About Ivins goats
Our Goat's History
The goats have a long history here in Ivins. They were originally owned by Jeff Collum, a friend of my grandpa’s, and were once kept in my grandpa Burton’s backyard. The goats were used to help create firebreaks and fight fires, and at one point, there were hundreds of them.
Eventually, there were simply too many goats for one person to manage in a backyard, so they were moved to their current property. For many years, the goats continued helping fight fires while enjoying plenty of treats and attention.
Around 2022, Jeff became sick and had to move to California to be closer to his family. He could no longer care for the goats, so he gave them to my grandpa. Unfortunately, my grandpa was also battling cancer and kidney failure and was unable to care for the entire herd. He began finding homes for the goats until only about four or five remained.
That's when I stepped in.
At 14 years old, I decided I wanted to help care for a couple of the remaining goats, Valentine and her sweet baby boy, Nubs. I quickly fell in love with them—and with goats in general. Before long, I decided to take over their care full-time.
Thankfully, the owners of the property were willing to let me continue caring for the goats there. What started with just wanting to help a couple of goats has grown into something much bigger. I've spent the years since working hard to turn my love for these animals into a full-time passion and, hopefully, a future career.
These goats aren't just animals to me. They are a part of my family's history, a part of Ivins' history, and a huge part of my life.