Goats appear to think they’re human. I observe, as a couple dozen herd us down a long Prince Edward Island lane to the shore. Beach Goats is the name of Devon Saila’s small farm where the animals walk to the ocean while mingling with human guests. 

“That’s Tess,” Saila points out a particularly friendly young goat. “Tess and her brother were born in the house in February, and Tess lived there for two months. They want to come back in all the time. I can’t leave any doors open, or they’re right to the kitchen. They know where the fridge is and where the goodies are.”

Identifying another goat, always a few steps behind the herd, Saila says, “That one’s really old. She can’t manage the coarse winter hay anymore, so she comes into the house and gets pancakes. She can’t walk well, but as soon as the front door opens and the pancakes might be on the stove, she’s running.”

When we reach the beach, the water is too choppy for the “paddle boarding with goats” experience, so I watch them graze among the beach plants. Saila tells me the goats particularly enjoy toddler playgroup time when human kids and goat kids play with toys on the sand together.

A goat farmer on Quebec’s Magdalene Islands, north of P.E.I., offers a similar beach walk with goats. While cheese making is Éric Longpré’s main occupation at la Fromagerie Les Biquettes à l’Air (Goats of the Air), visitors can accompany him and his goats to the shore.

Back on Prince Edward Island, visiting farmer Flory Sanderson, I agree with a sign at Island Hill Farm that proclaims it “the cutest place on Earth.” Of her friendly farm animals, huge double-chinned dewlap rabbits, kunekune pigs, llamas, alpacas, and Gavin the donkey  Sanderson appreciates her goats most of all. “They love you unconditionally,” she says.

Today in the barnyard, a couple dozen visitors pet and hug goats with names like Elderberry and Loretta Lynn. Visitors can just hang out, or they can sign up for soap-making workshops, milking experiences, and goat yoga sessions.

The apparent love that goats show humans is a tool of the trade for psychotherapist Arthi Bala, who runs Dancing Goat Therapy Farm about 30 kilometres from Fredericton, N.B. During their goat yoga sessions, the animals roam among the participants. “Their presence is meant to bring joy and laughter,” says Arthi. “The goats’ unpredictable behaviour adds an element of surprise and excitement to the session.” Yoga ends with goat cuddling.

In Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, folks can frolic with goats at several farms. At Tipsy Toad Grove Farm near Kingston, a herd of miniature Nubian goats supplies raw ingredients for goat milk soap. Visitors do a 90-minute hike with them. To learn more about the creatures and farm life in general, visitors sign up for the three-hour Rambling with Ruminants: A Small Farm Immersion experience.

Lailo Farm Sanctuary near New Minas, N.S., is a non-profit organization that rescues farm animals, including goats. Star and Moon were once milking goats and needed a new home. They now live at Lailo where they enjoy each other’s company and that of visitors who can hike with them and sponsor their care. Sometimes animals are available for adoption.

In Kilbride, N.L., Black Label Farm teams up with Clay Café Avalon to occasionally offer painting with goats. Visitors work on a pottery project while mingling with friendly Nigerian dwarf goats. The farm also makes goat milk soap and offers seasonal goat yoga.

At Beach Goats on P.E.I., we return to the barnyard where the goats instantly do what comes naturally: climb. “It’s important they have lots of play structures,” says Saila. “They get really bored, like a bunch of kindergarten kids. If they don’t have playthings, they start causing trouble.”

Watching the little creatures jump around like kids in a playground, leaping on giant truck tires, gliding down a slide, and standing on a wooden table, the theory is confirmed. Goats think they’re human. 
 

10 great ways to flavour goat cheese

Start with a log of fresh, unflavoured chevre. Sprinkle your favourite herbs, spices and flavourings on a sheet of parchment paper. Roll the log in the flavourings, wrap tightly, press firmly all around, and refrigerate. Alternatively, to incorporate the toppings into the cheese, mash the flavourings with the plain chevre, roll into a log, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Here are 10 great combinations.

• Lemon zest and roasted garlic
• Cracked pepper and lemon zest
• Parsley and cracked pepper
• Chives, tarragon, and chopped roasted garlic
• Basil and chopped sundried tomato
• Rosemary and sea salt
• Diced dried cranberries and honey
• Honey and chopped roasted walnuts
• Chopped candied pecans and maple syrup
• Strawberry slices and chopped mint leaves