If you visit the Johnson County Fair in Franklin, you’ll certainly see a lot of hogs and cattle. But, you’ll also see a large continency of goats and goat farmers! In fact, the Johnson County Fair has its own Goat Barn built specifically to house the area’s goats and sheep being shown at the fair.
One of the 4-H members raising goats and showing them at the Johnson County Fair is Rose Mahin from Franklin.
“Goats are really awesome animals. They’re friendly, they’re playful and I [have] just loved them ever since I was young,” says Rose, who will be a freshman this fall at Franklin Community High School. Rose raises goats and had eight of them at the Johnson County Fair as part of 4-H.
“I have Nubian dairy goats and LaManchas. They’re really good milk producers and just amazing creatures.”
Rose says she first wanted to raise goats when she was in third grade. What do Rose’s mom and dad think about her passion for goats?
“[My mom] wasn’t too thrilled about it because I do volleyball a lot, but my dad has helped me a lot through purchasing [goats] and all the steps of learning because he grew up on a farm raising goats and cattle, and so he helped me learn a lot and then she helped push [me to achieve] my goals.”
Rose says she has big plans after high school.
“Hopefully, once I graduate [from] Franklin Community, I’m going to head to Purdue to be a vet specializing in livestock and coming back,” says Rose. “We are struggling with livestock vets locally and it’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. Raising goats, I’ve been able to learn a lot and [I enjoy] doing different activities with other vets. [Attending] Purdue Boiler Vet Camp has just allowed me to learn so much more and [I] want to learn more.”
Rose says wants to be part of the next generation of Indiana goat farmers. She says she plans to one day start her own goat farm and name it “Wisteria Lane Farms.”
What advice does Rose have for other kids in 4-H wanting to raise goats?
“I would say ask a lot of questions and to reach out,” says Rose. “Coming to the fair, you can meet people [and] you can ask questions. They can give you connections to leaders and goat clubs and they can tell you [about where to find] different people to learn from.”
In fact, Rose says she’ll be more than happy to answer questions coming up at the Indiana State Fair…
“I’m actually planning to head [to the State Fair] on [July] 29 and 30 with four of [my goats]. Hopefully, [I’ll be] taking home some prizes, too!”
Click BELOW to hear C.J. Miller’s interview and news story with Rose Mahin of Franklin as she plans on becoming part of the next generation of Indiana’s goat farmers.
