City Goats: The Goat Justice League's Guide to Backyard Goat Keeping

by Jennie Grant

Time Magazine calls author Jennie Grant the, "godmother of goat lovers." Jennie Grant is your average 40-something mother with a bungalow in Seattle's leafy Madrona neighborhood, a happy middle-school child, a tolerant husband, and a pug named Eddie. She also happens to keep chickens and two milking goats, Snowflake and Eloise, and is regionally known as the passionate founder of the Goat Justice League. Since Grant began keeping milking goats several years ago, she has learned firsthand the remarkable benefits and beauty of keeping goats -- how much healthier and easier to maintain a yard with goats can be, the tolerance levels of neighbors, the health benefits of non-industrial foods, and how interacting with goats inspires a connection with nature. City The Goat Justice League's Guide to Urban Goat Keeping is her step-by-step guide to raising a pair of dairy goats in your urban or suburban backyard, from learning city zoning requirements and selecting goats to setting up your yard, building a goat shed, feeding and caring, kidding, and milking. Practical and at times comical (just like a goat!), connected both to nature and the city, and slightly rebellious -- City The Goat Justice League's Guide to Urban Goat Keeping is a book for gardeners, people committed to eating locally, and anyone who has ever pondered joining the backyard goat revolution.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals

176 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2012

Reviews

[Maryjmetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I was the project editor for this book during its editing/production. But then, I work on a *lot* of books and I don't go giving most of them five stars on GoodReads. I loved this book from the start: Jennie is a subtly subversive writer who manages to cover a lot of non-goat ground in her very useful and practical book about having goats in your backyard. There's an excellent expose about "The Great Gatsby," too.

Here's the back cover copy you won't read on the actual book:


“This is a book about how to care for urban dairy goats” is the deceptively simple first line of City Goats, the inspirational but down-to-earth guide to urban goatkeeping penned by the founder of the Goat Justice League, Jennie Grant. A quick glance will confirm that within these pages are plenty of nitty-gritty details about owning and caring for goats in the city, including:

preparing your goat yard
feeding and housing your goat
milking
breeding
weaning kids
keeping your goat healthy

But you’ll find more than just everything you might need to know about the special needs of the urban goat. Along with information on how much protein a nursing goat requires, are tips on how to find out if goats are legal in your municipality and, if not, how to see about changing that. Jennie explores the development of the pet vs. livestock divide and the bizarre consequences of excluding the animals that feed us from our daily lives. She recognizes that most of us don’t have lots of acreage to play with and lays out how your goats can be healthy, happy, and productive in as little as 400 square feet.

The book also addresses the needs of the new goat-owner: which breeds of goat give the most, and best-tasting, milk? What goat chores can you hire out without losing your urban farmer cred? And, perhaps most critically, it contains two goat cheese recipes to help you win more converts to the concept of goats in the city.

Jennie P. Grant led the charge to get goats legalized in Seattle. She blogs at goatjusticeleague.org and lives in Seattle with her husband, son, two goats, several chickens, and a pug named Eddie.

[Alisa Kester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every so often, I have a fit of insanity. I think: I live on a urban farm, I want fresh milk and cream and cheese and butter...I should have a goat. Or in this most recent fit, a goat and a dairy sheep. (Because apparently sheep milk is SO rich and creamy that sheep butter is OUT OF THIS WORLD awesome.)

When I acually find myself outside measuring the area in the back of the garden, and googling Icelandic sheep, there's only one cure.

I read a book on keeping dairy animals.

This is an excellent book on keeping city goats. Whether you are seriously considering the idea, or having your own fit of insanity, this is the book you need. It tells you every thing you need to know in a humorous manner, and then you will either get goats or recover your senses.

I'll leave you guessing which of those options is happening to me.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book! I'm not a goat keeper, I'm not going to be a goat keeper. Jennie Grant's writing is so fun to read! Using this book as source material for an audio drama podcast, Mercury: a Broadcast of Hope. A fictional character gets a goat. IRL though, I hope my brother decides to become a suburban goat family so I bought him a copy.

[Merri Carol Martens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fun book to read. My husband and I have had 2-3 milking goats for about 8 years and live in the country. It was really great to read her story and meet her goats. Good writing! Informative and entertaining! Very goat-like!🐐

[Caolan McMahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that this book exists and that it's written with in such good humour. Very entertaining, and a useful introduction to keeping dairy goats on a small scale. Even if you don't plan on getting a goat it's a fun read.

[Will G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today I learned that goat milk doesn't taste gross all the time.

[Casea Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

City Goats was adorable AND informative, talk about a twofer! Jennie Grant's guide to backyard goat keeping is geared toward any and all goat lovers. A person just getting into urban goat keeping will benefit from the easy to follow descriptions, and helpful tips and pointers. Even an experienced goat keeper is going to find great advice on topics like goat friendly backyard blueprints, goat exercise, and even how to make your community more goat-friendly!

I'd say it's must have for any goat keeper, if anything just for the wonderful pictures.

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

really excellent book. lots of good ideas and i loved the designs for a goat shed. also, good ideas for behavior correction. now only if i could train people as easily as my goats. definate;y will be adding to my goat rearing collection.

[Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for anyone who is thinking about getting goats for their urban farm. It is very informative and easy to understand. I don't have goats...yet, but this book was good research. I am a proud member of the Goat Justice League!

[M.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever, ever thought about or wanted or dreamed or inherited or won a goat, here's the book for you!
And, as a matter of fact, even if you already have a goat or goats, this book is sure give you some new insights and knowledge.

[Kendra]

I have a good feeling about this book, and I know it'll be interesting because I raise goats, and they're hoots!

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book on the basics of keeping goats in the city. Together with Storey's Guide to Keeping Dairy Goats, I think I have all the basic information covered.

[David Syzdek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great guide to keeping urban goats with a focus on milk goats.

[Fernleaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introductory look at keeping milk goats on a small scale in an urban (or suburban) setting.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and helpful.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book, and good information for raising daisy goats in a small space.