Winter School Auction

Goat kids being entertained by a human visitor during a Winter School break.

At the Tennessee Master Gardener 2011 Winter School--just passed--P&CW Farm donated two goat kids to the Silent Auction. The third kid in Nigerian Dwarf Jennifer's winter 2010 litter, Kendall, and Fainter x Dwarf cross Mitzi's 2011 kid, Eeyore, were entered in the auction on the eve of February 23rd. Winter School, a series of classes organized into two tracks--teaching and leadership--and held over three days, opened on Thursday, February 24th. Again hosted by the most generous Rutherford County Master Gardener association, the event was a huge success. Attended by close to 200 registered participants, presenters, and volunteers, Winter School made Murfreesboro's Lane Agri-Park beside the Rutherford County UT/TSU Agricultural Extension offices a bustling center of activity.

When the Silent Auction opened on the 24th, attendees browsed the myriad of offerings--a vast collection of garden-related items donated by businesses and master gardeners from across the state. The goats were marketed as producers of natural fertilizer and consumers of weeds and invasive plants. Both items are useful to gardeners. By afternoon I was fielding questions about the goat kids up for auction. The doeling, Kendall, received a bid before day's end. Then on Friday, the kids came to school.

Friday turned out to be overcast, windy, and chilly. Although I had planned to pen the kids outdoors, when the temperature refused to rise out of the 30's, I tucked the pair into a plastic tub and toted them into the shelter of the building. Although Kendall was already socialized to humans, Eeyore had yet to trust these two-legged creatures. He was quite nervous at first. By lunchtime word had spread: the goat kids were present and ready to be cuddled. By early afternoon, Mr. Eeyore was leaning into the arms of his admirers, looking fully content.

Goat kids revel in the late-February warmth and dine on the season's first greens.

With master gardeners being savvy bidders, a bidding war for Kendall ensued. When the auction closed in the late afternoon, both kids had new owners and together the pair had netted half again as much as the Great Pyrenees dog P&CW Farm had entered in last year's auction! We were glad to be able to contribute to Winter School, and thrilled to have our goats going to master gardener owners. Indeed we even sold a third kid, from Jennifer's early 2010 litter--Todd. The goats would come to school for one more day before heading off to their new homes.

On Saturday, the skies cleared and the sun broke through. By the first morning break we were able to rig a fence outdoors where the kids could enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. And enjoy it they did. Eeyore bounced and twisted, butting his pasture mates around with his little goat self. He even conversed with a woman who repeatedly bleated at him; the two held a fascinating conversation for several minutes. The kids and people enjoyed the day as the temperature rose into the 60's.

When all the workshops were over and the ample food demolished, the gardeners were ready to go home. Kendall and Todd left the grounds together, co-owned by a pair of fine gardeners and enthusiastic goat owners. While it was a little hard placing Eeyore in a home without other goats, I was pleased by how well he took to his new owner--and her promise of boys at home to play with him.

The weekend's last question remains: what will we bring to the Silent Auction in 2012?