Goat Chat with Deborah Niemann and Phil Sponenberg

The Livestock Conservancy

Welcome to our final Goat Chat this month! Our resident goat experts, Dr. Phil Sponenberg and Deborah Niemann-Boehle are ready to take your questions. Dr. Phil Sponenberg has served as Technical Advisor to the Livestock Conservancy since 1978, providing counsel and mentorship to staff, breeders, breed associations, scholars, and NGO partners. He was the moving force for establishing the Conservation Priority List and the standards for rare breed inclusion on that list. Because of the quality and originality of his approach to conservation, Dr. Sponenberg’s expertise is internationally renowned. He is the author of several books on genetics and conservation and is a professor of pathology and genetics at Virginia Tech University. On his own farm, he is a conservation breeder of Tennessee Fainting goats. Deborah is also known as The Thrifty Homesteader and serves as a contractor for the Shave 'Em to Save 'Em Initiative. In 2002, Deborah relocated her suburban Chicago family to 32 acres on a creek "in the middle of nowhere" where they began producing 100% of their meat, eggs and dairy products by raising heritage animals. Today they also sell meat, eggs, soap, and fiber products. She is the author of three books on sustainable living, including "Raising Goats Naturally: The Complete Guide to Milk, Meat, and More." Find more from The Livestock Conservancy on their Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.