Jeannie McKenzie and her Oberhasli goats

204 Replies

Jeanne McKenzie with her Oberhalsi goats in her Montclair backyard.

What’s unusual about Jeannie McKenzie’s Oakland urban farm is the breed of goats she chooses to keep-her Oberhasli  goats are not minis and they’re not the usual urban variety I found most people keeping when I visited the farms in Backyard Roots. The very old breed, originally came from Switzerland is a hardy variety; the goats are known for their sweet disposition and their excellent milk production.   Jeannie’s  half acre lot in the Montclair district in the hills of Oakland is a little bigger than most city yards so she has the room for this larger variety and her three adult females produce around three gallons a day during peak production. What does she do with all that milk? Lot’s of cheese: Brie, mozzarella, chevre and feta. Here goats, like all dairy goats need to be milked twice a day, every day when they are in production. To help out she has enlisted friends on certain days to help out, who are willing to work for goat milk. Read more about  goat keeping in Backyard Roots and in this article, Going to the Goats by Susan Davis that just has come out in Oakland Magazine.

Jeanne McKenzie's Oberhalsi goats in her Montclair backyard.

Jeanne McKenzie's Oberhalsi goats in her Montclair backyard.

20101017_0233

Cheesemaking

 

204 thoughts on “Jeannie McKenzie and her Oberhasli goats”

  1. Winter Held

    Hi! I’d like to get in touch with Jeannie McKenzie, to ask if she would be willing to teach me to make goat cheeses. My wife and I have a small urban farmette in Oakland, with chickens, a kitchen garden and an small fruit orchard. If you could put me in touch, I would be very grateful.

    warmly,
    Winter

  2. admin Post author

    I will send her your e-mail. I am always looking for more urban farmers for my blog. Let me know if you guys are interested or if you know anyone…thanks!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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