A recent road trip I made with a couple of my sisters involved a lot of driving, but when time allowed I got off the Interstates to drive along secondary highways. I always enjoy seeing what is growing, assessing crop conditions, and occasionally getting a chance to talk to farmers and ranchers.
Goat producer Liz Goettsche, in the photo above, represents the best of the friendly nature of most rural residents. When we stopped along the road to look at her sizable meat goat herd, west of Vale, Oregon, she came over to invite us into her farm yard to see her goats better, and to tell us about her operation. We left her farm knowing more about goat production than knew when we had stopped, and we carried a feeling of appreciation that there are still people in this world who will take time to visit with strangers and enrich their lives.