GOATS!

I'm super excited.

A year or so ago I decided that along with chickens and veggies, our little urban homestead needed a source of milk! Raw milk is nigh impossible to access here. My little scrap of land couldn't accommodate even a mini cow, so I started looking into dairy goats.

I learned all about breeds that would be suitable and basic care and maintenance. The last thing I want to do is get these wonderful animals and not give them the care they deserve. My final step in accessing feasibility was to check with our Urban County government to see if I would need to licence them like I do my dog. I was SHOCKED that because I wasn't zoned AG, I could not have a goat. Surely, a goat is not as much of a nuisance as the 150 pound Mastiff that leaves Prius sized piles in my front yard (That neighbor does not get any bounty from my garden, FYI).

Apparently there is a $5/ DAY(!) fine for having an goat in Lexington on land that is not zoned for agricultural use. This concerned me greatly because our community is very supportive of urban gardening and has already ensured the right to bees, chickens and has provided support for several community garden initiatives.

I tweeted my frustration and was urged to contact the mayor and several council members. Why the heck not? I also sent a mass email to my farmer/gardener buddies.

So here we are. I don't have that go ahead yet, but the proper authorities have been contacted and I have mobilized our local urban farmers/gardeners. I have received word that at least one council member supports what we want to do and has assigned an aide to look into it. We will keep the pressure on and I hope things move quickly.