Goat farm in Tuscany

by Brent
(Tuscany Italy)

My Goats, Me and Cheese

I love reading about everyone elses farm. I have 125 acres in the beautiful Tuscany region of central Italy. Most of the land is mountain pasture and woods at a height of about 1200-2200 ft above sea level. The land is about 50% open and 50% wooded. There are acres of chestnuts, 425 olive trees, hazelnut grooves, 90 trees in the apple orchard and about 100 grape vines. I also keep a large vegetable garden and the mountains are full of wild mushrooms in the spring and fall. My main farming activity is raising goats. I cut down my herd from 77 last year to 38 this year. I transform all the milk into cheese and sell directly here at the farm or a few farmers markets. I have a passion for the animals and the cheese making and if I could swing it I would keep 100 of them BUT that is just too much work for a two man show. I have a full time helper from Romania who is here at the farm with me from when the babies are born in mid February until we stop milking in late November then he goes home to his family for a well earned rest and I enjoy the quiet of winter alone on my little farm. I also raise rabbits for meat, 22 chickens for eggs, geese, turkey and sheep.