Farm Blog - Bystander Farm

Turning Farm Scraps Into Gold

Carrot‑Top Pesto: Turning Farm Scraps Into Gold Every season has its little surprises, and this week it was carrots, a whole armful of them, pulled from the beds just before Florida’s heat turns them woody and weird. They came up all shapes and sizes, the kind of honest, crooked carrots that only a home garden […]

Assessing Goat Condition: A Practical Guide for New Goat Owners

Assessing Goat Condition: A Practical Guide for New Goat Owners Using the 5‑Point Goat Assessment to Decide When Intervention Is Needed When you’re new to goats, it’s easy to panic the first time one looks a little thin, a little off, or just “not quite right.” Goats are expressive animals, but they’re also prey animals, […]

CD&T Vaccinations for Goats: What They Are, Why They Matter, and Why Timing Counts

I’m a farmer, not a veterinarian, and everything here comes from hands‑on experience and the best information available to small‑scale goat owners. This post is meant to help you make informed decisions for your herd, but it isn’t a substitute for professional veterinary advice. Always reach out to a qualified vet if you have concerns […]

Bystander Farm’s Fresh Goat Milk Cottage Cheese

Two Ways: Cultured & No‑Culture, Both Beautiful Cottage cheese is one of those cheeses that meets you exactly where you are, whether you’re a seasoned cheesemaker with cultures lined up in the freezer, or someone who just wants to turn a gallon of milk into something soft, fresh, and nourishing. My challenge is always […]

From Goat Milk to Goose Eggs

The Farmhouse Cheesecake I Didn’t Know I Needed Every season on the farm has its own rhythm. Right now, ours sounds like the steady hum of the milking stand, the soft clink of jars in the fridge, and the unmistakable honk of Pilgrim geese announcing that egg season has officially begun. And when the goats […]

When the Geese Are Laying

When the Geese Are Laying! What to Make With Goose Eggs on the Farm Every year there’s a moment, usually sometime between the first warm breeze and the first baby alligator intrusion in the pond, when the Pilgrim geese decide it’s time. Egg season. Suddenly the nesting spots fill, the girls get opinionated, and I […]

Disbudding Goats: Bystander’s Guide to What, Why, and How

If you’ve spent any time around goats, you know horns are part of their natural charm. They’re beautiful, they’re useful in the wild, and they’re part of what makes goats… goats. But on a small farm, horns can also be trouble. That’s where disbudding comes in. What Is Disbudding? Disbudding is the process of removing […]

Ensuring the Safety of Your Home-Produced Milk

A Guide to On-Farm Rapid Testing for Cheese, Butter, and Beyond In light of recent news of hospitalizations in our state due to raw milk consumption, and as a small dairy producer myself, this seems like important information to get out there for the rapidly growing home dairy community. Even when you’re not selling raw […]

Post-Banding Care Guide for Bucklings

🐐 Post-Banding Care Guide for Bucklings 📆 Healing Timeline Week What to Expect Owner Actions 1 Mild swelling, band firmly in place Watch for discomfort, check daily 2 Tissue begins to darken and dry No tugging or handling, monitor hygiene 3 Scrotum looks necrotic, may show redness nearby Check for irritation or infection; clean gently […]

Castrating Male Goats on the Small Farm: A Practical, Humane Guide

Castrating Male Goats on the Small Farm: A Practical, Humane Guide Castrating male goats is a common and responsible management practice for small farms. Whether you’re raising wethers for companionship, meat, or calmer herd dynamics, the decision to castrate, and how to do it, matters. This guide is written from the hands-on perspective of a […]