Robot says ‘goodbye,’ Spring says ‘hello’!

Spring has sprung on Bethlehem Farms. Peepfrogs regularly hold choir practice. Spring blooms are beginning to unfold. The grass is getting greener. We’ve been so busy enjoying the weather, we almost forgot to blog!

There are lots of changes all across the farm, as we prepare for new life. We recently said goodbye to ‘Robot,’ who has a new home and a new grown-up name.

We also welcomed seven new guardian dog puppies to the farm this week. They are lovely and round and full of rolly-polly grunts and squirms. We expect that the thunder of puppy feet will fill the farm…until their new owners come to take them home. Photos will follow as soon as we negotiate an appropriate deal with Christmas, the puppies’ camera-shy mother.

We Love Our Alpines….”

Here at Bethlehem Farms, most of our goats are American Alpines.

American Alpines are a unique breed, produced by crossing French and British Alpine lines. We decided to raise American Alpines because of their superb dairy quality, gracile body size, and gentle personalities.

In “Alpine Breed History,” Paul Hamby describes the American Alpine breed as “an American original,” which represents “the success of hybrid vigor.” He notes:

Today’s Alpines are a versatile utility animal. Alpine wethers make excellent Pack Goats. Alpine does make excellent milkers for both home and commercial dairies. Alpines produce a high volume of milk….They produce well on pasture or in dry-lotted hay fed conditions. They are known for being exceptionally hardy, curious, and friendly. The beauty and intrigue of Alpine colors make them appealing to everyone.

Our herd is sired by our American Alpine bucks, who we consider fine examples of the breed.  To learn more about American Alpines (and Alpines in general), visit Alpines International.

Mother Earth on Goats

We’ve been fans of for Mother Earth News…well, let’s just say since way back when Bethlehem Farms was just a dream.  By the time they published their 2002 article, Want Milk? Get Goats, we had already established our herd. Still, we saved the article, as it is a good resource for those new to goat farming. It overviews major breed characteristics and gives tips for new herders, broadly discussing issues in care and feeding, milk management and veterinary health.

A Puppy Called Robot…

Meet Robot, a Great Pyrenees with lots of spunk.

Robot loves eating, playing rough and barking at bigger dogs. He recently tried to help clean barn stalls by enthusiastically grabbing onto our plastic shovels.

Born in November, Robot is the last of this winter’s puppies. Now, that he’s grown a bit, Robot is looking for a new home. He’s already had his first shots in anticipation of his new life. He’s a bargain at $350.00 … if you know someone who’d like to own him, feel free to contact us by email: ridgely at bethlehemfarms  dot com.

Hello world!

The acres of Bethlehem Farms first met the internet superhighway when we posted our website in 2004. Since then, we’ve realized that we have so much more to say … and here we are.

We plan to post about our farm, our critters, and our yummy cheeses. We’ll also include helpful tips and hints, humor and lots more. Since we are farmers, not writers, we probably won’t be posting every day … but who knows? If the weekly thing goes well, perhaps we’ll post more frequently.