Suburban goat saga, take 4

[ailsaek]

Well, today I spent $65 to send off certified mail letters to all the abutters (by town rules, "abutters" are anyone owning property within 200' of us) so that they'd get it in time for the July 9 meeting. Here's the text:

-=-
Thursday, 21 June 2007

Dear Neighbors:

I am writing to you today because you are all abutters to our land (the town's definition of “abutter” in this instance meaning anyone whose property is within 200' of ours). We have filed an application with the town for permission to keep livestock, specifically four miniature dairy goats (specifically one doe in milk and her children), eight chickens, and five ducks. Our property has over an acre of land, mostly wooded, and we plan to keep the animals in a fenced area back in the woods. From the road, you would never even know they are there.

Miniature dairy goats, by the way, are smaller than Golden retrievers, and they eat poison ivy and other noxious weeds and enjoy them. In many parts of the country, teams of goats are used for organic brush control. Miniature goats are also very friendly, great pets, and incredibly cute, and a doe in milk will give enough milk to support a small household as well as her own family.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call us at 781-xxx-xxxx or send us email at ailsaek@mac.com or adamek@mac.com. Also, if you wish to dispute our plans, we will be appearing before a meeting of the Board of Health on 9 July at 8:00 PM. The meeting will be held at the Sharon Town Offices, 90 South Main Street.

If the board OKs our plans, it should take us a couple of weeks to get up and running. If, after the first of August or so, you would like to drop by to see the cute baby animals, or to take your kids to see them, just call me or email me, you'd be most welcome.

Respectfully yours,
Ailsa C. Ek

P.S. If you have any poison ivy you don't want, we'll be happy to take it off your hands!
-=-

I dropped off the slips from the certified letters and a copy of the letter with the town health department, and the woman I talked to told me that our next-door neighbor has already been in to complain and is going around whipping up neighborhood sentiment against us. Nice, huh? And we're even members of the same synagogue, and our sons are classmates in school! What is it with people?

She also told me that a few pictures of miniture dairy goats would help, because she's never seen one and she's fairly sure the board hasn't either and has no idea what they are. So, does anyone have pictures of minis that they'd be willing to let me use for pro-goat propaganda purposes? Pictures of beaming chldren with goats would be even better, because they'd show scale and appeal to the whole family-oriented thing.

*sigh* I really really really hope we can manage to sway the board in our favor. I'm out $85 at least on this, and all I've done is spend money on red tape!

[Arina]

Dear Ailsa - good luck to you with this fabulous project - I hope your neigbor is just acting of some unfortunate typical fear of change, or fear of the unknown, fear of the "other" - keep in mind in these situations, people act their own insecurities and issues (i.e. not being heard elsewhere, being angry with something else, etc) - his negative reaction has no relevance to your goats, only on the surface. I know it does not help you, but lets hope he gets his steam out, gets "heard" by the municipality, then will see the cute photos and feel sooo big hearted and open minded, and in control, by saying "yes" to your goats! Just let him to act it all out, and move on. I would like to ask a permission to reprint your letter in my (very small) sustainability column here in Santa Fe, NM - where I am hoping to write an article about urban sustainability, goat keeping in towns, and cooperation in keeping chickens/goats between several neigbors (sharing work, sharing costs, sharing milk). We have one co-op of this nature going on in Santa Fe, I think 5 goats or so, in the city, and several families taking turns in milking etc. I don't know too many details and am planning to research it for my article. One thing they do, is sell milk shares - when you pay and come and milk on a schedule, and take the milk. I am sure they worked out all sorts of interesting solutions to issues of decision making, responsibility on part of share-holders, etc.
Meantime - good luck to you dealing with the insecure grump - lets hope whatever makes him grumpy changes soon!

[ailsaek]

Originally Posted by Arina

Dear Ailsa - good luck to you with this fabulous project - I hope your neigbor is just acting of some unfortunate typical fear of change, or fear of the unknown, fear of the "other" - keep in mind in these situations, people act their own insecurities and issues (i.e. not being heard elsewhere, being angry with something else, etc) - his negative reaction has no relevance to your goats, only on the surface.

I sure hope so. They live in a McMansion and have professional landscapers come by once a week to mow & blow their lawn. I have a big cottage garden and hang my laundry on lines in the back yard. We had a bit of a confrontation a couple of years back (five or six, by now, I think) when I was out pulling bittersweet out of our hedgerow and got overzealous and started removing it from one of their trees as well. Still don't understand why he felt the need to come out & scream at me over that, but I tend to avoid talking to them.

I've been trying to do a lot of deep breathing and reminding myself that no matter where I live, I am not going to get along with all my neighbors, but it still gets very frustrating.

I would like to ask a permission to reprint your letter in my (very small) sustainability column here in Santa Fe, NM - where I am hoping to write an article about urban sustainability, goat keeping in towns, and cooperation in keeping chickens/goats between several neigbors (sharing work, sharing costs, sharing milk).

Sure, go right ahead! And tell them not to move to suburban MA.

[cjb]

per your request, here's a pic of my son with his new ND doe "Fizzy".

This should convince them to let you have as many as you want ;-)

[chma4]

http://images.photos.walmart.com/34%...%3B58%3Anu0mrj
http://images.photos.walmart.com/34%...78%3B587nu0mrj

[ailsaek]

Wow, those are such great pictures! Thanks! With all that to look at, the entire board should run out & buy goats immediately.

[boermommy]

Forgive the ignorance, but are you in the city limits or something? Don't understand why you have to ask to keep livestock.

If they (the neighbors) have a problem with the cutest babies (human kids included) I've seen lately, tell them to stuff it and move on down here to North Carolina. We'll take you.

[ailsaek]

Originally Posted by boermommy

Forgive the ignorance, but are you in the city limits or something? Don't understand why you have to ask to keep livestock.

If they (the neighbors) have a problem with the cutest babies (human kids included) I've seen lately, tell them to stuff it and move on down here to North Carolina. We'll take you.

The town has a rule that you can only keep livestock if you have over an acre and the Board of Health approves, and all abutting neighbors get to put their oar in first.

I've priced houses and land in the Asheville area. I really want to live in an area where I don't need anyone's permission to keep critters about and try to be self-sufficient. And telling my neighbors to stuff it has great attraction, let me tell you. I grew up in New England, I love it here, but I am so tired of the housing prices, and the degree to which other people need to get into everyone else's business.

[BlueHeronFarm]

Bummer. Maybe if he understands that they are kosher animals??
Jokes aside-- do you know if it's a majority rules situation or can one poopy neighbor ruin it for everyone? I find people like us and our goats more when they get free milk/cheese.

[boermommy]

Asheville is a great place and it is beautiful. About three hours from me. Good choice.

Uh, and in the south, we get in everybody's business, too...we just do it
s-l-o-w-e-r.

[Raftercat5]

LOL, Boermommy. I'm about 3 hours from Asheville, too, I think....only it's northwest from here in Cheraw, SC. Hey, we'd love some good 'ol normal people here too. I also hang clothes out on the line, while my dryer sits there collecting dust. Your goats/chickens/ducks would be welcome in this area just fine.
- Kathy

[ailsaek]

Hey, I'm not claiming to be normal. Just that I hang laundry on the line and want to raise goats, ducks, chickens, etc. (I'm going to meet my first Kinder goats tomorrow, and I'm really excited.) If it weren't for having to fill out a form listing all the animals I want, I'd be looking at turkeys or geese too. I've never eaten goose, but I looooove turkey.

[Wags]

(click on the above thumbnail to see a larger picture)

You are welcome to use the above picture. The brown doe is 3 years old - just a few months older than my daughter. And my son is 18 months old just for size comparison.

The Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association has a nice little 2 page brochure with some great color pictures that might be good to print out and take a few copies of. http://www.ndga.org/

The Miniatrue Dariy Goat Association has an "about" section on their website that you could also print off and take with you to hand out. http://www.miniaturedairygoats.com/aboutminigoats.htm

[goose19726]

"Hey, I'm not claiming to be normal" normal is as normal does! if you are unable to convince the board or your neighbors and they refuse you your right to happiness then please look toward a more moderate area of this fine country like north carolina or my particular favorite oklahoma

[Scrounger]

I have 62 acres for sale in SE Nebraska! LOTS of brush for the goats, lots of deer, turkeys, and grass.