Where it all began…

The vision to create Sky River Meadows and bring my herd came at a time of deep sadness for me. After 30 years of volunteering in animal rescue and rehabilitation, my heart was broken. Witnessing the darkest side of human-animal interaction had taken its toll and I had hit my breaking point. This led me to ponder some interesting questions with God.

My experience taught me how cruel humans can be to animals and each other. I had seen the pain, fear, and complete distrust. What would it feel like to have a pure connection with another being, free from fear, doubt, and judgment? Could we build or create such a reality? What principles would guide us to achieve it? I believe the key principles would be openness, non-judgment, dialogue, connection, and respect. Being mindful of body language and other non-verbal cues would also be crucial.

What sets humans apart from other animals and beings? It's their unique ability to wear masks, display incongruence, and be capable of lies and deceit. Unlike prey animals in a herd, humans tend to spend most of their time in their heads and not in their bodies. Prey animals are 100% mindful and their social structure and culture ensure herd safety and integrity. However, humans no longer live in communities and are gradually losing the ability to relate to others.

What makes goats unique? They embody a childlike state of playfulness and are authentic in the mosh pit of life thanks to their distinctive herd social structure and hierarchy.

When two Alpine X baby goats entered my life, I had no prior experience or knowledge of raising them. It was a challenging and steep learning curve, which was compounded by the loss of one of our first goats. However, with the arrival of two new goats and a lot of learning, I gradually fell in love with Nigerian Dwarf Goats. I came to realize that they were rare in Canada and not easy to find.

My first ND doe was Imperial K Bonnie, who was wild and completely unwilling to accept my ideas. I had to search for specific does with particular temperaments, as I was looking for those who were 100% willing to connect with me. Eventually, I found three sisters, born a year apart and all from the same farm, who had the right characteristics.