Gateway to homesteading

FOUNTAIN, Minn. — In the early mid-2000s, the Zoellner family got the first of what they have since nicknamed their “gateway chickens.” For them, the fowl opened doors to a lifestyle of homesteading and self-sustainability that now includes dozens of dairy goats.

“I don’t care where you come from, (if you think) ‘I’m going to homestead,’ it’s a chicken — that’s the first thing you get,” Kirsten Zoellner said. “We were just so blissfully happy.”

Kirsten and her husband, Joel, own Liten Dal Farm near Fountain. There, on almost 11 acres, they raise about 40-60 registered Nubian goats, milking 15-18 does each year. They also own Highland cattle that they can milk freestanding in the pasture as well as chickens and other animals.

The Zoellners farm alongside their six children, homeschooling the youngest four. Evin, the oldest, is their farm manager. She will be attending the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine next fall. Another adult daughter, Lauren, works on their marketing.

The dairy goat herd was established around 2007 when they purchased their first registered Nubian goat as a companion for the children’s pony.

The goats multiplied, fitting the Zoellners’ desires to have their own milk supply for the large family they planned on having.

“We got into cheese making and all the other things that come with it,” Kirsten said. “It just snowballed.”

Today, the family markets their genetics and milk, and they show their goats. They sell breeding stock, from kids to aged does, annually, have exported breeding stock internationally, and have a waiting list for wethers. Increasingly, their micro dairy is becoming a major component of their business.

The Zoellners started doing linear appraisal in 2022. They breed for production, breed conformity, behavior, parasite resistance, fertility and kidding ease. Kirsten said health is their No. 1 priority. They test annually for disease, and each animal is tested once for genetic normalcy.

“If we can build animals that are going to work long-term for us and consistently put out the traits that we want, it’s going to reap so many more benefits,” she said.

They have incorporated line breeding with their own bucks since 2022 and are beginning to utilize A.I. in their breeding program.

The Zoellners kid starting in mid-February. They have cameras in their barn to aid in monitoring. Once kidded, the goats milk a 305-day lactation.

Kids are fed free choice cold milk in a lambar feeder. The Zoellners started using this last year and said they saw significant increases to average daily weight gains and healthier kids with less parasite and disease problems.

Kirsten said infrastructure startup costs are part of the reason they have not become a larger, commercial goat dairy.

“We went the micro dairy route and just direct to customer because I have no interest in having 140 goats,” she said. “You add that many animals, and you exponentially have problems, and I think it’s very hard to manage what you want to do with the herd in the long term.”

Their milk customer base varies on the time of year and available supply. Normally, they have about 12 shares. Their customer base is diverse and includes older and younger adults, families and single people. Customers sign up for a share, sign a liability waiver and take the milk home in their own containers.

“They become like another … extension of the family,” Kirsten said. “They leave us Christmas cards and Christmas cookies. We leave them little gifts now and again.”

The Zoellners milk their goats twice a day with a milking system. Joel built their first system in 2012. All milk is double filtered. The Zoellners do not have a bulk tank, so after milking, the milk is rapidly cooled in glass containers in a freezer for 90 minutes before being stored in a refrigerator.

“We’ve always told people … ‘We’re consuming this, too, and are giving it to our kids, so we’re making sure that everything is as high-standard as possible,’” Kirsten said.

The Zoellners said they have shown every species of farm animal through 4-H.

“(The goat community) is competitive, but the most cooperative and helpful, as well as being highly networked,” Kirsten said. “They want to work together and help each other.”

Kirsten shares their story via their farm’s social media. She said if she does not post for a few days, she gets texts wondering whether everything is OK.

“It’s people who don’t live on farms, they’re so curious about agriculture,” Kirsten said.

The Zoellners encourage visitors, although they require an appointment.

“If somebody has this genuine question about agriculture or wants to get into goats … we’re happy to talk,” Kirsten said.

As they look to the future, the Zoellners have the goal to convert their grain bin into a farm office and store. They are also planning other projects related to agriculture education, agritourism and direct-to-consumer sales. Overall, they hope to keep updating the farm, pay it off and give their children the opportunity to take over.

“The idea is that, when we’re ready to retire, we can pass off a farm that’s fully functional and multifaceted,” Kirsten said.

The Zoellners find working on their farm to be rewarding, and it has fit their vision for raising their family.

“There’s just something that comes with that lifestyle,” Kirsten said. “It’s a slower pace. … You learn to appreciate more. ... You’re more connected to the world around you, to your neighbors, to your community.”