We're really glad you stopped by for a visit. Located in the Florida Panhandle, Fleming Farm is modest in size but ambitious in our dream. Yes, we've fallen in love with our goats . . . something only another "goat person" understands. This site has been built, not to replicate others, but to share some of the pitfalls, pratfalls, and downright stupid stuff we've learned as novice goat herders.

We've recently joined the American Boer Goat Association (Member #8600) and we're upgrading our herd with the purchase of a registered fullblood buck (Spring 2000). Through the school of "hard knocks" we've learned that even when getting started, you should buy the best registered buck you can afford. Some of our local ABGA veterans have graciously helped us search for our new buck. In these first two years of raising goats, we've come to appreciate every aspect of raising goats, including goat meat as a regular part of our meals. One of the first and most basic of animal husbandry laws -- never name something you're going to eat.

Our first herd billy, "Sir William Slice" was a handsome 3/4 Boer with great features. He didn't grow as fast as some Boers do, but he was tops as far as we were concerned. He gave us some wonderful doelings for our future percentage efforts. Most of our nannies and doelings make up a hodgepodge of Boer-looking goats that are unregistered (that will change over the next year or so). The First Lady of Fleming Farm (second only to my wife) is a 3/8 Boer named Copper Penny; the ladies in waiting include a Nubianish girl named Cottontop, a 3/8 Boer named Spice, briar goats named Blue and Holly, two Saanens -- Priscilla and Ann, and a huge Boer-cross named Sweetie. Then there's Dolly, Pretty Girl, Sissy, Jill, and a couple of yet-to-be named kids.

Our kidding season for Winter 1999-2000 was very successful with a good balance of bucklings and registerable doelings. Moving toward registered part-bred and fullblood animals is exciting -- I even enjoy the paperwork and I must admit, I take pride in revealing that my goats are ABGA registered when showing them to visitors.

As for the humans at Fleming Farm, there's three of us -- Virgil (that's me), Elaine (my wife), and Jon (youngest son). When not working around the farm, I'm working at our church as a marriage counselor and visitation minister. My wife is an associate insurance agent with Nationwide. If you've read this Boerish dissertation, then you must really be into goats. If you're just getting started and are starving for friendly advice, be sure to email us at: goodnews4you@gateway.net