EW’ S PETS ISSUE 2012
CHERYL SMITH
AT MYSTIC
ACRES FARMS
Mini Goats
URBAN HOMESTEADING’S FINAL FRONTIER by Ephraim Payne
PHOTO BY TODD COOPER
U
rban homesteading, backyard farming —
call it what you will, the movement for self
sufficiency and sustainable living is
booming. In Eugene neighborhoods from
the South Hills to the Whiteaker it seems
like every other house sports a chicken coop or custom
greenhouse. Soon, the most dedicated local homesteaders
may be able to join ranks of urban farming trailblazers
elsewhere who are exploring a new way of bringing the
farm to the city: raising miniature goats.
While Portland’s goat-raising community is large
enough to organize bike-based tours a la Eugene’s annual
Tour De Coop, potential goat farmers here face a more
elementary challenge: working with the city government to
legalize mini goats on normal-sized city lots. Currently, the
city of Eugene’s municipal code lumps miniature goats in
with all farm animals besides rabbits and chickens, banning
such livestock on lots smaller than 20,000 square feet, or
almost half an acre. The code also requires 5,000 square
feet of space for each goat over six months old. Earlier this
year, the Eugene City Council directed the planning
department to come up with a revised livestock code
balancing the demand for micro livestock with the
requirements of an increasingly dense urban environment.
The term miniature goat covers a multitude of small goat
breeds and varieties. Pygmy goats, originating in West and
Central Africa, have been crossed with Nigerian, Nubian
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and Oberian dairy goats, Spanish, Kiko and Boer meat
goats and even fiber-producing Angoras. Herd animals that
need the company of other goats or friendly animals but
don’t do well with most dogs, the little goats range in size
from about 50 to 130 pounds.
So why would any sane city dweller want to raise goats
in the first place? Aren’t they smelly and ornery and a ton
of work to raise? Not really, not at all and not enough to
make you quit your day job, answers Cheryl Smith, who has
literally written the book on goat care. Two books actually:
Goat Health Care and Raising Goats for Dummies.
“They have all of the features of the large-size goat, but
just in a smaller package,” she says. “Because of that, they
are ideal for the urban resident who wants to get milk.”
Smith, who raises Oberians (mini-Oberhaslis) on her
Mystic Acres Farm northeast of Eugene, says that dairy goats
are bred for good temperament, making them easier to milk
and friendly, enjoyable companions. Only un-neutered males,
good for breeding a herd but not pet goat material, are smelly.
But, she adds, you can’t just expect to buy a goat, pop it in
the backyard and start milking.
Prospective goat owners need to learn proper goat care
and prepare their yards, fencing off roses and vegetable
gardens or any other precious plants, ridding the yard of any
plants or weeds noxious to goats and removing lead-based
paint curious goats can nibble. “It’s not to be taken lightly;
they are not as easy as chickens,” says Smith, who experienced
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a steep learning curve her first five years raising goats and
lost some animals. “It was a really hard learning experience
and I don’t want anyone else to go through that. They can live
for 15, 16 years; you can bond with them.”
Bill Bezuk, owner of Eugene’s Backyard Farmer, testified
before the City Council in favor of adopting code changes to
allow mini goats on smaller city lots. He says he promotes
micro-livestock because of their value for sustainability and
local food production, and will stock goat feed once the city
code changes. He notes that backyard farmers typically start
with chickens and progress to beekeeping, with miniature
goats being the final frontier for the most dedicated urban
homesteaders — people with time on their hands who are
willing to take on the extra commitment living with goats
requires. “I think that, were the regulations approved, there
would be less than 100 people who would want to do goats
in their backyard,” Buzuk says.
City of Eugene Land Use Analyst Kristie Brown says the
city is reviewing the current code and researching how other
cities handle micro-livestock. Most likely, she says, the new
code will allow a yet-to-be-determined number of miniature
goats on most lots. The planning commission and then the
City Council will hold hearings once a draft code change
is complete. Anyone interested in the process can put their
names on an interested parties list to receive notifications
when hearings are scheduled and be able to comment on
staff recommendations ahead of time.
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