Coonridge Goat Cheese Represents New Mexico
At International Conference

In a beautiful old European city (Tour, France ), complete with cobblestone sidewalks, our very own Nancy Coonridge of Coonridge Organic Farm, attended the International Goat Conference 2000 last February.

Every four years, a different country hosts various lectures and workshops centering around the sturdy goat.

"This year was so exciting because it was right in the major goat cheese producing region of France so it was very geared towards cheese," says Nancy. The next program, in South Africa, will focus on boar goats and therefore goat meat.

Accompanied by Jennifer Bice, owner and manager of Red Hill Farm, the American goat farmers mingled with 80 delegates from different countries, languages and cultural backgrounds for a week-long conference. Lectures, tours, street fairs and a medieval manor were part of the exciting program.

Translation was instantaneous but only in French and English. Government agencies, officials from the United Nations and other non-governmental, organizations and groups battling world hunger also attended.

"The goat," explains Nancy, "is a really hardy animal that can live and prosper in every region in the world." And those regions suffering from malnutrition due to a lack of protein can utilize the goat for milk and meat.

But even the goat projects can have drawbacks, as one of the lectures on women and goats demonstrated.

To introduce a goat into a culture brings up the problem of herding the goats -- so girls were taken out of school in order to tend to the goats.

In Peru this problem was "solved" by keeping the animals confined which at Coonridge Farm, where the goats run totally wild, is really not a solution; even though Nancy understands the dilemma.

A woman from Nepal received a goat gift, and the milk and meat made the difference between her village living or dying.

Other workshops attended included information on Norwegians and how they breed goats to have a certain ratio of fat to protein for Gjetost cheese. Goats in arid lands and the benefits of grazing rotation were discussed along with what is being done for treating parasites and other topics regarding the setting of certain dairy standards.

One evening every goat cheese from France was displayed. "We ate goat cheese for four hours," Nancy says, "and I got to display my own cheese."

Visiting numerous goat factories, Nancy is thrilled that in France, making a living at being a goat farmer is a viable lifestyle.

"There was one beautiful old woman in her 80's who got an award for her goats. She was just glowing with good goat energy. As a cheesemaker, it was just heaven!"

La Montanita is proud to carry Nancy's organic goat cheese in convenient 7-oz. jars and tubs, or handy 4-oz. tubs at both of our stores.

Other local goat cheese products found in our cheese cases include: Sierra Farms tubs, jars, and feta; and those round, red-ribboned delights from Sweet-woods.

They come in a variety of flavors, such as green chile, peppercorn, basil and tomato.

Other domestic goat cheeses include: North Farm's Goat Cheddar and Sonnet's Raw Milk Goat Cheddar. From Spain, our famous Drunken Goat is perfect for upcoming party and holiday platters, as it's been soaked in red wine.

And don't forget our French goat cheeses, including Chabichou and Chevre logs of 11 oz. and the 4 oz. rosemary, basil and peppercorn 4-oz. flavored chevre -- perfect size for a snack or lunch.

Another convenient treat for our members and customers as the holidays are rapidly descending upon us, are cheese baskets for those special people in your life.

Just buy $30.00 worth of cheese -- goat, sheep or cow -- and we will create a holiday cheese basket with your items, available at the Nob Hill and Valley stores.

Just ask for Annette, Forrest, or Denise (Valley); or Corina, Katie, Shirley, and myself, Lotti (Nob Hill). We will gladly assist you in all your holiday basket needs!