Since I've been doing these "Last Word" episodes, I've done three stories about goats.  One was about a fugitive goat.  One was about landscaping goats, and another one was about adopted goats.  I loved those stories.  So now, I'm at Sunset Dreams Farm near Centerville for Goat Story Number Four.   

It's a great time to be here.  Seven goats have had babies over the last few weeks. Three more goats are expecting and could deliver any day now.  Some baby goats in the barn are only eight days old. A few that were born a bit earlier are happy to be outside of the barn and are frolicking on a bed of straw. 60 goat babies have been born at Sunset Dreams Farm since February and they are growing up fast.

"Normal weight for a baby is about seven to eight pounds when they're born.  By this fall they'll be well over 100 pounds, those babies that were born in February,” says Emily Miller.  

Emily owns the farm along with her husband Ray. Emily started raising goats at age 8 for a 4-H project.  She been doing it ever since.  The farm is making a name for itself for the breeding and showing of goats. The Millers have acquired the sons of many national champion goats. Their goal is to raise some national champions themselves. They are on their way.  The farm won a Grand Champion Award this year at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.

"Once a goat has three Grand Champions at this show, she is considered a permanent grand champion the rest of her life,” says Emily.

Every goat at Sunset Dreams is special. Some are sold to other breeding farms around the country and around the world. Each baby quickly receives a name.  If a mother's name begins with an “R”, for example, the baby will get a name beginning with an “R”. Ray says there also are names that go along with a theme.

"We have one. The mom's name was Pickle.  The dad was Juice.  So I named her Pickle Juice,” he said.  

Goat milk is the preferred milk to drink by many people around the world.  However, the milk taken from goats at Sunset Dreams is mainly used to nourish the goat babies. The milk is also given to the pigs and beef cattle that are raised here. But there's one other thing. Emily also uses the milk to make moisturizing soaps and lotions.   

It's a wonderful life at the Sunset Dreams Farm for the Miller's and their animals.