Elizabeth Pendergast says she is proud of and loves her kids – all 16 of them.
Two of them are her sons, Jacob, 10, and Joel, 7, and the rest are goats, some of which are only a few days old.
“I didn't expect to have this many goats this year, but I absolutely love it,” the goat farmer said.
The Journal visited the Pendergast's North Country Farm just outside of Littlefork last week and got a peak into what life with 20 goats is like.
“It is definitely a lot of work,” Pendergast said. “But I'm so thankful to have my husband and boys to help me.”
Feeding time is especially when Pendergast has her work cut out for her, she said. Walking into the barn when its time for the goats to eat is a little chaotic and the bleating from the herd is almost ear piercing.
“When they're hungry, they let you know,” she said as she scooped oats into a bucket to be shared by the adult goats.
The kids on the other hand, search for a different form of nourishment – goat milk.
Pendergast said because she has already sold some of the mothers to this year's newborns, she has had to utilize other females or does, as surrogates.
“With some help from us, they'll let babies that aren't theirs feed from them, but they know which babies don't belong to them,” she explained.
The young goats on the other hand, aren't partial to where the milk comes from, she added. “They'll nurse wherever they can.”
A personal petting zoo
As experienced as she seems, Pendergast admits her knowledge of goats and how to care for and raise them only began about six years ago.
“I didn't grow up on a farm,” she said. “I think because I wasn't raised around goats, everything is still new and fascinating to me.”
Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species, and have been used for their milk, meat, hair and skins over much of the world. It is just in the 20th century that goats like those on the Pendergast farm have gained popularity as pets.
“With most goats, if you socialize them, they're like puppies” Pendergast said in between plenty of kisses from a pair of twin kids. “If you give them a lot of love, they'll be friendly for the rest of their lives.”
Pendergast and her husband, Matt, purchased their first farm and pair of goats in 2007 while living in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Pendergast said because she grew up in a family that didn't have a lot of money, she liked the idea of having a farm and producing her own food.
“I am fascinated with dairy, so I knew I wanted a dairy animal,” she said of her decision to own goats.
Cows were too big and sheep weren't “very exciting,” so after buying a book on goat farming, Pendergast had made up her mind to own goats.
“Unfortunately, shortly after we bought those first two goats, both Matt and I lost our jobs," she said. "As much as we struggled to keep them, we had to temporarily sell both goats."
The couple's luck started to turn around and Matt accepted a job as an officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection in International Falls.
“We were able to buy those two goats back,” Pendergast said. “Actually, those two goats are ancestors to the herd we have now.”
Off to market
Pendergast said goats are expensive animals to maintain and for years she searched ways to make them pay for themselves.
“It costs about $1,000 a year just to feed them,” she said. “That adds up.”
Pendergast has tried to market the meat, but it hasn't been too successful. She said more often than not, the cost of travel to bring goats to an auction offsets the benefits of selling the animal.
“Goat meat can sell anywhere from 60 cents to $2 per pound,” she said. “It is such a gamble. I'm lucky if I sometimes break even.”
The family eats the goat meat in almost everything from jerky to stir fry and she said they enjoy drinking the milk, too.
“We love goat milk,” she said. “I just filter and cool it. It is very good and very healthy...we haven't bought a gallon of milk in years."
Pendergast also makes cheese, yogurt and ice cream with her goats' milk, but most recently she has found goat milk soap to be “extremely profitable.”
“I never thought I would be making soap,” she said. “And now, that business has just taken off.”
Available in 10 local stores, Pendergast's soap consists of three basic ingredients – goat milk, lard and lye. She also adds a small amount of color and fragrance to the soap.
“I learned about making the soap at a goat school in Maine and actually, we'll be hosting the same school at our farm in June,” she said.
The school is scheduled for June 22-24 and Pendergast is excited to offer the experience locally.
“We've already got five families signed up,” she said. “We're hoping more will be interested, too.”
More information is available at www.northcountryfarm.net.
God's will
The Pendergasts rely heavily on their faith when raising their family both inside their home and out in the barn.
“Raising goats is really a family effort and has taught the boys such a good work ethic,” she said. “It gives them such a sense of accomplishment and responsibility. It makes me very proud."
She concluded that raising goats has become a way of life for the family and they are happy to share their farm and animals with the community through 4H, the Farmer's Market and local fairs.
"We're very blessed,” she said. "This is all God's will."
