Skip to content
  • Home
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Recipes
  • Self Sufficiency
  • Sourdough
  • Cheesemaking
  • Free Resources

The Nourishing Hearthfire

/

Backyard Dairy Goats: A Natural Approach to Keeping Goats in any Yard

Home » blog

katedownham

·

Oct 31, 2018

·

All blog posts, Self Sufficiency & Homesteading

I am excited to announce my new book Backyard Dairy Goats: A Natural Approach to Keeping Goats in any Yard

You can read more about it by clicking here.

Backyard Dairy Goats book cover

Backyard Dairy Goats

Work with nature to raise dairy goats in any yard

Backyard Dairy Goats is a book focusing on raising dairy goats in a way that respects their nature, on any amount of land.

Backyard dairying can be done by anyone. It doesn’t have to be a dream that may happen one day in the distant future, it can happen now, and this book will show you how.

Topics covered include:

•Everything you need to know about goats – their behaviour, how to feed them, handle them, what they need to thrive, and so on.

•Natural goat health, how to prevent and fix most issues without a vet.

•Learning from observation, and goat behaviour in the wild to provide the right foods for goats to thrive.

•A permaculture approach, looking at the whole backyard ecosystem and the many interactions between goats, animals, garden, people, and trees.

•Goat dairy as a homemade staple food, for health, survival and self reliance. Recipes included!

What Backyard Dairy Goats is about:

•Caring for goats in a way that respects their goatness.

•Getting dairy goats now, wherever you are. It doesn’t have to be a dream that may happen one day in the distant future, it could happen now, and this book will show you how.

•Learning from observation, and goat behaviour in the wild to provide the right foods for goats to thrive.

•A permaculture approach, looking at the whole backyard ecosystem and the many interactions between goats, animals, garden, people, and trees.

•Cheesemaking and home dairying without artificial weird stuff.

Not just for backyards

This book is relevant for larger bits of land as well, especially in the early years while you’re waiting for perennials to grow or waiting to build more fences. Goat milk provides an instant harvest, with a minimal amount of brought-in feed, using smaller amounts of land and food than cows, while providing manure for the garden.

Click here if you’d like to learn more.

Like this:

Like Loading…
  • Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard
Kate Downham off grid homesteader

About Kate Downham

Kate Downham has been growing, preserving, and cooking real food since 2007. She is the author of four books on homestead skills: A Year in an Off-Grid Kitchen, Natural Small Batch Cheesemaking, Backyard Dairy Goats, and Sourdough Without Fail.

Off-grid with her family of nine in the Tasmanian forest, Kate milks her own goats, makes all their cheese, mills all her own grain, and bakes fresh sourdough bread daily.

Learn more about Kate’s books →

Related posts

  • My goat book is now published!
  • Perfection
  • How to Start a Homestead: Priorities, Staple Crops, and Survival

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




2 responses to “Backyard Dairy Goats: A Natural Approach to Keeping Goats in any Yard”
  1. Hayley Inglis Avatar
    Hayley Inglis
    Dec 10, 2018

    Hi Kate,
    I have only just discovered your website and info on your book and kickstarter program. Not absolutely sure how kickstarter works but assume I have missed the campaign since it finished in November. I would very much like to buy your book. Is there a link somewhere on your website?
    Hayley

    Reply
    1. thenourishinghearthfire Avatar
      thenourishinghearthfire
      Dec 12, 2018

      Hi Hayley,

      I’m still in the final stages of editing, so it’s not out yet, but will be in January or February : ) I will announce it on here when it’s available, so if you’d like to sign up to get blog posts sent by email, then you’ll be the first to know about it.

      -Kate

      Reply
8 different homesteading ebook covers

My books

Sourdough without fail: 100% whole grain sourdough breads, pizza, and pastries for any kitchen fresh milled flour sourdough book cover
a year in an off grid kitchen by kate downham off grid homesteading book cover
natural small batch cheesemaking natural cheesemaking book cover
backyard dairy goats homesteading book cover

More Resources for Off-Grid Living

off grid solar dehydrator
garden master course
diy wood fired pizza oven
the $50 and up underground house
natural swimming pools

Categories

  • All blog posts
  • Homestead Recipes
  • Natural Cheesemaking
  • Self Sufficiency & Homesteading
  • Whole Grain Sourdough Baking

Recent Posts

  • Magic Overnight Sourdough Pizza Dough Recipe with Fresh Milled FlourMay 26, 2026
  • Cooking year-round on a wood cookstove: the dream, the reality, and the practicalities of relying on our own firewood and being off the gas gridMay 20, 2026
  • 100% Whole Grain Fresh Milled Flour Sourdough Bread for Beginners: A Step-by-Step GuideMay 4, 2026
  • Easy 100% Whole Grain Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread (honey-sweetened, and works with fresh milled flour & ancient grains)May 4, 2026
  • Natural Cheesemaking: How to Make and Use Your Own Cheese CulturesMay 2, 2026

The Nourishing Hearthfire is reader-supported and mostly ad-free

Buy me a coffee

Search

  • Home
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Recipes
  • Self Sufficiency
  • Sourdough
  • Cheesemaking
  • Free Homestead Resources

© 2026 Kate Downham – The Nourishing Hearthfire. This blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Join The Nourishing Hearthfire mailing list for thoughtful monthly emails and free ebooks
Find us on forums and social media

Permies: Permaculture and Homesteading Forums

Instagram

Facebook

X

Goodreads

About

Contact

Privacy Policy

Terms and Disclaimer

The Nourishing Hearthfire

%d