Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

Texas students in kindergarten through fifth grade recently learned about dairy goats and the products they help create through Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Farm From School program.

During the November session, students met Stacey Roussel, the owner of All We Need Farms in Fort Bend County. She introduced students to Lamancha and Nubian goats and shared how their milk is used in different foods.

“The November visit gave students a look at dairy goats and how their milk can be used to make sweet treats they can enjoy on a regular basis,” said Carson Read, TFB education coordinator.

Roussel and her family milk about 50 goats twice a day.

“They make milk every day, twice a day, and we turn all of their milk into popsicles, ice cream and caramel,” she said.

Lamancha goats, known for their short ears, are the only dairy goat breed native to North America.

“They can make almost two gallons of milk a day, and sometimes they’ll milk for up to two years without having more kids.”

Nubian goats, with their long, pendulum-shaped ears and high butterfat milk, help make the farm’s frozen treats especially creamy.

“That high butterfat is what makes our popsicles so delicious,” she said.

During the virtual tour, students learned how the goats are fed and milked.

“We feed them a grain that’s pelletized because goats have interesting mouths and can easily throw out the food they don’t like,” Roussel said. “Pelletizing helps make sure they eat all the nutrients they need.”

Inside the milking room, Roussel showed how the goats are milked using a gentle vacuum system.

“They really like to be milked. It’s a relief for them,” she said. “We milk twice a day to keep them healthy and happy.”

Once the milk is collected, it’s pasteurized, cooled and transformed into small-batch dairy treats.

“On a good day, we make between 700 and 800 popsicles,” Roussel said. “Chocolate is our best seller, followed by strawberry and cookies and cream.”

What started as a small 4-H project for her daughters has grown into a thriving dairy business.

“We started with just two goats as Christmas presents,” she said. “We’ve been making popsicles here for about 10 years now.”

More information
The popular program, which expanded this year to include junior high and high school classrooms, connects students across Texas with a farmer or rancher through virtual sessions each semester.

Farm From School has two separate programs—kindergarten through fifth grade and sixth through twelfth grade.

The popular program will be back again next spring. Registration is open through Jan. 12 on the AITC Platform at aitc.texasfarmbureau.org.

Click here for more information about the Farm From School program.

Visit texasfarmbureau.org/aitc for more information and the latest announcements on TFB’s Ag in the Classroom activities.