Running a winery isn’t all that different from running a farm. In fact, it’s not at all inaccurate to acknowledge that a winery is a type of farm. While most farms boast of a lot of different animals that serve different purposes, we only have one type of live-in animal neighbors: our beloved pygmy goats.
While we aren’t a petting zoo and don’t recommend getting too close to our pygmy goats (they’re introverted, trust us), they earn their keep in several ways.
- Pygmy goats are excellent gardeners. It’s true! Their favorite foods are the troublesome weeds that threaten to harm our crops. That’s why they’re always welcome to help us out whenever they’re hungry — it’s sustainable for us and for them.
- Fewer weeds mean less chance of fires. It’s simple math really, but our goats keep our plants (and property) safe from fires in dry seasons.
- They provide free fertilizer. Goats munch on all the weeds we don’t want to choke our crops, while also magically transforming that into fertilizer via their waste products. This helps our plants grow bigger and stronger than they would have otherwise.
Long story short, our pygmy goats are equal parts cute and functional. They take care of us, and we take care of them. It’s a healthy relationship that brings about good wine and even better memories. Next time you visit us at Moose & Goose Winery, take some time to sit around and enjoy watching our fuzzy four-legged farmers at work.