Goat's Milk Solves Digestive Problem, 1934

Carolina Co-operator, March 1936

Can’t Get Her Goat

Late in the fall of 1934, Mrs. Nora Hopkins, an active club member in Martin County and a tenant farmer’s wife, came to the home agent and told her of a bad stomach trouble from which she was suffering. She knew she should have milk to drink but without money to buy a cow or the feed for one, she said her only hope was to find a milk goat.

Miss Lora Sleeper, the home agent, started on a hunt to locate a milk goat and learned much about goats as a result of inquiries made. Letters were mailed to the State Extension office, Raleigh, and also to Virginia Extension office and soon goat breeders were heard from, one interested breeder calling at  the home agent’s office.

Mrs. Hopkins finally made a bargain with this goat breeder and secured a mother goat and kid, known as Togenburgs, for $5. This was a very low price for Togenburgs but the goats had roamed the woods and the mother was not producing heavily.

It was no easy matter for Mrs. Hopkins to tame the mother goat to get better milk production. The goat gave very little at first, approximately only one cupful in addition to what the kid used, but she was given good care and was petted and humored until now she objects to anyone else but her owner touching her.

Mrs. Hopkins’ stomach trouble improved steadily under her milk diet and she experimented with the milk in making butter. The product was a curiosity. In spite of the richness of goat’s milk, the butter like the milk was pure white, and the melting temperature was lower than that of ordinary butter fat.