In 2016, my family and I moved to our dream property in Haubstadt, Indiana.
I’ve imagined my life on a farm since I was a little girl, when I would visit my grandparents’ small farm where they raised Jersey steers as dairy beef for our extended family. Seeing this lifestyle from a young age nurtured a passion in me for homesteading and being as self-reliant as possible. As our family began deciding how to expand our own farm, I was most excited about the addition of animals. Although my husband and kids were on board, I took the lead given my Bachelors degree in veterinary technology from Purdue University and my years of experience in mixed animal practice.
At first, it seemed that the natural choice for a dairy animal would be a Jersey cow, given my nostalgic ties to the breed. But there were a few roadblocks that made me question if they were the best fit. My husband was not a fan of taking such a big leap to caring for cows—including the yearly calf, finding a bull for breeding each year, and adequate pasture space for a cow and calf duo.
While I had to agree with the issues he raised, I was not willing to give up on my dream of daily fresh raw milk. I set out to find a goat breed that would check all of the boxes without the hassle that deterred us from cows.
After much research, the Nigerian Dwarf seemed to be a perfect fit for our family. I landed on this breed for a few reasons. First, their small size meant they would need less space and feed. I loved the fact that my children could easily manage them and show in 4-H. Finally, the milk they produce is known for being tastily close to cow’s milk. Given these convincing reasons, my amazing hubby agreed to taking the step towards making our dream a reality by starting Hope Hill Farm.
We brought our first does home in Spring 2017 and haven’t looked back since.
We were blessed to start our herd with excellent genetics. Our four foundation does came from the Agape’s Prize herd and lines from Fairland Farm. What began as a way to bring milk to our farm has evolved into much more: a performance herd and a passion for showing our goats. We’ve now grown our herd to about twenty animals—with plans to keep our herd small and manageable for our busy family of ten.
We participate in 4-H, ADGA shows, Indiana State Fair (4-H and open), linear appraisal, and one-day milk testing. Over the years, we’ve learned so much about genetics, correct conformation, and milk production, and we are committed to continuing to grow our knowledge of the breed.
We’re on a mission to produce excellent, healthy animals as we strive to improve the breed, and we’re passionate about contributing productive animals to the dairy goat industry. As breeders, our main goal is to help other herds improve their quality by adding top-performing goats.
Our family’s busy schedule has kept us from attending as many shows as we’d like, but we always do well when we make it to the show ring. Our girls continue to impress us–both in the ring and in the pail–with the results of our hard work.
Explore the Hope Hill Farm Herd
