They pitch in and help their neighbors and don't take shortcuts.īesides the goats, the author weaves in fascinating stuff about religion, word origins, history, cheese, and poetry. They work hard and do not romanticize the really difficult parts of raising animals.

The author and his wife go into this project with open eyes and clear heads. I thought the story would be along the lines of 'yuppy spoiled Manhattanite moves to Vermont is a farmer wanna-be and becomes a joke amongst the real Vermonters'.īut I was pleasantly surprised. So I felt obligated to at least start it. The next session, he brought me the book. 'That sounds interesting', I said (meaning, interesting that YOU read it, but I don't think I would care for it). One day, during the farm chapter, my study partner told me he had read this amazing book about a guy who moves to Vermont to raise goats and make cheese. But nonetheless we were tested on the arcane rules of farm taxation.ĭid you know that the profit on a dairy cow is taxed differently than the profit on a cow for slaughter? Did you know that farmers have an entirely different set of rules for estimated tax payments, if they meet the definition of 'qualified farmer'? Right, I didn't either. Now, there are no farms to speak of in metro Boston, and the odds of either of us EVER doing a farm return are slim to none. Two times a week, for 10 weeks, we met at a Panera in between our two homes and shlogged through the very difficult and boring material. For the final one, I found a colleague who was also studying for the same test, and we became study partners. I recently finished a series of three IRS exams to become an Enrolled Agent. This book came into my life in an unusual way.

With Goat Song, he demonstrates yet another dimension to his writing talent, showcasing his expertise as food writer, in a compelling, beautifully written account of living by nature’s rules. In his transformation from staunch urbanite to countrified goat farmer, Kessler explores the rustic roots of so many aspects of Western culture, and how our diet, alphabet, reli- gions, poetry, and economy all grew out of a pastoral setting. Now Kessler adds to his numerous accomplishments (winner of the 2007 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, 2007 Whiting Award for Writers of Exceptional Promise, and a 2008 Rome Prize) an array of cheeses that have already been highly praised by Artisanal, the renowned cheese restaurant in New York City. He and his wife moved to a seventy-five acre goat farm in a small southern Vermont town, where they planned to make a living raising goats and making cheese. When acclaimed novelist Brad Kessler started to feel unsatisfied by his Manhattan lifestyle, he opted to tackle his issues of over-consumption and live a more eco-friendly life.

A gorgeously observed chronicle about getting out of the city and living life on the land, in the tradition of Anne Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.

Goat song by brad kessler