Almond is one of the three OGs (Original Goats) that Jack Rudolph purchased when he first moved to the ranch and decided to get a few pet goats. This was even before he met his wife Michelle a year later! Therefore, Almond was one of the charming creatures that taught Jack and Michelle just how special goats are - a realization that led them to found the creamery together!
Almond was born on March 23, 2010, so she is now the oldest goat on the ranch at 11 years old!
She is also a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister, cousin, etc to dozens of the does that we currently own as our beloved milking does.
She is even grandmother to Steve; one of the bucks that we kept on “staff” for two full breeding years, which means that all of the over 200 babies that he has sired can be traced back to her!
While this paragon of goat motherhood at Stepladder Creamery is now retired and therefore no longer producing future generations herself, all of her vast family tree of milking does carry on her legacy and lineage with their own daughters and sons.
(Almond [left] in the pasture with daughter Hazel [front], granddaughter Flower [rear right], and great-granddaughters Muesli [rear center] and Kashi [rear left])
Now that Almond has reached the sunset years of her life, she has retired from her work as a milking doe and now lives each day to its fullest relaxing in the pasture with her vast network of goat friends and family.
She enjoys long naps in the sun, scratches from her doting handlers, and daily escapades into the verdant pastures that cover the hillsides. Each morning while the other does are getting milked, Almond quietly stands aside and waits patiently for her human caretakers to give her her customary and well-earned bucket of grain.
While on a practical level this helps her maintain her weight and health, on an emotional level we love and appreciate Almond and get joy from spoiling her!
Hopefully, she will live a long and happy few more years as our beloved pet amongst the working herd of her progeny on the ranch!
