Goats and Their Kids
July 21, 2017
When we have children, the premise we begin to embrace is the need to provide. For this reason, many young families grow their own gardens, homestead or join a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to support their local farmers. This is all in an effort to engage children in food culture while providing healthy examples that create healthy dietary habits.
Over thirty years ago, Mary Keehn of Cypress Grove Chevre, wanted to provide milk for her young children. She started with two goats from a neighbor, who was using the goats for brush control. For the last three decades, the main goal for the dairy operation was to become an accessible source of knowledge for milk producers and commercial goat dairies.
Goat milk production is steadily increasing in the United States recently, due to the market for artisan cheese and the low-impact of goat farming. Cypress Grove Chevre got into the industry at a significant time, providing them with decades of experience and a product that is a head above the rest, but agricultural endeavors are constantly evolving and come with the need for sustainability and efficiency. So when the business decided to look for a quality structure to house their herd, these experienced farmers didn’t want to settle for an inferior building.
For Cypress Grove Chevre, ClearSpan structures were a perfect match for many reasons. Their choice relied on budgeting, reliability and a natural environment that was peaceful for their herd. “ClearSpan Buildings are known for their natural lighting, which the animals love, and they were able to build a reliable building within our budgetary constraints,” said Food Safety Manager, Sonny Simonian.
With their ClearSpan goat house, the animals have easy access to pasture and a well-ventilated and naturally bright space to thrive. Not only is this a perfect environment for their goats, Cypress Grove Chevre finds their workers enjoy their work environment much more in a fabric structure.
Part of this is due to the custom ventilation the business chose when designing their building with ClearSpan. Simonian recommended adding the optional ridge vent to animal operations to provide maximized air movement, which allows moisture accumulation to escape. Not only does ventilation provide a more comfortable indoor climate, it also reduces risk of health problems in animals. In fact, Simonian claimed, “The healthy, clean and dry environment our ClearSpan buildings provide has definitely improved milk production in our goats.”
ClearSpan Buildings come with a variety of options that make their livestock housing adaptable to any individual needs, including foundation options, optional doors and panels for ventilation and feeding areas. These structures provide plenty of space for veterinary visits, stalls, bedding and waste management. In ClearSpan Structures, there are no obstructive support columns or dark corners for pests and dirt to hide, which means fabric structures have less restrictions and less maintenance.
In addition to the spacious and versatile structure, fabric structures are affordable and take a fraction of the time to construct in comparison to traditional buildings. With industry-leading warranties on the steel frame and fabric cover, repairs will be few and far between.
Whatever inspired you to start your livestock business, keeping animals healthy and at peace is a vital piece of the puzzle. Feel welcomed to contact a Truss Arch Specialist today or Request a Quote