I see this certificate as a recognition of love. Love for not only the two breeds I have Nubian and LaMancha but for the species altogether. Love for the individuals , those does and bucks that steal our hearts and give us so much. Love of those long days of kidding, incredible long hours of milking. The delight in falling in love every year over and over.
It is also a recognition of small farms. Those who love what they do and cannot imagine doing anything else , no matter how long the hours, how heartbreaking the losses. The work is hard, never boring, never tedious. As with all farming there are periods of intense activity. With goats it begins in the Spring with kidding and that brings twice daily milking and up keep. Everything from feeding kids (if one is bottle raising) to pen cleaning, hoof trimming, vaccines (if one is giving them) and/or herbal support.
There are rewards the smell of a new born kid , the joy of an udder on a first freshening doe, a grand champion ribbon at a show, fresh cheese that is to die for. There are heartbreaks a kid too long in a poor position that came into the world without breath, a favored doe as she struggles to take her last breaths while resting her head in your lap while her yearling doe kid lies beside her mourning.
But in farming, that mostly dealing with livestock, we deal in two worlds life and death and with one you get the other. Would I change it for a moment? Would I even know what to do with my days if it were taken from me forever gone? NO. And that is a big no.
So I am thankful. Thankful that the passion has gone on for 25 years. That even tho I know realistically that the chances of another 25 years at my age are slim. I intend to press on and the worst that can happen is I die doing what I love. Thank you ADGA for the recognition. Thank you to all those bucks and does who for 25 years have made my life what it is. A bit of Heaven on earth.
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