Sharing Baby Goats
With Brown County Health & Living
~ story and photos by Paige Langenderfer
One of the greatest joys of owning a small farm is getting the chance to share our animals with the community.
Our farm has 40 sheep, 30 goats, 3 donkeys, 50 chickens, 3 emus, 2 dogs, and 6 cats.
Winter is my favorite time of year because it is when all of the babies are born.
Everybody loves baby animals. They are good for the soul.
In February I had the opportunity to take two baby goats to the Brown County Health and Living Community in Nashville for a visit.
The experience itself was emotional, but it also took me back to the two years before mom died. She was very sick and spent nearly every day in an assisted living facility much like this one.
My daughter Quincy had just turned one when my mom died, so her entire first year was spent visiting places like this. I remember the other patients and staff members would be so excited when Quincy and I got there every day to visit mom.
And I remember my heart being torn between spending enough time with my mom and trying to decide if it was healthy for my tiny baby to be there. I do think it is why Quincy’ s soul is so kind and compassionate, even though she doesn’ t remember.
So, my day at the Brown County Health and Living Community was emotional before I even arrived.
As soon as I walked in the door, the staff ran over to me, squealing with excitement.
Activity Director Althea Carter.
Ms. Althea grabbed one of the baby goats and showed me the way to the patient activity room. As we turned into the room, I could hear the gasps and shrieks of joy. There were about a dozen residents patiently waiting in wheelchairs.
The moment the goats entered the room, the faces of the residents changed from tired to childlike. They began chatting excitedly to each other about who would get to hold the babies first.
56 Our Brown County • March / April 2024