D2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 11,1981
BY DONNA TOMMELLEO
MANHEIM This is the room
that Jake built.
This is the milk that paid for the
room that Jake built.
These are the goats that gave the
milk that paid for the room that
Jake built.
The variation of that children’s
nursery rhyme originated about 20
years ago when Jacob and Jane
Fisher, owners of Windy Hill Goat
Dairy, began saving for their
dream room.
Walking into the modest-sized
Manheim home, one would never
expect to be surrounded by the
inherent spaciousness of the room,
totally built and furnished with
proceeds from goat milk sales.
A cathedral ceiling settles high
above the living space and stret
ches across a loft that contains an
antique bedroom suit. Residents of
the loft, several antique baby dolls
rest in their timeworn cribs, a part
of Jane’s childhood memorabilia.
Although many different types of
lamps adorn the main room, a
large five-framed picture window
provides a flood of-natural light
that sparkles against the grain of
the tall stone fireplace.
For 20 years Jane envisioned the
room exactly as it is today. And
while she dreamed, she worked
hard.
Even today while husband Jake
Jake Fisher (right) displays one of the many hundreds of
goat figurines that he and wife Jane (left) have collected over .
the years.
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Twice daily the Fishers’ 40 milking does are milked by hand
and produce almost 500 quarts a week.
Goat farmers realize ‘possible dream 9
works in a nearby stone quarry,
Jane still gathers her milking herd
of 40 does and twice daily milks
each one by hand. In this day and
age where everything is either
mechanized or computerized, the
Fishers are pleased with the old
tried and true method.
“Until you know how to use
milking machines you can ruin a
lot of goats,” Jane emphasizes.
To describe the friendly couple
as goat fanciers, would certainly
be an understatement. Devout
enthusiasts would be a better
choice. In a separate room in the
house, aptly named the “Goat
Room,” rows of glass encased
bookshelves are literally loaded
with goat figurines from as far
away as Budapest, Hungary. Goat
statues of cast-iron, porcelain,
wood and even com husks are just
a few of the items in the Fishers’
vast collection.
Jake, vice president of Dutch
Country Goat Club, has amassed
several children’s books that in
cludes tales of Three Billy Goats
Gruff and Billy Whiskers as well as
lesser-known goat stories that
have delighted children world
wide.
Through their love of goats, the
Fishers’ collections extend beyond
the tangible. They store memories
of children’s visits and speak of
them with pleasant recollection.
The idea for the Fishers' spacious living about 20 years ago.
room which they now enjoy was conceived
Jane fondly remembers a visit
from a class that included a young
blind boy who later sent the
Fishers a goat drawn in braille.
“That will always mean a lot to
me,’’she says.
Jake grins as he recalls a thank
you note from a lad pleased with
his trip to the goat “hatchery.”
In fact, the Fisher “hatchery”
houses about 100 goats of all ages.
The couple originally started
milking goats about 26 years ago
for milk for themselves and their
three children.
Jake recalls the strange looks
they recieved after telling people
they had 30 kids.
“We’d have to say we have three
children and 30 kids,” he chuckles.
Lamb, wool marketing
highlight fall conference
to
UNIVERSITY- PARK How
well sheep producers master ef
ficient production techniques and
market their lamb' and wool will be
the key to profitability, according
to Clair Engle, Penn State Ex
tension animal scientist and co
chairman of the upcoming Lamb
and Wool Marketing Conference to
be held November 22-24,1981 at the
Sheraton Penn State Inn in State
College. '
Sponsored by the American
Sheep Producers Council and the
Eastern Seaboard Producers
Council in cooperation with Penn
State’s College of Agriculture, this
conference is a first for the eastern
U.S. where interested sheep
producers, allied industry groups,
land-grant universities and State
Departments of Agriculture from
twelve states have joined to
present topics on how to better
merchandise both lamb and wool.
The conference will open with a
wool processor from Burlington
Industries discussing factors that
determines wool value. The pros
and cons of marketing wool
through cooperatives, pools or
direct sales will complete the first
evenings program.
A major portion of the con
ference will focus on lamb
marketing. A brief overview will
be presented on the regional lamb
production levels, merchandising
systems and the present status of
lamb imports.
Industry representatives of
leading packing companies such as
Stan Gustas, Wilson and Company
will speak on trends in lamb
fabrication. O.C. Cook, marketing
manager of Kroger Corporation,
will discuss some innovative
Eventually, they expanded their
herd and now operate a customer
owned container service at the
farm as well as market through
Pure Goat Products in Boyertown,
Berks County:
The couple worked and saved
throughout the years but most
importantly they believed. They
believed in their product goat
milk and continually speak of it
with much enthusiam
“It’s amazing what goat milk
can do,” says Jake, although he
admits he’s disappointed in the
lack of research on the subject.
Jane recounts more than one
occasion when she sold milk to
families with small children that
methods for merchandising lamb
at the retail level. -
Like most all livestock
production, the sheep producer has
not always realized a fair return in
the mariset place. How to improve
this situation will be shared by
demonstrating some of the more
successful electronic marketing
programs being producer
oreanizpd and implemented by
u.
Ag Progress Day
NEWARK, Del. - Find out what’s The University’s turf plots will
going on at the University of be on view for those who wish to
Delaware Experimental Farm in learn more about lawn care, while
Newark at Ag Progress Day, those with gardening questions and
Wednesday, August 5,1981. From 4 problem plants can bring them
p.m, until 8:30 p.m. Agricultural -along to the plant clinic.
Hall will be open to all, farmers High school students and their
and nonfarmers, .for tours, parents can obtain information
exhibits, and a barbeque dinner. about the College of Agricultural
Find out how the computer is Sciences and agricultural careers,
being used in modem farm There will also be guided tours of
management. Learn how to rear the laboratories in the College of
giant silkworm moths, and see how Agricultural Science’s new
the old-fashioned rain barrel is WorrilowHall
making a comeback. Get a close
up look at live termites and car
penter ants so you’ll know how to
recognize them later
Both fanners and nonfarmers
will have the opportunity to tour
the Experimental Farm, which
features a solar collector, cattle,
sheep, hogs, broilers, and various
crops. Intensive plot tours are
designed for the fanners’ needs,
and general tours are meant to
provide an overview for curious
nonfarmers.
tended to fuss and cry during the
night, much to the confusion of
attending pediatricians. She
recalls how the goat milk quieted
the infants, resulting in one silent
baby, one new believer in goat
milk and one step closer to their
dream.
There may be thousands of
rooms in this nation similar to the
Fishers’. In fact, there even may
be several in Lancaster County
with higher ceilings, richer, deeper
wood and other charming features.
But the beauty of Jacob and
Jane’s room does not lie in the
or the design but
rather in the belief and love of
their work responsible for making
dreams come true.
some mid-western states and
Virginia.
For more information and to
enroll for this conference, all
requests contact: The Penn
sylvania State University, Short
Course Office, 306 Agricultural
Administration Building,
University Park, PA 16802,814/865-
8301.
of Del. to hold
At 6 p.m. there will be a
demonstration of the pork carcass
and its cuts, and tips on how to
cook pork on the backyard grill.
This will be followed at 7 p.m. with
a pork barbeque dinner. For ticket
information call the Delaware
Cooperative Extension Service at
302/738-8965.
The gardens and other exhibits
of interest to fanners and con
sumers will be open for visits until
dark.