I hadn’t intended to do a post this week, but I think it worth mentioning that our family is trendy. According to the Washington Post, goat milking is America’s newest pastime. How about that!

To be sure, the Washington Post largely focused on the commercial aspect of goatherds. Plus, though it wasn’t specifically stated, the implication was that most of these commercial goat dairies are based around cheesemaking. Indeed, at one point it listed goat milk amongst other alternative milks such as soy, almond and oat milk. Nothing wrong with cheesemaking OR commercial goat dairies, but I have to be quick to point out that while different in composition to cow’s milk, goat’s milk is NOT an ‘alternative’ milk such as these plant based options. Unlike soy, almond and oats, goat’s milk is truly dairy. And don’t get me started on the part about goats only producing milk seasonally; Pepper is in her 13th consecutive month of milking and consistently provides us with over a quart a day. She was giving a half gallon a day about two weeks ago, but we’ve opted to switch to once-a-day milking to make it easier for us to go away this summer. So if it were not for that she would still be giving a half gallon a day. Seasonal milkers nothing!

Still, misleading information aside, it is good to see that goats are gaining in popularity in the United States. Cows are good, but the fact of the matter is that cattle are out of reach for most people looking to start a home dairy. Goat milk is good to drink (there is zero goaty flavor in the milk from our three goats currently in milk) and is much, much more than just raw material for making chèvre. In addition to drinking a lot of it, we’ve made plenty of cheese, butter and yogurt.

I’m hoping to see that the trend towards goats is more than just a fad, because commercial elements aside they are an economical way to be self reliant. Plus, it gets people out of their homes, exercising their bodies, and consuming a healthier food product. What this world needs is more time spent goat herding and less with the Kardashians. For sure.