Sherman Farm to Host First of Seven UMaine Cooperative Extension Goat Enterprise Tours
Contact: Richard Brzozowski, 800-287-1471
FAIRFIELD, Me. — The first of University of Maine Cooperative Extension Goat Enterprise Farm Tours will take place on Saturday, April 28 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Pirri family’s Sherman Farm, located off of Route 139 (Norridgwock Road) at 56 Sherman Lane in Fairfield (e-mail shermanfarmgoat@aol.com). This small, licensed goat dairy sells raw goat milk and soft cheese, and provides replacement does for breeders as well as male goats for meat. Cheeses will be available for tasting and purchase.
UMaine Extension’s series of goat enterprise tours will take place from late April through September at farms around the state. Designed for anyone who wants to learn more about raising goats for meat, milk or fiber, these tours aim to teach sound goat husbandry and help support the growing Maine market for local cheese and meat. All tours are free and open to the public. No registration is required, but people should arrive at the designated tour start times.
The six remaining tours will take place at farms in Warren, Bradford, Newry, Starks, Dresden and Saco. Call UMaine Extension’s Cumberland County office at 1-800-287-1471 for details.
Goats have been a traditional farm animal around the world for centuries. Considered browsers rather than grazers as they prefer leaves over grass, goats are known for their productivity and resourcefulness in grazing brush land. Raising goats is becoming increasingly popular in Maine, and it’s not hard to understand why. According to the American Dairy Goat Association, the fat and protein in goat milk is more easily digested than that in cow milk, and goat milk is often tolerated by people allergic to cow milk. Goat milk is also naturally homogenized. Goat meat, called chevon, is low in fat and calories compared to beef, and is one of the most commonly eaten meats worldwide.
For more information about raising goats, contact UMaine Extension Educator Richard Brzozowski, at 1-800-287-1471 or rbrz@umext.maine.edu. To be placed on UMaine Extension’s statewide goat mailing list, contact Melisa Potts at 1-800-287-7170 or mpotts@umext.maine.edu.