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You know that ad campaign by Real California Milk? The one with all the commercials and billboards that claim "good cheese comes from happy cows"? The same can be said of goats. And the goats at Blue Heron Farm seem deliriously happy.
That could be in part because their owners, Christian and Lisa Seger, are deliriously happy, too. They left their day jobs in 2006 to start a farm with the mission of showing that is is indeed possible to "run a profitable farm while treating the land, the animals and the people involved with dignity and respect."
The couple is so dedicated to the humane treatment of the animals and the land that they have a complete transparency policy. They offer regular tours of the farm so customers can see where the farm's primary product, goat cheese, comes from. Lisa is also a prolific tweeter, sharing silly goat images on Twitter daily.
The Segers raise Nubian goats, which they claim are pretty spoiled. Based on the images online and the video below, it's hard not to agree with that assessment. All the goats have names, and are given access to large, grassy pastures as well as shelter when they need it. They mingle with the farmstead dogs, a revolving cast of strays that Lisa fosters until they find permanent homes, and cuddle with their human family.
Nubian goats produce less milk than other breeds of dairy goat, but their milk is so rich it creates a superior product. All the goat cheese is made at the farm, then trucked into town where it's sold at farmers' markets and shops around town. The plain goat cheese gives the best indication of the high quality of the product, but Lisa also adds flavors like chipotle and green goddess. In addition to chevre, classic goat cheese, the farm produces feta cheese and cajeta, a Mexican goat milk caramel.
Check out the video below to learn more about Lisa and Christian and their crew of goofy goats.
