Oxford City Farm welcomes some brand new faces to its fields this month, as two new goats join the menagerie of animals Oxford residents can help care for and thrive. We got in touch with OCF to find out more about their latest addition.
Daily Information: What made you decide to bring goats to the farm?
Oxford City Farm: In outreach to farm volunteers, visitors, and the community, increasing the number and types of animals has been the number one request and goats have been the most requested type of animals. We've gotten amazing community support to increase the number of animals as well as a grant to help improve our accommodations to ensure the welfare of the animals.
DI:Who are Oxford City Farm’s new goat residents and where are they from?
OCF: We are receiving two goats donated by the wonderful Norton and Yarrow Cheese Company, which is based in Oxfordshire. They have their own herd to supply milk for their cheeses and they had two extra goats they were happy to donate to Oxford City Farm to raise awareness of goats as an important farm animal that isn't as common here in the UK as it should be. We will receive one anglo-nubian and one toggenberg goat. And one is pregnant so we hope to have kids on the farm from the middle of June!
DI: How can visitors volunteer to take care of the goats and what can they expect to do on the job?
OCF: People can sign up for our goat programme by following the link on our announcement page. The goat programme will give members the ability to come and look after the goats but also to sign up for milking shifts and take home all the milk from their shift. Of course, during the morning or evening milking shifts, members will be expected to ensure the goats are looking healthy and happy, as well as providing feed and water and changing out the bedding in their sleeping area if needed as well as some general maintenance to help keep them safe and happy.
DI: Of course, the goats are only the latest addition to the farm - what else can volunteers get involved with?
OCF: There are so many ways for people to be a part of ensuring healthy and wholesome food for the community! We have a general animal care volunteer programme where people sign up to care for our rapidly expanding chicken flock and small sheep herd. We have regular community growing sessions on fridays and saturdays where anyone can join in for tending the farm and our rapidly growing market garden for produce we donate and sell. Regular volunteers are also able to apply for a volunteer plus programme where they come and work side by side with our growers outside of normal sessions as well as in specific roles as growers assistants. We are also looking for volunteers to help our kitchen team in teaching and providing healthy meals.
DI: Do you have any social media that we can follow to keep up to date on the goat goings-on?
OCF: For sure! please follow us on instagram @oxfordcityfarm, twitter @oxcityfarm, facebook @oxfordcityfarm, or our website oxfordcityfarm.org.uk. That's also the best place to track the growth of our new chicken chicks that we've just hatched as well as a new batch hopefully coming soon!