Lets Talk Urban Goats

There are alot of opinions about raising goats in an Urban Environment. I can only speak truthfully and honestly about my experiences. First of all, goats are fun. They are truly entertaining and are extremely intelligent. Nevertheless raising them inside of an Urban environment has its complexities. Goats like any other Farm Animal need to move around. They need to be stimulated. A bored goat will let you know he is bored. They go from quiet to making insane racket.

Jake my Billy Pictured here is hell bent to see whats on the other side of the fence behind the door and any place that is off limits to him. One day while cleaning his pen he rammed my son knocking him down; ran out to the yard... headed straight for my porch steps and ran straight through my glass door. Ouch!! Yup... that Damn Goat!! The word "Curry" just saturated my thoughts at that time. Its almost like the goats are plotting. Like they know they are smarter than Humans. Somethings going on in that head of theirs that we just assume is primal instinct. I am erring on the side of caution because I believe they are secretly trying to take over the world!

 

Would I do Goats again? Yes and No... Yes If I had more land for them to frolic and do their goat business on and No because the Juice is not worth the squeeze. In an Urban Environment you need to be efficient and everything is competing for space. The benefits of raising Goats are that they provide rich Nutrient droppings for the garden. They provide milk.. But really??? I can get milk. If I were a Dooms Day Prepper I can see the benefits of having Goats.. But you will need more than one to benefit from. Goats only breed once a year so its not like you can provide yourself a steady source of meat. So looking at this carefully... in an urban environment. I'm going to have to give a Thumbs Down on the goats. Rabbits are a far better choice in terms of efficiency and caring for in an Urban Setting than raising goats. The debate will continue on the Urban goat Saga. While we poke away at whats good and whats no...t we better focus on them Goats, Before they take over the world:)

 

Winter Garden for Zone 8

 
This Winter gardening has been pretty simple. Over the years I have had some complex issues trying to grow Veggies during the winter in Zone 8. The truth is... Growing any veggie in Zone 8 during the winter is much easier than trying to attempt it during the Summer.

My main problem was keeping the local squirrels out of my garden. I started a squirrel eradication campaign by just wiping them out. Squirrels have quickly become the leading pest to destroy my garden and a one pump pellet gun that shoots 1200fps is the best control measure against squirrels. Yes I know there are people in the neighborhood who balk at the idea of shooting squirrels. So what you have to do is shoot them in head so that way they just drop. Lucky for me Squirrel meat is absolutely delicious and I use those engagements as another way to put meat in the freezer. I hear a Jeff Foxworthy joke coming... "You might be a RedNeck If........." LOL!!
But with all that said my efforts have proved fruitful for the first time in a few years where I dont have too fight with critters eating my harvest.

This years winters harvest in the Zone 8 Region will consist of Broccoli, Cabbage, Collards, Swiss Chard, A hydrid cabbage Collard Combo thingy, Artichoke and of course the food of the Gods.. Garlic!!

Temps are very mild for this time of the year but these plants thrive when the air is crisp. Im looking forward to saute greens in the near future.

 

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Its been several months since I made my last post. Taking time off to clear my head and work through the new challenges in my life as helped out tremendously. Instead of ramping things down I have actually doubled down over the past several months learning new things and developing a different concept on life and the meaning of being a "Self-Sufficientist". I appreciate all the bloggers and readers who visit this site to exchange ideas and I look forward to sharing this next chapter of my life with you all. Thanks for all the continued support!! To better serve you with the most outrageous and thought provoking material on the topic of Self-Sufficiency please do a Search on Facebook for the Urban Self-Sufficientist. I will use this tool along with the Blog as a way to continue sharing my adventures. Take care and Of Course..... "Happy Gardening!":)