Does’ Leap started with a rough piece of land in Bakersfield, a yurt, 3 goats and a vision in 1997. Freshly out of graduate school in Sustainable Agriculture we had lots of ideas about how we wanted things to go, but not a lot of experience. We knew we wanted an integrated system of plants and animals, complementing each other, building good soil and producing delicious nutrient dense food. There have been many trials and challenges along the way to what we have now, but goats and grazing have always been the centerpiece.
We are proud of how things have evolved. The farm is small enough to allow a good deal of flexibility to tweak systems to improve both the land and the well being of the animals. There is synergy between the different aspects of the farm and carefully putting the pieces together has been very rewarding. Over the 20+ years we have been here the land has improved dramatically, the goat herd has evolved to be healthy and vibrant and the pigs develop a wonderful glow while on pasture. We are able to produce more and more of our own high quality hay for the winter, heat our facilities and pasteurizer with wood from our own lot, and use solar power for our energy needs. Slowly, year by year, other pieces fit into the puzzle and we are so grateful for the rewarding journey of this farm.