Baby Goats? No Kidding! Girdwood's Library Hosts Goat Fest

Lily Hensley calms a baby goat Wednesday by the Gerrish Library. Photos by Soren Wuerth

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

The most popular Gerrish Library event possibly ever?  

Baby goats, of course.

Eleven baby goats, 1-month to 3-months-old, cuddled, butted heads, and trotted in a knee-high fenced enclosure outside the library Wednesday while scores of two-legged kids petted, chased or separated—as in the case of the head-buttters—the four-legged kids.

Cries of "can we bring him home?" were met with only a frown by a mom. Only one Girdwoodian bought a kid and quickly named it, "Fireweed."

Chugiak-based The Tiny Homestead brought the goats as part of Anchorage Public Library's Summer Discovery series. Besides "meet and greets" with goats, The Tiny Homestead sells goats and raw milk from an Eagle River farm managing 50 goats—milkers, bucks and babies.

The goats seemed amiable on the lawn beside Girdwood's Gerrish Library.

Tony Waliser of The Tiny Homestead packs a kid into one of three kennel crates for the ride home.

"They get along as well as goats get along," said Tiny Homestead owner Kaichen McRae. "They're head-butting and jostling, but they get along."

And they seemed to be getting along with local children. "There's a natural affinity between kids and kids," McRae said, adding that goats are generally very receptive to people. 

"These guys (the goats) are veterans. Even when kids are picking them up, they're quite chill."

"Baby goats are $175 for boys, $275 for girls, and $375 for a registered goat," McRae told a boy who was digging into his pocket. "Give him a business card to give to his parents," McRae said, turning to goat-tender Tony Waliser. 

Girdwood is the farthest the kids have gone, Wasiler said. The group brings the kids to birthday parties and other live events. Recently, 700 Anchorage folks showed up to pet goats at the Loussac Library.

The event was partnered by Southcentral Alaska's 4-H, a national youth development organization that creates opportunities for young people, ages five to 19, to "learn by doing," according to Samantha Blumenkonig, a 4-H coordinator from Palmer. 

The group has workshops for activities like raising goats, canning and sewing textiles—"sounds stodgy but it's (a) modern (activity)," Blumenkonig said.

Over the course of the day, 95-100 locals showed up.

A record turnout for our library? You gotta be kidding.

Boys butt in to keep kids from butting in.