About Us

Sweet Meadows Farm is a small permaculture homestead on 12 acres in both South Burlington, Vermont and another experimental farm in the rolling hills of middle Tennessee that specializes in breeding registered ADGA/AGS Nigerian Dwarf goats. Valerie and Hannah are a mother/daughter duo who are very passionate about the Nigerian Dwarf goat breed. In December 2012, our herd tested free of CAE, CL and Johne's. We re-tested in 2014, 2016, 2019 and again in June 2021 with negative results for CAE, CL, Johne's and Brucella. We utilize beyond organic practices in growing food and incorporate biodynamics and permaculture as well. Our Vermont farm is a slice of heaven with its double rainbows and four leaf clovers everywhere, and our homestead down in Tennessee is tucked away down a quiet backroad with a meandering creek running alongside. The rest of the farm clan includes our four kitties, Annie the farm dog (Shih-tzu), our Holland Lop bunnies, and our Swedish Flower Hen chickens. All of our animals are loved and doted on heavily by us, our children, and many visiting friends and their families. Our goats are raised alongside our cats, dog, bunnies, and other animals and are quite used to being around them and act more like puppy dogs than goats!

What Makes Our Goats Different?

What makes our goats different is the holistic way in which they are raised. The time we take with each goat and every baby. Our acreage is managed with strictly organic practices. Living in a wildlife corridor, we have an abundance of wildlife around with coyotes, bobcats, wild turkeys, ducks, and red fox. At our farm in Vermont, we have a beautiful 12x24 barn that was built in 2011, and the goats have two big rotating pasture areas. In all of our practices, we strive to protect the land and wildlife, raise our animals as naturally as possible, and live holistically. We also purchased a 22 acre farm in Bell Buckle, TN in the fall of 2021 and moved our herd down. It was quite the move! We are working on setting up a larger scale food forest system and nursery here, and our goats will be experiencing their first southern summer here!

We always allow our does to dam raise their kids, which builds strong immune systems and gives kids the best possible start to life. Dam raising (what we call "Fam Raising" also builds healthy and appropriate emotional relationships for the kids within the herd. All of our kids are held and handled constantly from the moment they are born, and you literally have to pull them off of you! There are many misconceptions about dam raising (see Fam Raising). We are a no cull farm, and we always do whatever is necessary to meet every animal's needs.

Why don't we disbud?

After choosing to have our goat kids disbudded for years, and feeling very conflicted about it, we no longer disbud. We have been on both sides of this controversial topic in goat breeding, and so I can share our thoughts about our experience. We had our vet (several different ones over a span of eight years) out to disbud each kidding season. They were very skilled, and still one doeling almost bled out in my arms, another wether seemed to suffer brain damage from disbudding too deeply (he was brought in from another farm already disbudded), and there were/are still issues with scurs getting knocked off and massive bleeding as well. Horns do grow back as scurs consistently unless you burn them deeper/longer. I always dreaded disbudding honestly, and thought it was a cruel process and that it felt really wrong in my soul, but we did it as I was always told that horns were unsafe for both farm and family. Once I actually did more research, talked to lots of other breeders who had horned goats vs. just taking the word of breeders that routinely disbud, I found out that what a lot of folks were saying is mostly untrue regarding safety issues around people and other goats/animals. And also horns are there for a purpose, and not just for the obvious ability to ward off predators. God gave goats horns for a reason. Horns are an extension of frontal bone of the skull itself and contain very sensitive tissue composed of nerves, hair and blood vessels. They are NOT like fingernails that can simply be removed without issue, and there's a reason people disbud before they are a week old since it is basically part of the skull that is being burned off. They are an actual body part, and a full extension of their immune systems. They regulate body temperature as well in goats, and I think it is very interesting how all my disbudded goats are so hot in the summer heat, but my polled ones are not. My polled goats also are my healthiest, never get sick, are super easy kidders, no issues whatsoever. And I mean ever. There is a pattern on my farm, and it just took me a long time to see it as I was so blinded by what other breeders were saying. I know a lot of breeders who sell horned goats/kids and the trend is moving back towards traditional holistic farming where the health/happiness of the animal is at the core. And a fundamental piece of that is allowing animals to keep their horns.

The process of disbudding involves placing a hot iron on the horns of baby goats (usually less than 1 week old), and burning off the buds down to the top of the head/skulls. Sometimes kids are placed in a wooden box where only their head sticks out. Sometimes they are sedated, sometimes not. I've seen photos where there are multiple burn rings on the heads of kids from breeders that have no idea what they are doing. It can cause brain damage, and horns usually grow back in some form (called scurs) that will get knocked off when they head butt, causing bleeding and an open wound which is then susceptible to infection. Scurs usually grow back and it will happen all over again. Here is an article about how disbudding can cause brain damage in young kids: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.568750/full. Moms can and do sometimes reject their kids since they smell funny after disbudding (a chemical burn smell, so you have to introduce them back to mom butt first, but they can still reject them - that happened to us once).

And it is completely untrue that horned goat kids are harder to sell. We have honestly had more requests for horned kids than disbudded or polled as more people are moving back towards a more holistic, natural approach to homesteading and animal rearing. It's a torturous process for goat kids, and I seriously regret the choice we made with kids that were done on our farm and wish I could go back and do it all over again. One day, I will have to answer for that, but for now I can only try to help others see both sides of this heated argument. Horned goats can't be shown or used in 4-H, and that is unfortunate as it is a big driving argument for disbudding. The way I look at it is that God gave them horns for a purpose and to remove them doesn't feel right as God doesn't make mistakes. In the Book of Genesis, God gave humans charge over all animals on the earth and that is a huge responsibility. We need to look after and respect them. Our plan is to move towards including more polled goats into our herd, and both polled and horned goat kids will be sold to loving families on our waiting list (see the waiting list application). We recommend several great books for new goat owners (see Recommended Reading).

Holistic Health. Because less is more.

While conventional medicine always has its place on a farm, we only use it when we feel natural medicine options have all been exhausted as we feel natural interventions are better for the health of every animal. We practice homeopathy that follows both classical and Banerji protocols, and I am always learning something new as a student of Joette Calabrese who has studied directly under the Banerjis in India. We also incorporate the use of medicinal herbs and DoTerra essential oils on both our animals and family. All of these supports, and God's grace, played a huge role in the healing of my thyroid - I went off of medication for both hypothyroidism and hashimotos after being on it for over 13 years and have slowly reversed both conditions. We've seen miraculous healing across the board for many different illnesses or conditions, and I continue to be amazed at the natural gift of healing that is available to us. Our goats even take homeopathic remedies right off of our hand! For our farm animals, we also utilize Molly's Herbals, Fir Meadows, raw garlic, colloidal silver, raw ACV and many other herbs for general immune support, parasite control, and during pregnancy, during lactation, and when a goat just seems a little "off." Everyone is super healthy and our fecal tests prove it!

Regarding vaccines, we will only offer tetanus antitoxin to wethers when they are banded as the banding site is more susceptible to infection, and at the request of the buyer. We do not give CDT or routinely vaccinate as we manage our herd holistically with Chaffhaye, herbs, garlic, homeopathy, essential oils, and various other things. We have managed our herd this way for over ten years now, and everyone is extremely healthy - we do not have cases of the normal diseases like coccidia that you see on farms as our kids are started on herbal wormers at two weeks of age and are treated weekly with one herbal wormer, and every three weeks with a heavy duty herbal wormer until they are six months of age and then switch over to our adult schedule. In our experience, goats that we have brought in that have been routinely vaccinated and chemically wormed are far more prone to chronic diseases, skin issues, develop resistance to bacteria and viruses, and require a lot more treatments and chemical inputs than more naturally raised goats. Our first goat kids that we brought in were all bottle fed and vaccinated and were very thin, bloated and unhealthy, with chronic parasitic infections and skin issues that took a long time to resolve. We eventually sold all of those lines and really started to give more careful thought about the lines and also the breeders we were buying from, trying to buy from those whose values align with our own. We work with our vet if an issue arises, but most of the time we are able to heal an issue naturally on the farm.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

God is at the center of our farm, and we pray over our farm and animals and know that they are all in His loving care. He is the ultimate physician and healer, and we put all of our trust in Him always.

Our farm is under His care.

Sweet Meadows Sing Hallelujah

How Are Our Goats Managed?

Our herd's basic diet consists of organic local hay, Chaffhaye (fermented, organic bagged hay), various organic herbs, BOSE (black oil sunflower seeds), Replamin Plus (for selenium and other minerals), free choice baking soda, Thorvin Icelandic Kelp, free choice salt, and Sweetlix Meat Maker goat minerals. We are slowly moving towards a more mineral buffet style where they can choose exactly what they need. We feel that grain is not their natural diet, and promotes health problems. They only get it during the last month or so of pregnancy and while dam raising their kids. Too much during pregnancy also causes does to gain too much weight and have bigger babies which, especially in dwarf goats, can turn risky in delivery. I have delivered goat kids that were larger, some kids that were tangled and breech, so I learned early on about how too much grain can contribute to kidding problems. They eat our organic fruit and vegetable compost (happily!) and get lots of herbal treats, and raw garlic. They love it when they get their very own Christmas tree (organic of course)! Bragg's raw ACV (apple cider vinegar) and herbs also play a big role in their health. We bring in lots of herbs and salves from Katherine at Fir Meadows (she's amazing!), grow a lot of our farm, and those that we can't grow, we buy in bulk from Oregon Wild Harvest - one of the only companies that tests every batch of herbs for heavy metals and chemical residue. Routine copper bolus is also super important for parasite control as well as immune and skin/hair health. We have a wonderful large animal vet that we rely on for assistance in farm issues that we can't handle via natural means. That is so important and critical for any farm.

What Else Goes on at SMF?

Our longer term goals include goat/bunny "farm" therapy, coaching families on raising goats, chickens & rabbits, homesteading & permaculture classes (including classes on fermenting sauerkraut & kombucha), community events, farm tours, a farm store, a creamery with classes on cheese making, kefir & fermented dairy foods, a kombucha company, and much more! Can't wait to see how God will be working on our farm!

In addition to raising Nigerian Dwarf goats, we also grow a large variety of both culinary and medicinal herbs, perennials, vegetables and fruits utilizing permaculture methods. We never use chemicals of any kind on our land or plants. While we have been doing this on a smaller scale so far, our goal is to expand and be able to sell to the outside at some point. In the summer months, we have several different varieties of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. We also grow black raspberries, strawberries, honey berries, grapes, seaberries, gooseberries, elderberries, aronia berries, juneberries, josta berries and champagne/red/black currents. Our cherry plum trees line our raised bed gardens area and their fruits make the most wonderful jams to be put up for winter! We also have sweet & sour cherries, pears, shipova, quince, peaches, plums and apples. We have hazelnuts as well, but they are slow growing! Our favorite herb to grow is Thai Basil and we grow a LOT of it! We also grow herbs including rosemary, basil, thyme, chamomile, savory, cilantro, oregano, lemon balm, peppermint and many others! And of course all kinds of veggies such as tomatoes, onions, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, kale, lettuces and many others. Our goats LOVE getting food from our own yard! One time they let themselves out of their pasture and ate several raspberry bushes! It would take a lot more than that though to kill raspberries and their thousands of runners!

A Little Bit About Us.

Originally from the South, we moved up to Vermont in 2010 with the desire for a different kind of life - a slower pace, and one where we could be actively part of growing our own food. As a family, we are in our 11th year of remote schooling via Oak Meadow School (Vermont-based independent school) and are big supporters of the Weston A. Price Foundation view on traditional foods, "back to basics" eating, and their philosophy on health. I was introduced to this type of eating in 2010 when we first got the Nourishing Traditions book, and then the GAPS diet when Sally Fallon came into town in June 2012 for a 4 day Weston Price conference. These two diets (both based on Weston Price) have changed our lives dramatically. Our family of four consists of myself, my husband Larry, and our two beautiful children. In addition to being a goat breeder and homestead farmer, I am also a homeopathy student of Joette Calabrese and a Wellness Advocate for Doterra essential oils. In my down time, I am a writer/photographer, singer, website designer, and have my own independent publishing company In the Meadow Books. God is central in my life and I could not do any of what I do without His grace and many blessings.

Hannah is half of the farm. She is a senior in high school. She has a gift, and is known to be an animal whisperer - her patience and presence with animals is nothing short of remarkable. She plays a big role on our farm as our farm manager, assisting in all day to day duties, hoof trimmings and routine care, pregnancy care and delivery of kids, and is our farm contact for bringing in new genetics and lines. Her gift with photography is seen throughout our website and FB/IG page (which she manages). Her gorgeous photos made the cover of Stone Soup Magazine four times between the ages of 11-13, including a cover with one of our goats! She is currently working on using our incredibly sweet-natured Holland Lop bunnies as therapy animals. Together, with our combined photography, we are working on a new greeting card project called The Simple Life. Stay tuned for more soon!

God is good, ALL the Time!

In everything we do, we thank God for all that we have. We are truly blessed with little miracles every day. We love what we do, and can't wait to share our goat friends and farm with you! May God bless you and yours - Valerie & Hannah

NOTE: Farm Visits by appointment only! Our farm has very strong bio-security measures to keep our goats and other farm friends safe. Entry into our goat pastures, backyard, and barn is strictly prohibited without the owners present. And please do not feed the goats as they have a tendency to bloat when offered too much, and many common plants are poisonous to them. Thank you!

​ About Us

About Us