Mar 04, 2026
By Rick McNary
People who grow up on a farm like Anita Hamm seem to be at their happiest when they are growing either plants or animals. Whether it is nourishing the lives of animals on Hamm’s Homestead Farm near Minneapolis with her husband, Tim, or previously caring for surgical/trauma patients as a nurse at Salina Regional Hospital, Anita finds great satisfaction in caring for others. Lately, her role at the hospital has shifted to the quality improvement department, which gives her more free time to work on their farm.
“We are both fifth-generation farmers so raising animals is just a part of our everyday life,” Anita says. “For many years we raised Angus cattle but had to pivot when grassland we rented was no longer available. We still had our own 80 acres, and our niece suggested we raise goats. At first, we thought it was a crazy idea, but now we are so glad we did it — they are so much fun! Baby goats will brighten anyone’s day.”
They raise small goats like Nigerian dwarf, Nubians and mini-Nubians with names like Oreo, Poppy, Jasmine, Josey, Cheeks and the herd sire, a fine-looking chap named Yellowstone. As a person who often entertains his grandchildren (and himself) by watching baby goat videos, I can only imagine how much joy those little creatures give the Hamms each day with their playful antics.
“When we first started raising them, a friend asked if we could make some goat milk soap for her because her doctor suggested she try it,” Anita says. “We made our first batch, and it sold out quickly so we decided to make more varieties of soaps and lotions. We also sell a lot of goat milk and have begun making cheese.”
The shift from raising large animals like cattle to smaller animals like goats challenged them to look at different revenue streams for the farm. Since Anita and Tim both grew up on a farm, they understand the business end of farming.“We started with poultry and selling hatching chicks,” Anita says. “We hatch about 300 to 400 a month on our farm during the seasons and we either deliver them or people pick them up.
“We then decided to bring back the rare breed of Erminette chickens, which almost went extinct in the 1960s,” she continues. “They are considered a specialty, or heritage breed, and are great for being both meat producers and egg layers.”
As if that wasn’t enough diversity, they recently decided to add emus to their flocks.
“We are always looking for unique, niche markets that are emerging and wondering if there is an opportunity for us,” she says. “There is an increasing demand for emu meat and oils. A friend of ours wants to raise them, but she wants to me to hatch, imprint them and get them sexed. We video them being hatched and it is amazing to watch them come out of their shell.”
In addition to all of these animals, they also raise Coturnix quail, Narragansett turkeys and peafowl.
The farm has transitioned from cattle, which can weigh more than 1,000 pounds down to animals like goats weighing less than 100 pounds. While that has certain benefits, it also comes with inherent dangers; easy prey for predators such as coyotes, bobcats, owls and hawks. Enter their livestock guard Anatolian Shepherds, a female named Indy and a male named Amos.
“Indy’s job is to assist the nannies during kidding and she is also quite fond of the poultry,” Anita says. “Amos is a brindle male, a perfect example of a livestock guardian dog. His job is to hang out with the herd, ensuring their safety. He doesn’t like it when the goats go to the milkhouse at milking time. You’ll often find him sneaking out of the pen to check on them while they’re being milked. They are both super protective.”
Anita and Tim exhibit the hidden virtues of all farmers whose supreme satisfaction comes in the process of growing crops or animals.
“It’s the babies,” Anita says. “They are the best part of this new way of farming for us.”
Note: Anita frequently posts photos and videos of their babies, including hatching emus on their Facebook page: Hamm’s Homestead, LLC. In addition, you can find out more about their farm and what they have for sale by visiting their website.