The Abandoned Dog Kiko Goats

So here we are, after a combined total of over 47 years of military service, a retired Navy Corpsman and a Marine trying to figure out what we are going to do with ourselves. "Lets farm". We fell in love with the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and knew we wanted to have some property and try our hand at sustainable farming.

I, Nona, lived on multiple farms and for a time on a Holstein Cattle Dairy farm. Not to mention I was no stranger to milking a small herd of Nubian's and Alpines twice a day for most of my elementary and middle school years. (I swear I'd never 'milk' anything EVER again) After retiring from the Navy, although becoming a Veterinarian was my 'dream' when I was a youngster, I settled for getting my Veterinarian Assistant diploma, and my Bachelor's degree in Sustainable Development with a concentration in sustainable agriculture and agroecology which has aided us in our current endeavors.  

Jeff grew up in the suburbs, and his idea of a 'farm' was 2 dogs. His dream, was to retire from the Marine Corps, and live on the beach with his toes in the sand everyday with out a care in the world. - Boy did his plans change! 

We started with cattle and soon learned that the market is very inconsistent and our property and terrain wasn't  'perfect' for raising cattle.  We wanted more challenge — more hands on and of course more utilization of our property.   We researched, read, asked questions and decided, 'meat goats' were our next endeavor.  After more research, reading and questions, "KIKO'S" were the option for us. We started in January of 2015, and since then, we have made numerous friends, gained (and are still gaining) valuable advice and wisdom. We enjoy living and learning daily about the breed.  

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Each breeder has their own goals and expectations for their respective farm — for us, we want to breed hearty, parasite resistant, healthy Kiko's that are able to thrive with minimal human interference for both breeding stock, and commercial use.

 

Jeff and Nona Cullen