A Q&A with Farmer Rachel Scherer from Little White Goat Dairy

Rachel Scherer is the owner and operator of The Little White Goat Dairy, which produces fine cheeses, yogurt, raw goat's milk and more! You can find her cheeses at Quabbin Harvest. 

 

1. How long have you lived in the North Quabbin?
We moved here in 1981. The land looked very different then! 

 

2. When did you first start raising goats?
I got my first goats in 2006, from another coop member, Sylvia Wetherby.

 

3. What are the health benefits of dairy and meat that comes from goats?
Goat milk is well tolerated by both adults and children who have problems with cow milk. The main proteins are different enough to not trigger allergies, and there is less lactose. Raw goat milk, which we sell on the farm ( MA still doesn't permit store sales) has enzymes and probiotic bacteria that help digest the lactose, so for many people like myself  that are lactose intolerant, raw goat milk is fine. The lactofermented milk products we make - yogurt, kefir, and cheese - are full of probiotics, vitamins, and minerals from the nutrient dense pastures the goats live on. The meat is very tender and delicately flavored. It is very lean and low  in LDL cholesterol. Both dairy and meat have lots if Omega-3s!

 

4. What do you love about raising goats?
Goats have lots of personality and are very clearly individuals. They are sweet tempered, affectionate, and smart! We breed for temperament as much as for milk quality. I love to go sit out in the pasture with them and listen to them rustling in the grass and catch the scents if the different plants as they change what they are grazing on.

 

5. Do you shop at the co-op? What's your favorite product?
I love shopping at the coop! I pop in for eggs and produce to make omelettes and salads and smoothies with our cheeses and yogurt and kefir! but I must say my weekly Rose32 bread (and sticky bun) stop is my favorite. Little White Goat Chèvre and one if those rustic baguettes - it doesn't get any better!