Farm Feature: Family retires to raising goats

Ray and Pam Knisley say they moved to Chiefland to get away from the traffic and forever-encroaching sprawl of South Florida where they once owned a successful horse farm and carriage event business.  In 2005, after deciding to retire, the Knisleys bought an 80- acre farm in Chiefland, now known as Carriage House Farm.
And although the Knisleys still have a few horses and antique carriages, they've turned their attention to raising a breed of goat that are famous for collapsing at the first sign of trouble: fainting goats.
The Knisleys say the demand for goat meat has increased over the years. They sell many of their goats at a market in Ocala.
"Every group in the world except Americans wants to eat goat meat," Ray Knisley said.
Still, the couple say they'd like it if more people wanted them for pets.
"There's nothin' cuter than a baby goat," Knisley said.  "I just found out recently they can be house trained."
They are also good for keeping a pasture down, he said, and they're a lot easier to keep than cows.

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