Breeders' Bios October2000

Stevenson Ark Farm Tara Stevenson My husband and I both have backgrounds with animals. My husband had a horse, Jersey cow and Angora goats growing up, while I was horse crazy and had a few other animals too, including strays and injured critters. I also raised and showed rabbits for about 5 years. When we got married 5 years ago we were animal less and had 6 untouched acres to play with. The first year we worked on a house site and road. At the same time we went to the Livestock expo in Tennessee to get ideas on what we might like to have. We knew we wanted a dairy animal, and were thinking of possible an Irish Dexter or Devon. But there weren’t any of those there. Instead, we met some very nice people with goats. We learned a little about them and tried some milk. We joined their club,went to some meetings, and read every book we could find on goats! Nine months later, we had a small barn and two little Nubian kids., a doe and a wether. We lost the wether a week later to Urinary calcili and had to replace him with an alpine wether. Also, during this time we went to a show. I fell absolutely in love with the Oberhasli. But, when the time came that we were ready for goats, we couldn’t find any for sell. My husband liked the Toggenburgs, but many people told us that their milk tasted bad. Of course, we have since learned different. So we started with the most available breed, Nubian. Four months later an Oberhasli became available from Francis Hudson. She was the start of our Oberhasli herd. We showed her and her doe kid the next fall. We decided we liked showing a lot, but not coming in last.<G>So we’ve been participating in Linear Appraisal, bought some books on judging and conformation, and added some nice bloodlines to our herd. We added Toggenburgs to the herd a year and a half ago and this fall we added a Sable, which is a colored Saanen. We are also getting started with AI. Our goals are to go from being last to finishing champions. As well as just enjoying our wonderful goats and the milk they produce. Roger and Tara Stevenson toggnhasli@earthlink.net   Stevenson Ark Farm   TARA   A grandfather was walking past his young granddaughter's room one night when he saw her kneeling beside her bed, with head bowed and hands folded, repeating the alphabet. "What are you doing?" he asked her. She explained, "I'm saying my prayers, but I couldn't think of just what I wanted to say. So I'm just saying all the letters of the alphabet, and God can put them together however he thinks best."      AD Space

Rosethyme Farm Saanens & Nubians Victoria Pardee Hi, My name is Victoria Pardee. I live in Poughkeepsie, NY and except for 8 months in Arizona, have lived here in NY all my life. We are in the Hudson Valley about 2 hrs north of NYC. My herd is Rosethyme Farm. I have a son, Alex, who is 23 years old. I am 43 years old and have been married to my husband Charles for 25 years. I could not convince Charles to get goats in 1976. Shortly after we were married, we went to look at some Nubians near us and the starting price was $400.00!! Charles was only bringing home $86.00 a week. So end of goat dream for a time. Well, things change and in 1995 I got my first goats. I started with Nubians as I love the colors and the rich milk. I have been teased about my intolerance for loud goats (did you know loud goats are very tasty) and have been told I started with the wrong breed. So last year at the Convention, I looked at Lauri Acton's beautiful Saanen spotlight buck and ordered a buck and a doe from her. The doe was born with a small gray spot on the back of her head and Laurie said I could change my mind if I wanted to. I really wanted the milk behind the doe and we (yes Chas. is now hooked too) took her. I later ordered a Saanen doeling (Sired by the full brother of the spotlight buck I fell in love with) also. So our herd now consists of Nubians, Saanens and a Sable named Trouble. Her name certainly fits her. Her registered name is Trillium which means tri-colored. She has developed gray and cream facial stripes, dorsal stripes and cream and gray shading. She is really very beautiful and tri-colored. We are on DHIR test, linear appraise, and show a little. We raise all kids pasteurized and test for CAE-V through WSU. As of Fall 2000 all are Negative. I drive a school bus for developmentally disabled children during the week and have started a business. I am doing custom semen processing and have also started marketing semen for several breeders. I am a member of ADGA, NYSDGBA, and a member and new president of Progressive DGC in the Hudson Valley area. We also have chickens for eggs and a peahen names Ralphie. She looked like a Ralphie when she hatched and I was hopeful until she laid an egg. We got a Maremma puppy just 6 weeks ago. I can hear coyotes and wild dogs behind our place in the woods. We have been lucky so far and hope the Maremma will keep the wild ones away. Millie, the Maremma, already barks at our Boxer when he gets too near her girls fence. I enjoy collecting cookbooks and have over 300 of them and also cast iron cookware which I use everyday. I hope that as an organization ISBA will be able to get Sables the recognition they deserve. It seems such a shame to have an animal discarded or destroyed just because of its hair color. Quick change of subject, I A/I'd four does this year. Two are due in 4 weeks (so exciting) one did not take,I was too late, and one is pending. The Saanen doeling is A/I'd to GCH ++*B des-Ruhigestelle Equus for May kids if she settles. Trouble, the Sable, is not bred and has not showed any sign of heat and so may be living up to her name again! But, we love her and are sure at some point we will have more beautiful Sables in our herd. Thanks Vicki The herd can be viewed at http://www.geocities.com/pardeevictoria Victoria Pardee Rosethyme Farm Saanens & Nubians Custom Caprine Semen Collection http://www.geocities.com/rosethyme_farm DHIR/LA/CAEV Prevention/AI 845-485-3165