# BYH Member Interview - elevan



## Sumi (Nov 16, 2014)

Here's a member that needs no introduction. Emily, known as elevan has been a BYH member since October 2010 and a site moderator since 2011. She is one of our goat experts and wrote a series of articles on goats as well as a Goats Notes e-book which is available from our sister site, BYC, Store.

1. Emily, tell us a bit more about yourself.

I’m nearly 37 years young and have been married to my best friend, Clint, for 17 ½ years. We are raising 2 children who we consider our own (we have legal custody and they call us Mom & Dad), 1 son (B) and a transgender daughter (K). As you can imagine life has been interesting to say the least. I am an accidental civil rights activist, as in I didn’t seek it out but here I am. 

I’m a specialty foods producer making condiment style jams and a decadent treat, the Hot Chocolate Stick, that is my number one requested item. I also custom blend teas with my Wake Me Up rivaling coffee as a morning beverage. I also make jewelry.

I volunteer regularly at a local foods cooperative to help educate people about where their food comes from.

On the farm we’ve been slowly steering ourselves toward specializing in guinea fowl and wanting to improve our meat rabbits.

2. Why and when did you start keeping goats?

My first memory of keeping goats was maybe around age 5...when we got our first doe. She was all we had for a long time kept mainly for weed control. We then had goats on and off throughout my childhood and I decided to get into keeping them for myself as an adult.
I started keeping them as an adult because I wanted the kids to experience what it was like to care for animals, the joyful personality of goats and allow them to gain some responsibility. I also just plain wanted them in my life again.

3. Which aspect(s) of goat raising do you enjoy the most?

One major thing that I enjoy about goats is their personality. Beyond personality, they are a multi-useful animal which is something that I find endearing.

4. Which members of your herd, past and present, stand out for you and why?

Daisy - She was a herd queen, who always had such an easy time kidding and took such great care of her kids. She was also incredibly easy to milk for being a pygmy. When you called for her she would bring the whole herd with her whether you wanted them or not!

Speedy - He was just the most lovable buck that I’ve ever known. Probably the noisiest too!

5. What was the funniest thing(s) that happened to you in your years as a goat owner?

When we brought Speedy home (he was just a kid and didn’t have his name yet) we let the tailgate down on the truck and Clint (DH) opened the crate door. But before he could get a grasp on Speedy the little goat was out the crate door and off running! Around the garage, through the backyard and through a gap in the fence into the neighbor’s yard. Clint was about 10 feet behind him the whole time just trying to keep up. As Clint squeezed through the gap in the fence he caught his pants and the leg ripped clear down the side, so he continued chasing the little goat with his pants flapping in the breeze. So, now they’re running across 3 acres of the neighbor’s land and onto the next property and going across the road. They cross the road when the goat decided to run down a log that was jutting out into a pond. Clint was finally able to catch up at that point as Speedy decided what to do next. Well...he backs up and apparently thinks he can jump across the pond because he runs down the log and leaps and falls right into the middle of a pond a half acre wide. Clint dove in after him. He was able to catch him and bring him back to shore safe and sound. After that wild race, Speedy got his name of Speedy and we realized that Clint had a brand new phone in his pocket when he jumped into the pond. Doh! What was I doing the entire time? Watching and laughing of course!

6. Beside goats, what other animals and birds do you keep?

We have guinea fowl, ducks, rabbits, pot belly pig, cats and dogs.

We have had in the past chickens, quail, llama, a beef steer and horses. 

7. What animal do you think you would enjoy raising that you haven't tried yet?

I’m fascinated by yaks but after my experience with a beef steer I don’t know if I want to go there.

K, our daughter, wants a sheep.

Insect rather than animal but I’d enjoy bees, I think.

8. Anything you'd like to add?

I believe in educating and advocating. If you have a question you want to ask me either publicly or privately I’m happy to respond.

http://www.backyardherds.com/members/elevan.2523/

For more about the interview feature and a full list of interviews see here:

http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/vip-member-interviews.29571/


----------

