A friend of mine once explained the concept of the Remote Goat to me. Pasteurization laws being what they are, you cannot - at least in the state of WV - buy or sell unpasteurized dairy products. So if you want fresh goat cheese or milk, you have to raise the goat yourself.
I know what you're thinking. What better place than West-by-God-Virginia for raising goats yourself?
Answer: in the urban areas, WBGV is much like any other urban area. Charleston and Huntington both have zones where raising livestock is infeasible. (I visited my friend David Anderson in Charleston a few years ago, and cannot imagine a goat in his yard.)
The answer to the problem of getting fresh dairy is to join a "Remote Goat" collective. You pay your money into a pool, and a local farmer gives you a partial stake in a goat. Your stake in the goat(s) pays dividends, payable in fresh dairy products. Legal. Sensible. Beneficial for the farmer. Beneficial for the consumer.
Win-win.
My problem is, I have not been able to find a comparable program here in Louisiana or Mississippi (or anywhere online, for that matter). I assume that the footprint of any such program is kept small intentionally. Shipping/delivery costs would have to be kept to a minimum, and would be subject to other rules and regulations. But if anyone has heard of a similar program, I would be very interested in participating.
At least so that when people ask me about my stock portfolio, I can respond that I have interests in small agriculture...
I know what you're thinking. What better place than West-by-God-Virginia for raising goats yourself?
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| Cute kids. Just don't try to find them in Dr. Anderson's yard. |
The answer to the problem of getting fresh dairy is to join a "Remote Goat" collective. You pay your money into a pool, and a local farmer gives you a partial stake in a goat. Your stake in the goat(s) pays dividends, payable in fresh dairy products. Legal. Sensible. Beneficial for the farmer. Beneficial for the consumer.
Win-win.
My problem is, I have not been able to find a comparable program here in Louisiana or Mississippi (or anywhere online, for that matter). I assume that the footprint of any such program is kept small intentionally. Shipping/delivery costs would have to be kept to a minimum, and would be subject to other rules and regulations. But if anyone has heard of a similar program, I would be very interested in participating.
At least so that when people ask me about my stock portfolio, I can respond that I have interests in small agriculture...
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