Well, it has been a fantastic few days learning about small ruminants, specifically goats. Goats, unlike sheep, are intelligent and help the very soil they graze on. Additionally, unlike sheep goats will always attempt to get free by testing their enclosures or by taking advantage of an opportunity. I have even seen goats escape by digging under fences. Unfortunately, it's the goat's daring and its desire to resist and escape that keeps it from being a popular caprinae for food production in Puerto Rico. Yet there seems to be a demand for goat meat according to the Departamento De Agricultura. Of course, personality is not the only obstacle to a booming goat industry.

Apparently, the health department has decided that goats need the same amount of distance from dairy processing facilities as cows. The health department says that the enclosure must be 50 meters from the milk house. This is fine for cows, but for goats it seems a bit exaggerated – though I’m no goatherd.

I do know, however, that you can keep seven to ten goats per acre, while cows only fit two per acre, per month. The only infrastructure you need for goats is some shelter and a good chain link fence. I mean very good, and high. If it's not, they will find a way over or under. Goats are a lot easier to manage than cows, so you won’t need an electric prod. A broom and patience may be all you need to drive your herd.

Remember, unlike cows and sheep, goats are better raised free range and do not require as much fodder. The other benefit of goats over cows is that if you lose a goat, you only lose about thirty pounds of meat. If you lose a cow, you will lose a couple hundred pounds. Also, cows and sheep tend to pull up the grass while goats eat from the top, and are actually very picky. Since the grass isn’t uprooted by the goats there is less erosion and the land will replenish itself much faster.

Not only do goats make good pets, but they can be used as pack animals too. Unfortunately, you may have a hard time sneaking them on the train, but it should be no problem tying them up at Starbucks with the dogs. Goats require vigilance, but compared to the cost of the destruction brought on by sheep and cattle it’s a small price to pay. These animals have the potential to help our society through this difficult time without completely destroying our environment or putting our health at further risk.

Goats are an excellent source of food, clothing, and companionship. Are goats the livestock that will save society? Probably not, but so far they have been helping folks get by since 9500 BC. Maybe if we learn to appreciate these animals for their capacity and determination to live and be free to explore, we can thrive for another few thousand years more. Goats have gotten humans this far.Maybe it's time for us to get back to basics.