LEGACY:
Sharon McCarty—Caesar’s Villa
Sharon McCarty
Caesar’s Villa
with Christine Peckman
Crooked Cedar Farm, NC
crookedcedarfarm.com
Editor’s Note: This is our first look at the breeders who have
had a lasting impact on our breed. As mentoring is so
important in successful goat ownership and breed
stewardship, we start this Legacy series with a special mentor,
Sharon McCarty, and a current breeder, Christine Peckman,
who is benefitting from her years of experience and expertise.
DWARF AND MINI: Ladies, it is a privilege and pleasure to chat with you about your experience
in raising Nigerian Dwarfs. Could you take a moment to give us some background info on your life
aside from raising these marvelous little goats?
SHARON: I’m originally from Pennsylvania. I have two children: a son who is a police officer in
Raleigh and a daughter who lives in Greensboro; and four grandchildren. I live near Louisberg, NC
and work part time helping a family whose father suffers from dementia. My current passions?
Being with my grandkids and working with my horses.
CHRISTINE: I’m originally from Delaware. We have three children: our oldest is a sophomore at
UNC-CH , our middle child is a high school senior who will attend UNC-CH next year, the
youngest is a high school freshman who wants to go to NC State. I have a degree in Animal Science
from the University of Delaware . I am the Outdoor Education Coordinator at Chestnut Ridge
Camp and Retreat Center and I teach Animal Science for a Sustainable Agriculture program at
Central Carolina Community College.
DWARF and MINI: I’m always fascinated to learn how folks started with the breed. How did
you get into raising Nigerian Dwarfs?
SHARON: I started off with a few Alpines – I really like the Alpine
personality. My favorite Alpine was a wether named Caesar. Caesar
is where my farm name came from as is the goat pulling the cart on
the Caesar’s Villa emblem. Caesar still has a special place in my
heart. I knew I wanted something smaller as I had a small piece of
property at the time. I was looking through a Ruminations magazine
and saw a goat that made me say “Oh my gosh! That’s what I want.”
I felt like the goat I saw in the magazine looked like a little alpine.
There were not many breeders at the time so it took about six
months to find and buy Goodwood Mindy from Kathleen Clapps. I also purchased Stonewall’s
Midnight Cowboy and Stonewall’s Serena from Judith Veale , and Enchanted Hill Buffy from Ed
Kinser. Mindy and Cowboy were purchased in 1994; the Cowboy X Mindy cross became the
cornerstone of the CV herd producing many successful offspring including CV Stetson & CV
Cowpoke.
24 DWARF and MINI