plate these days (so pardon the breaks), but we’re trying to get back into sending you more farm updates with today's introduction to our newest big guy on campus!

Say hello to Big Beautiful Buford

First… remember Thunder?

Big Beautiful Buford vs Little Thunder

But just check out those horns!

So…we may have to rethink our plans 😬

We originally planned to have Buford breed with our full size girls (Nubian, LaMancha, Nubian/Alpine cross) this fall, but now we’re thinking he’s likely too big and are considering getting a few meat goat does for him to breed with and running him/them with the cows.

That’s one thing we’re learning about raising livestock - don’t be afraid to change plans when things don’t turn out how you think they will!

On another note, Buford is really coming around. This week he started letting me feed him grass by hand, AND he let me pet his nose… twice!

I don't know what it is about male goats, but I love them. Bucks and wethers both.

Most people 100% prefer the does (females), but I think its the fact that the males are not USED to a lot of attention/affection maybe. So when they get it, even just a little bit, they're 😍 and super sweet.

Well, most of the time, anyway…

But tell us what you think about Big Beautiful Buford and his massive horns!

Support the Farm with a T-Shirt 👕

Looking for a fun new way to support Shalom Farms?

T-shirts are now available in our online farm store!

Each purchase helps us continue our work on the land and with the livestock, and we appreciate you representing us if you are able.

Get Yours Here!

Exciting news — Padme our Nubian goat had her first baby on 6/18/25 - which also happens to be our first Mini Nubian! 🤩

Here is the sweet new addition to the Shalom Farms family:

Number of babies: 1 (female)
Parents: Padme (Nubian) & Bucky (Nigerian Dwarf Goat)

Meet Pauline (Pauli for short):

(Note: our 2025 theme for naming baby goats is “popular names from the 1920s”)

💖 How they’re doing:

It’s been a few weeks already, and Padme and Pauli are both doing great!

She loves to zoom around all the momma goats but since she’s the only kid left in the pen, they put up with her pretty easily.

Pauli is already a little heart breaker, and being the youngest and LAST baby goat on the farm, it’s going to be hard to let her go… we’ve actually decided we will keep her!

Little Pauli wraps up our 2025 kidding season for the goats, all that’s left for our baby season are the 2 cows in July.

Just wanting to send you some quick farm updates on what’s been keeping us busy this last week/weekend.

Goats

• MILKING: We are in full on milking season, but we only milk once per day (up at 4:45am to be out milking at 5am). This article does a great job explaining how we do that

• KID-SHARE: In order to get milk in the morning, we “kid-share” starting at 4-6 weeks of age which just means that we lock up the baby goats the night before so that their mommas will have some milk first thing in the morning.

  • Then at around 5:30-6am once milking is over, the babies are reunited with their mommas and everyone is happy until it’s time for baby goat lockup again in the evening!

Sheep

• UPDATE: the sheep are doing great, as always! We have such a wonderful batch of lambs this season that we’ll be sad to see them go in July.

• WEANING: will happen next week! So we’ll see if Baby Lamb Vortex becomes a thing 😂

• PROJECT: we’re currently mapping out making a runway for the Ewes and retained lambs to get from their permanent pen, out to the pasture with the cows.

Cattle

• PASTURES: Our cattle are currently split between 2 locations:

  • CALVES: Our yearlings are less than 10 minutes away at our new friend Randy’s pasture for the summer (we think he’s really starting to like them!)

  • COWS: The 2025 Cow/Calf pairs are here at home in our small pasture; only 1 calf has been born so far, the other 2 are due early July

Penners

• NEW PURCHASE: Our most exciting news (well, to us anyway) is that we finally decided to purchase a round baler so we woudn’t have to bale 1,000(ish) squares every summer anymore

• HAY SEASON: We had our first opportunity to bale rounds last week with our Alfalfa field to open up our 2025 Hay season and it was a total success!

  • There is a little bit of a learning curve for Jeff moving from squares to rounds, but he’s a quick learner and I (Lorraine) am personally grateful that I did not have to lift a SINGLE finger for this first field (and hopefully all future fields this summer and beyond)

That’s it for this week’s update.

See you next time!

Hello, farm friends!

As we’re rolling out of the hustle and bustle of a holiday week, we’d like to try to bring you a little dose of joy from the farm today.

We are introducing something that we lovingly call the Baby Goat Vortex.

This is what is looks like to be attacked by 10 baby goats in a 12x12 pen.

(you can imagine the bruises all over our bodies from being stepped on, kicked at, and jumped off of by the tiniest of little hoovers!)

It’s a tough life, but somebody’s gotta do it!

Have you ever experienced something like a baby goat vortex?

Does this sound more like a dream or a nightmare?

Support the Farm and Your Skin will THANK You

Did you know that we make and sell our own handmade soaps, and they include raw goat milk from our own herd?

These Goat Milk Soaps are rich in vitamins and minerals, which makes them an ideal choice for people suffering with eczema, psoriasis, and other skin conditions.

Our mini bars are also great for testers and/or gift ideas for people with sensitive skin :)

We do not use any dyes or colorants, and list all ingredients on every single bar.

Our Recipes (click here to see the ingredients for each):

• G-Oats & Honey

• Subtle Lavender

• Rise & Grind Coffee (almost out!)

• Mango Explosion (seasonal - get some before it’s gone!)

• The Simple Stuff (fragrance free)

• Upcoming Summer Flavor: Orange Spearmint (keeps away🦟)

What are the chances you’d like to try a bar or two?

Order Now

Exciting news — Bluebelle gave birth on Tuesday 5/13/25 🎉

Here is the sweet new addition to the Shalom Farms family:

Number of babies: 1 heifer
Parents: Bluebelle & Rocky

Meet little Annabelle:

💖 How they’re doing:

Momma and baby are doing great! Bluebelle had little Annabelle all on her own and required no assistance (same as last year!). This baby girl is happy to be exploring around the pen and meeting the other mommas and can’t wait for her new friends to arrive in July.

Let us know if you need more Goat Milk Soaps for summer!

Happy May, friends!

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and there are baby chicks EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK - including here at the farm 🐣

They’re still doing their best to grow big and strong, so here’s a few photos of them before their official “awkward” stage, plus a throwback to 5 years ago when we were building our first chicken coop.

Baby Chicks

Throwback to building a chicken coop in 2020

How to Support the Farm - at no additional cost to you!

If you've enjoyed a farm purchase from us over the last year (goat milk soap, eggs, raw goat milk, baby goats or lambs, grass fed beef, etc), posting a Google review would really mean a lot to us. Your feedback helps us grow the farm!

Please consider leaving us a Google review if you're a happy customer.

Thanks for supporting local farmers!

Leave us a Review!

Exciting news — Crunch had a Cinco de Mayo baby on 5/5/25!

Here is the sweet new addition to the Shalom Farms family:

Number of babies: 1 (male)
Parents: Crunch (Alpine/Nubian mix - twins with Star) & Bucky

Meet Crawford:

(Note: our 2025 theme for naming baby goats is “popular names from the 1920s”)

💖 How they’re doing:

These two are doing great! We took them out of their momma/baby (smaller) pen and let them into the big pen with all other mommas and babies late last night (after they’d had over 24 hours of bonding together in the birthing pen).

We are so pleased with how both Star & Crunch have quickly taken to being first time mothers!

Looking to add some Baby Goats to your home? Let us know before they’re gone!

Exciting news — Star gave birth on Tuesday 4/29/25! 🎉

Here is the sweet new addition to the Shalom Farms family:

Number of babies: 1 (male)
Parents: Star (Alpine/Nubian mix) & Bucky

Meet Stanley:

(Note: our 2025 theme for naming baby goats is “popular names from the 1920s”)

💖 How they’re doing:

Star and Stanley are both doing great! Stanley is growing really nicely, and we’ve even gotten Star on the milk stand a few times already to make sure her teats are in good condition and that she’s able to feed Mr. Stanley without issue - and she’s already a pro at the milk stand!

We’re excited for her to be a “star” milker this year 🤩

Looking to add some Baby Goats to your home? Let us know!

Hello friends!

It’s been another fun week at the farm, so today we’ll introduce you to some of the regulars around here.

Esperanza

Goats

Sweet Skeet

Support the Farm and Your Skin will THANK You

Did you know that we make and sell our own handmade soaps, and they include raw goat milk from our own herd?

These Goat Milk Soaps are rich in vitamins and minerals, which makes them an ideal choice for people suffering with eczema, psoriasis, and other skin conditions.

Our mini bars are also great for testers and/or gift ideas for people with sensitive skin :)

We do not use any dyes or colorants, and list all ingredients on every single bar.

Our Recipes (click here to see the ingredients for each):

• G-Oats & Honey

• Subtle Lavender

• Rise & Grind Coffee (almost out!)

• Mango Explosion (seasonal - get some before it’s gone!)

• The Simple Stuff (fragrance free)

• Upcoming Summer Flavor: Orange Spearmint (pre-order some today!)

What are the chances you’d like to try a recipe or two?

Thank you for supporting local farmers!

Order Now

The other night our brand new (3 days old) baby goat “Homer” was exploring the big rocks in his pen.

He was excited to play and explore with his brother and friends, until he backed up and got his head stuck between two big rocks.

That little guy started crying and screaming for help but none of the other goats came to help (not even his mother lifted her head from the feeder to check on her son).

My first reaction was that I did not want him associating this "trauma" with Lorraine and I, so we simply backed away and watched him struggle his way to freedom on his own.

I mean, he got himself into that mess so he should figure out how to get himself out of it, right?

Well, after about 5 seconds (yes....just 5 very short seconds) he simply gave up and stood completely still with his head down, stuck between two rocks.

I imagined what was going through his head at that very moment: "Well, I lived a wonderful life. These 3 days were so good with my mom, my brother, and my friends. I had hoped for a longer life but I am thankful for all that I have experienced."

Lorraine and I slowly walked back over to the rocks and watched the little guy just standing there without even a struggle.

Compassion filled my heart, and I decided to help, so I just put my hand behind his little butt and gave him a gentle push forward and "POP" his head came free and I lifted him up and set him on top of the big flat rock.

Little Homer was wagging his tail and he was so happy to be free and to be on top of the big rock (his humble life goal had actually been achieved!).

As we laughed about this moment, Lorraine and I also reflected on how compassionate God is to us.

We are so thankful that the LORD is our Shepherd. As our Shepherd, he is our helper, provider, protector, restorer, source of all blessings and goodness, and his presence is and will be with us forever.

We truly lack nothing with God as our Shepherd.

Lorraine and I love caring for all of the animals God has given us to steward and care for. We also thank God for the opportunity to learn more about him each day as we shepherd our flocks and herds.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 ESV

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
Psalm 3:3 ESV

Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.
Psalm 54:4 ESV