Above: galloping goats in 2009. Tomato was working on a 4,000 lb lactation,
yet stayed sound enough to be out on pasture all day and literally kick up her heels after milking.
Knotneer Farm has been breeding Toggenburg dairy goats in central Minnesota since 2003. My great-grandparents had some of the first registered Toggenburgs in Minnesota, a gift from a relative in Chicago. They kept Toggenburgs until 1946 when ill health forced the sale of their herd. Their farm near Viola MN is still known as "Goat Hill".
So when I decided to get goats, it had to be Toggenburgs. The first two doelings, SG The Crow Wing Shelby Susu *M and SG The Crow Wing Sayaka Swan *M, were purchased from a 4-Her, Amy Woetse. These two does grew up to earn *Ms and Superior Genetics designations.
The herd was off to a good start. We used Adgagenetics to select improvement breedings, and area Toggenburg breeders were generous with bucks and advice. With their help, our herd advanced quickly.
Knotneer emphasizes high milk production and participates in DHIA testing. Our does have won numerous state and national production awards, including Minnesota Dairy Goat Association Bucket Busters, National Toggenburg Club Bellringers, and ADGA Breed Leader and Top Tens. Knotneer does have topped the ADGA Toggenburg Top Ten list for three years in a row.
We are also interested in extended lactations and are selecting does that will milk through for two years.
Since correct type is correlated to high production, we also participate in ADGA Linear Appraisal to track our progress and help make the best breeding decisions. Our herd continues to advance in type while maintaining high milk numbers. We get to a few shows every year and always go to the Minnesota State Fair. Our does place well among the tough Toggenburg competition.
Newborn doeling Purplehaze gets 8 oz of colostrum
Our does are CAE tested and all doelings are raised on heat treated colostrum and pasteurized milk. Unordered buck kids are dam raised and sold at 50-75 lbs.