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S In what could be called
Samantha’s Goats
Wilmington’s biggest agricultural
kick since the Baby Boomers’
obsession with Jethro Kloss’ “Back to
Eden,” a new generation has begun its
own movement toward a more agrar-ian
lifestyle. Samantha Smith, owner
of Sugar on Front Street, is a forerun-ner
in this rediscovered passion for the
organic.
“As a kid, I lived next to a family
that raised cows and I always loved
being around animals,” Smith says.
Her love for goats began when she
befriended Miss Sally Martin, owner
of Ashton Farm Summer Day Camp
in Burgaw, North Carolina. From
Miss Sally, Smith purchased two ram-bunctious
Nubian kids with the hope
that they would make great pets and
great companions for her children.
The family’s bottle-raised goats,
Wooly Wonka and Nanny McPhee,
are no strangers to sharing the love,
especially with a yard full of chickens,
two cats and a dog.
“Goats are funny animals to watch
and play with. Once they get older, I
can teach them how to laugh and dance
on command,” Smith says.
Noisy and nosy, Wooly and Nanny
are very social creatures with big appe-tites.
Though they are only six months
old, the pair has managed to clean
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august 2012
the leaves off of almost every tree.
Producing an average of two to
three quarts per day, Nubian goats are
not only loveable and playful, but also
provide their owners with a steady
supply of rich, creamy, wholesome
milk. When they reach a healthy birth-ing
weight (approximately 80 pounds),
Smith will finally be able to milk them.
“When they are old enough to be
milked, I will be able to get ... cheese
out of them. The rest of the milk will
be used to make candles, soaps and
lotions that I will sell in my shop,”
Smith says.
Not only will Smith soon be able
to get milk, cheese and other dairy
products from her goats, but she also
collects fresh eggs from her chickens.
Chickens are easy animals to obtain
and carry fewer restrictions than
goats to raise. Often, permits are not
needed for chickens unless they are
noisy. In order to house chickens in
New Hanover County, there must be
20,000 square feet of space contained
in a secure fence and 10 square feet per
animal. For livestock to be housed in
a residential area there needs to be a
minimum of 40,000 square feet with
20,000 square feet per animal. In both
cases, the animals need to be set back
25 feet from the property line.
— Barrie Cohen
Above left, Samantha Smith with Wooly Wonka. Nanny McPhee and Wooly Wonka nibble on treats at dinner time.
Samantha Smith hand feeds Wooly Wonka. Opposite left, Nubian goat Nanny McPhee looks over the yard. Samantha
Smith pets Nanny McPhee in her backyard with husband Patrick and sons Connor and Logan. Samantha’s son Logan
hand feeds Nanny McPhee some leaves from a tree in the backyard. Full page image, Nanny McPhee is a fun loving goat.