mini goat-fest!

There is something so great about Seattle and the way that it never ceases to surprise me with it's grass roots organizations that pop up out of nowhere.  But it seemed like Lacia Bailey, a private homeowner who hosted this as a fundraiser for  The Seattle Urban Farming Co-op, had something truly cool going on.  True urban gardening and farming is a trend that I am only just learning about, and I dare say that this is one trend I don't see going away any time soon.  I amazes me how many passionate people there are in cities like Seattle all over the country, who are trying to shed new light on the way we live in our cities. 

In this city, as of 2007, "[goats] are to be regulated similar to cats, dogs and small potbelly pigs. Owners must get a goat license, at $30 the first year, $20 to renew. Male goats must be neutered; all goats are to be dehorned". (from Seattlepi.com)  Now  you are allowed up to 3 goats per property plus dogs, and who knew, but goats are considered part of the dog category.  The goats at this festival were all La Mancha goats, which are smaller than your average goat, known or their calm nature, and can be milked up to two times daily.

With city dwellers trying harder to live off the land it makes sense!  If you're going to have a dog, who only gives you lots of love and poop to pick up, why not get a goat who will eat the brush you want to get rid of anyway and give you fresh milk and cheese that you can create at home. 

Goat cheese made by hand!

This mini-goat fest, where kids could see how goats, chickens and bees could actually live in your back yard, even a small one, made me think that urban populations are moving in a very new and interesting direction.

I am not certain who loved it more, the goats who got fed an awful lot of grass or the kids who got to eat flourecent green frosted cupcakes.  It was clearly a win-win.

Green grass for the goat, green upper lip for kids.

Tags

goats, Urban Gardening, urban farming