Weed control is the main reason we keep goats on our property.  The goat meat may be eaten and many people love the milk as a beverage or for its hypo-allergenic properties in making lotions, soaps and salves.  We don't eat them and we tend to keep bucks or wethers.  They are entertaining pets and of course they can be cute when they are young.

Our goats are protected from predators and kept in the areas we want them to be within by an "electro" mesh fence.   The fence is portable and easy to relocate on the property when the goats have done their job of munching down the poison ivy and other weeds.   We use a fencer from Premier 1 Supplies.  The staff at Premier is knowledgeable and friendly.  The service we have received is top notch.  You can learn more about the electric net fence by following this link.

The tomatoes have started arriving.  They are not overrunning us yet, but one ripe fruit  a day and I can see many green orbs are hiding in the plantings.  This year we have planted more than varieties than past years. As I started growing my own transplants from seed.  We have at least 25 plants of just paste tomatoes grown from seed.  I found the seed in a 35mm film canister in the refrigerator this past February. Julie saved the seeds several years ago.  I guess we should take stock of the items is in the fridge more often.  

The photograph above shows a Thorburn's Terra-Cotta fruit that was grown from seed.   This fruit has a deep orange color with green shoulders that are a slight challenge in determining if it is ripe.  The inside jell around the  seeds is green.   The flavor surprised me. I was expecting a sharp unripe flavor, but these fruits are mild and slightly sweet.  The fruits I have picked have been about 2 - 3 inches across, not quite sandwich sized, but very good chopped into a salad.