Teenah LeBlanc carries a bit of celebrity status in her west Courtenay neighbourhood - or at least her animals do.
LeBlanc breeds Nigerian dwarf goats. Rarely will an afternoon go by without visitors coming to the fence to get a better look at her prized possessions.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a lot of fun,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淓specially during school times B次元官网网址� we have some regulars, but there is always a handful of kids who stop by and feed them a little grass over the fence, which is fine, as long as itB次元官网网址檚 just grass - nothing leftover from their lunches.B次元官网网址�
The popularity is not surprising. Who doesnB次元官网网址檛 love goats?
Especially little goats!
Leblanc owns Folklore Farm - a registered Nigerian dwarf goat breeding business. She said Nigerian dwarf goats are popular for many reasons.
B次元官网网址淭hey are excellent if you have a smaller piece of property because they eat less, they make less of a mess, they are a lot easier to handle, and great if you have kids, because they arenB次元官网网址檛 clomping around and knocking people over,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎nd theyB次元官网网址檙e just cute. Everybody loves them.B次元官网网址�
There is also an agricultural angle to Nigerian dwarf goats.
B次元官网网址淭hey are excellent dairy goats,B次元官网网址� said LeBlanc. B次元官网网址淭hey are a miniature dairy breed, and they have the highest butterfat content to their milk of all the goat breeds. So they make excellent cheese.B次元官网网址�
Despite growing up in Vancouver, goats have nearly always been a part of LeBlancB次元官网网址檚 life.
B次元官网网址淲hen I was young, my neighbours - an older couple next door - always had goats,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淪o I remember goat births, and helping out with kids and all that from a very young age. It just kind of stuck with me. I didnB次元官网网址檛 realize at the time, living in the city, that it was strange that I had experience with these farm animals.B次元官网网址�
When she and her husband, Scott, met, they chose to leave the big city for the Interior and found a property outside of Penticton. Their first purchase was, naturally, a couple of goats.
B次元官网网址淲e actually bought our first two goats from someone in Langley before we even closed on that farm,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 just always wanted goats of my own, obviously.B次元官网网址�
The LeBlancs have been in the goat-breeding business for about seven years now. They moved to the Island last year, bringing their two original goats with them, and relaunched the business once they got here.
They did have a Nubian goat in the Interior, but Teenah said that breed is not as popular for suburban living.
B次元官网网址淭hey are extremely loud, so they are not necessarily great if you have neighbours close by.B次元官网网址�
All cuteness aside, there is a science to the goat-breeding business. The Folklore Farm Nigerian dwarf goats are registered, and the LeBlancs are constantly monitoring their stock, to ensure health protocols are in place.
B次元官网网址淲e do have a level of bio-security, because there are some diseases goats can getB次元官网网址� we draw blood and test for that (regularly) to make sure the herd is clean, so we canB次元官网网址檛 really just have people wandering in and out.B次元官网网址�
LeBlanc said the move to the Island has been ideal for the family, and the business.
B次元官网网址淥ur last place was a little remote, and we were finding it hard with the (children), trucking them into town all the time for activities. So when we decided to move to the Island, Comox Valley was perfect. It checks all the boxes for us in regards to the size of the community, and the beauty of the place. It felt right, and it has just all worked out.B次元官网网址�
For more information on Folklore Farm, visit f or check out the Folklore Farm
terry.farrell@blackpress.ca
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