5 Reasons to Visit A Local Goat Farm
Goat yoga, goat milk, and goat soap are just a few of the topics that may come to mind when you think about a goat farm.
In this article, we’ll explore some easy and effective ways to discover a goat farm near you, from online resources and local farmers’ markets to direct farm visits. Whether you’re looking for ways to source goats milk for goat milk soap or you are looking for your next goat yoga retreat, this guide will help you locate and connect with a goat farm near you.
This article may contain affiliate links where we earn a small percent for you visiting our site at no cost to you!
Why Should I Visit a Goat Farm?
We love living in a rural location in Ohio because of the amount of agriculture around us. From amazing, high-quality local farms that offer beef, pork, and chicken. There are many farms that offer unique items like turkey, rabbits, and goats.
1. Discover the Farm-to-Table Process at a Goat Farm
Whether the farm is raising meat, vegetables, flowers, or other items, we love connecting with the farmer to learn about growing practices and the farm-to-table process.
Unlike large-scale farming operations, a small goat farm offers a more personal, hands-on experience, where you can see how goats are raised and cared for. Many farms offer tours where visitors observe the daily chores like feeding and milking to cleaning and health practices.
If you are like me, then you have likely wondered how a goat farm produces cheese or milk. You can watch this process first hand through a behind-the-scenes look at the farm’s production methods.
2. Support Your Local Economy
Supporting the small, local goat farm is an important way to help sustain local economies and promote sustainable agriculture.
When you visit a local goat farm, you help to preserve the family-owned operation that relies on local customers. This support is vital for the farm’s families and the local economy. These local farms often prioritize producing high-quality goods as they build a relationship with you, the customer. We love supporting local farms for this reason! We appreciate that they value quality in their products and their farming practices.
3. Goat Farm Items: Goat Milk and Cheese
Several of the goat farms in our area produce a variety of products on their farm. One farm in our area sources milk at her goat farm. She milks her goats once per day and freezes the milk for consumption later. She doesn’t sell it due to food safety laws, but makes it available for others as food for their pets.
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Although we have never tried it, we have heard that goat milk is easier to digest than cows milk (even A2 cows milk), with a distinct and mild flavor. Goat milk does not contain lactose, which could be helpful if you have lactose issues with cows milk.
One unique product is goat cheese. Varieties range from soft and tangy chèvre to creamy, aged cheese. We have not found many goat farms that offer cheese, though it may be more common in your area.
4. Goat Farm Items: Goat Milk Soap
Another local goat farm makes soap from her goats milk. Although this farm doesn’t sell it online, you can find some great quality goat milk soap here from Beekman 1802.
Goat milk soap is known for being gentler on the skin while offering great moisturizing qualities. This makes goat milk soap ideal for more sensitive skin.
Some farms produce additional cosmetic items from their goat milk including lotions, balms, and other skincare products.
5. Family and Educational Visits at the Local Goat Farm
As with many farms, local goat farms offer the perfect morning or afternoon visit for families of all sizes. We love the educational experience for our children to explore and learn about agriculture in our community.
Your children can learn about the animals and the care they require while you learn more about how your food is grown. Our children really enjoy petting the goats and feeding the animals. It is important that you and your children can learn where and how your food is raised and grown.
Although goat yoga is an activity that we wouldn’t jump at the chance to join, we know that many goat farms have seen great interest from their customers. In goat yoga, you can do stretches while goats interact with you. This definitely puts you up close with the goats! It just sounds like a baaa-d idea to us (we couldn’t resist the pun).
Where Can I Buy Goat Milk and Goat Soap Near Me?
Finding locally raised, pasture-raised goat milk from a local farm is easier than ever, thanks to a variety of resources available to consumers.
Online
We are proud to offer this website as one resource. There are many other online directories dedicated to connecting consumers with local farms. Always research the resource and learn as much about the farm as you can. Some online services will advertise “local” with pictures of local goat farmers but they won’t tell you about the “bait and switch” as they sell items from other suppliers or other countries! If you don’t have a local farm near you, then this is possibly the next best option!
Farmers Markets & Local Events
We love visiting our local farmers’ markets to learn about unique farmers and growers in our community. Farmers markets are a great way to interact directly with the farmer and learn about their growing practices. When you ask questions about their practices and sample their products, you can make informed decisions about your pork purchases.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
CSAs are a program where you can subscribe to receive regular shares of farm-fresh products, including dairy. CSA programs build a direct relationship between you and farmers, where you support local agriculture and also enjoy seasonal, high-quality meat. To learn more about CSAs, click here.
Farm Direct Sales
This is likely the best option, if available. We love buying pasture-raised items from our local farms. By interacting with the farmer, you get access to a new world where you can connect with them, learn about their growing practices, and discover new products they raise/grow.
You can also purchase amazing items like organic food, or high-quality dairy products like milk, butter, cheese, etc. directly from the farm through their on-site farm store or for pickup at their farm location.
Why Shop At A Local Goat Farm?
Supporting local goat farms is beneficial for your health, the environment, and the local economy.
- Local Economy Investment: When you choose to buy from local farms, you support the economic growth of your neighborhood. Local Ohio farmers often reinvest in their communities by purchasing supplies and services from nearby businesses.
- Job Creation: local farmers help to create jobs within local agriculture. Jobs are supported and created at the farm, in local feed stores, and in businesses where farmers shop.
- Agritourism: when you choose to buy from a local farm and engage in agritourism activities, you help a larger community grow. Agritourism often brings in customers from outside of the community. This promotes a cycle of economic growth leading to stronger, healthier communities and a more sustainable future.
Tips For Shopping at Your Local Goat Farm
We love when customers come prepared for their purchase even if it is their first time at our farm. We prefer to think about the 3C’s when visiting a local farm.
What Should I Bring to a Local Goat Farm?
Comfortable Shoes
This may seem like an odd idea, but many of our local farms have uneven ground as they are “working farms” where the ground is relatively flat but may be uneven. You should be prepared with closed-toe shoes.
Coolers
If you are buying refrigerated or frozen items, please come prepared with a cooler. There is nothing worse than buying meat at a local farm and not having a way to keep it cool during your drive home.
Cash
As Dave Ramsey would say, cash is king! Remember that you will need a way to buy your goods from your local farms. Many local farm stores are self-service and cash is the simplest form of payment where the farmer doesn’t need to pay service fees for selling items. Some local farms use electronic payment methods such as Venmo, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. Other farms may have access to a credit card machine.
When Are The Best Times to Visit the Local Farm?
Although the local farm may have specific times that they are open, we have found that some times in the season may be more optimal than others. For instance, to grab fresh produce then you will want to shop during the Summer harvest. Some items are only available seasonally such as pumpkins or maple syrup. Other items like beef, pork, or chicken are likely raised year-round by many farmers.
Please know that the price of some items may change depending on the season or may be adjusted based on the challenges of the growing conditions during a particular year.
21 Questions to Ask At A Goat Farm
Here are some questions to consider asking the farmer:
- Can I see how the goats live? I would love to learn about your animal husbandry practices.
- How long have you been raising goats?
- What breed of goats do you raise?
- How do you prevent disease on the farm?
- Do you use any antibiotics?
- Do you use any growth hormones?
- Do you use any steroids?
- How do you feed the animals in warm and cool seasons?
- Do your goats have access to fresh grass? If so, how often?
- If you prefer grass-fed: Are your goats grass-fed?
- If you prefer organic: Tell me about your organic practices.
- If you prefer organic: Tell me about your organic feed.
- (LOOKING FOR MEAT) Where do you process your meat?
- (LOOKING FOR MEAT) What cuts of meat are available?
- (LOOKING FOR MEAT) What cuts of meat do you recommend?
- (LOOKING FOR MEAT) What are your favorite recipes for your pork?
- (LOOKING FOR MEAT) Are organ meats available, too?
- (LOOKING FOR MEAT) Do I pay you separately or do I only pay the processor?
- (LOOKING FOR MEAT) What’s the difference between the live weight and the hanging weight?
- (LOOKING FOR MEAT) Do I pay you for the live weight or the hanging weight?
- (LOOKING FOR MEAT) Does your processor charge for the live weight or the hanging weight?
Many farmers are eager to share their knowledge and passion for sustainable farming. We tend to “geek out” when customers ask about our farm and we know that other goat farmers love doing the same thing!
Discovering Local Goat Farms in Ohio
Below is a list of Ohio farms that raise goats. Some of these local farms raise goats on pasture and others offer a combination of pasture and barn raised. We obtained this list from a generous search online and through submissions to our website. As always, please reach out to the farm directly to verify their farming practices and what they raise or grow. If you are a farmer and would like to update the information below or be added, check out our Ohio local farm directory.
Allen
- Dry Creek Farms Boer Goats
- 5205 Mowery Rd, Lima, OH 45801
Auglaize
- LUCKY 7 BOER GOAT FARM
- 15561 Main St, Wapakoneta, OH 45895
Caledonia
- Andrew Byrd Farms
- 3864 Marion Mt. Gilead Rd., Caledonia, OH
Clark
- Custom Color Boer Goats
- 7431 Milton Carlisle Rd, Springfield, OH 45504
- SEEK Farms
- 5674 Springfield Xenia Rd, Springfield, OH 45502
Clermont
- D and L Meadows LLC
- 3706 Bass Rd, Williamsburg, OH 45176
- Website
Clinton
- ECU farm
- Sabina, OH
- Website
Crawford
- Pfeifer Farms Produce
- 4031 State Route 19, Bucyrus, OH 44820
- Website
- Eagle Creek Ranch
- 8045 Millsboro Road, Galion, OH
- Website
Fairfield
- Ellinger Boer Goats
- 5700 Westfall Rd SW, Lancaster, OH 43130
- Website
Franklin
- Hilliard Fresh Farm
- 7194 Davis Rd, Hilliard, OH 43026
Fulton
- Briar Hill Dairy Goats
- 4466 US-20, Swanton, OH 43558
- Website
Hancock
- Kirk Farms Nigerian Dwarf Goats
- Findlay, OH
- Website
Harrison
- Piedmont MRF Nubian Dairy Goats and Poultry a.k.a Moon Ridge Farm
- 71653 Kirk Ln, Piedmont, OH 43983
- Website
Heath
- Sager Farms Boer Goats
- 11275 Shipley Rd, Johnstown, OH 43031
- Website
Huron
- Firelands Ohio Goats
- 1062 S Norwalk Rd W, Norwalk, OH 44857
- Website
- Alter Ego Show Goats
- 5762 Auster Rd, Wakeman, OH 44889
- Website
Knox
- Litzenberg Farms
- 8009 Bishop Rd, Centerburg, OH 43011
- Website
- White Farms Boer Goats
- 19790 Love Rd, Fredericktown, OH 43019
- Website
- Prairie Farm Fainters
- 4093 Prairie Rd, Mt Vernon, OH 43050
- website
Lake
- Dizzy Doe’s Goat Ranch & Farm Store
- 4180 Dayton Rd, Madison, OH 44057
- Website
Licking
- Angry Acres Farm
- 2576 Carle Ln, Utica, OH 43080
- Website
Logan
- HOANBU Dairy Goats
- 1605 Township Rd 216, Bellefontaine, OH 43311
- Website
Lorain
- Buckeye State Minis Goat Farm
- 9910 Joppa Rd, Vermilion, OH 44089
- Website
Lucas
- Sunset Acres Boer Goats and Show Pigs
- 973 N Clarksville Rd, Oregonia, OH 45054
Madison
- PJ Baileys’ Alpine Dairy Goats
- 4725 W Jefferson Kiousville Rd, London, OH 43140
Marion
- Byrd Farms
- 3864 Marion Mt. Gilead Rd., Caledonia OH
- abyrd4440@gmail.com
Medina
- Renegade Goat Ranch
- 7827 Beach Rd, Wadsworth, OH 44281
- Website
Miami
- J & J Boer Goats
- 2190 Polecat Rd, Troy, OH 45373
Morrow
- Double H Homestead
- 4247 Co Rd 61, Mt Gilead, OH
- Website
- Walker-White Boer Goats
- 7373 State Route 61, Mt Gilead, OH
- Website
Portage
- Mackenzie Creamery
- Hiram, OH
- Website
Pike
- Pine Bank Boer Goat Farm
- 6281 Chenoweth Fork Rd, Piketon, OH 45661
- Website
Ross
- Meraki Dairy Goats, LLC
- 100 Sugar Run Rd, Chillicothe, OH 45601
- Website
- Rosewinds Dairy Goats
- 6389 Co Rd 550, Frankfort, OH 45628
- Website
Seneca
- C&E Boer Goats
- 342 County Rd 42, Tiffin, OH 44883
- Website
Shelby
- Fledderjohann Show Goats
- 18139 Sidney-Freyburg Rd, Botkins, OH 45306
- Website
- Immaculata Farms, Kiko Goats
- 10225 Cisco Rd, Sidney, OH 45365
- Website
Summit
- Gaga for Goats
- 4059 Northampton Rd, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223
- Website
- Keleman Point Farm
- 4570 Akron Peninsula Rd, Peninsula, OH 44264
- Website
Union
- H&H Farm Goats
- 20725 Dog Leg Rd, Marysville, OH 43040
Wayne
- 3 KIDZ Boer Goats
- 5439 Snoddy Rd, Shreve, OH 44676
- Arbor-Vale Dairy Goats and Nutrition
- Wooster, OH
- Website
- Harvest Hills Dairy Goat Farm, LLC
- 5834 Ely Rd, Wooster, OH 44691
- Website
Final Thoughts
We believe that the best quality food and products are produced at a local farm from goats that are raised humanely and ethically. Through these practices, the goats retain the highest nutrient content and provide you with healthier options compared with store-bought pork.
When you buy from a local farm, you enjoy fresher items that are packed full of flavor compared to store-bought options. Plus, you get the bonus of learning about how the goats were raised and becoming friends with your local farmer! When you choose local farms for your next purchase, you make healthier meals and support a growing community.
Have you tried pasture-raised pork? If so, we would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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