| | | | Dear Friends,
As another year comes to a close, it's a great time to reflect on what has brought us joy throughout the year. For me, that means watching my goat herd thrive. I am especially proud of our breeding program at Redwood Hill Farm, which has once again brought us accolades at the California State Fair, the Sonoma County Fair, and others.
This month on our blog, we show you what it takes to raise an award-winning dairy goat. Showing goats isn't just a beauty contest. Judges base their scoring on traits that will ensure a dairy goat has a long and productive life. And these shows give us important feedback on our animals—information we use to improve the herd over time.
I'm also incredibly proud of a new water conservation project being implemented at Redwood Hill Farm. Just in time for the rainy winter months, we're installing a series of large water holding tanks designed to catch and store rainwater. Read on for more details.
Finally, don't miss two fun and indulgent recipes that take advantage of one of my favorite winter ingredients: Meyer lemons. If you can't find Meyers in your area, a regular lemon works well, too.
>From everyone here at Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery, we wish you a happy, healthy, and joyful new year.
Warm regards,
Jennifer
Jennifer Bice
Founder & Managing Director
Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery |
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What Makes a Winning Dairy Goat? |
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| We’ve come to the end of another successful goat show season at Redwood Hill Farm. Have you ever wondered what it takes to raise an award-winning dairy goat? In this blog post, we take you on a visual tour of our herd, and explore some of the qualities that make our goats champions. |
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We're excited to be nearing completion of a large-scale rainwater catchment system at Redwood Hill Farm, with the help of a generous grant and project assistance from the Gold Ridge RCD. Three large tanks will collectively capture up to 100,000 gallons, which will provide water to our 300 goats, 400 orchard trees, and a variety of garden produce.
Two separate rainwater systems will be constructed, utilizing a number of barn roofs to capture rainwater during the winter months and store it for summer use. This will help us offset well withdrawals in the summer, making our farm more resilient to drought and climate change.
Additionally, the RCD is developing a comprehensive water management plan for the farm, detailing best management practices to increase water use efficiency, attenuate stormwater, facilitate groundwater recharge, enhance soil water holding capacity, and address nutrient and sediment runoff. |
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| Goat kefir and lemon cookies? Find yourself a goat cookie cutter, and make up a whole herd! These lovely cookies are made with our Redwood Hill Farm Goat Milk Kefir. They are fun to decorate, and have a delicious buttery-lemon flavor.
Get the full recipe here
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| This is a classic lemon cake recipe that Jennifer Bice has been making with her award-winning chèvre for years. Arrange your tiny lemon cakes on a pretty serving platter, dust with powdered sugar and garnish with slices of lemon.
Get the full recipe here
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