PEAK Crossing goat farmer Nathan Jackson grew up on the Gold Coast, his early years were spent playing on one of two organic tea tree plantations owned by his family.
His parents Graham and Diane had two properties, one a 13 hectare farm at Yatala and the other a 37-hectare property set among the sugar cane plantations in Jacobs Well.
His childhood was filled with all the joys being raised on the land brings. Cattle and sheep were a part of the family and he learned animal husbandry taught from a young age.
It’s not surprising he opted to remain on the land and near animals when deciding on the type of business he wanted to run as an adult.
When they retired, his parents sold their farms and moved in with him on his 17-hectare property at Peak Crossing.
“We bought goats with the intention of making cheese from their milk and my dad just really loved [the goats],” he said.“Goats have a lot more character than cows, they don’t kick backwards like cows do and are easier to move.
“Six years ago, I was talking with my parents about starting a business.
“I had the goats and they said ‘well, let’s work on that’ and so I did.”
Working on it meant experimenting with the milk his goats produced.
“We made icecream and then gelato,” he said.
“At first we were making goat milk by-products just for ourselves but people really seemed to like it so we began packaging and selling it.”
His passion for goats is contagious and he seems eager to explain how ‘misunderstood’ these animals can be.
“We started doing farm tours as a way of teaching people goats are not this really weird animal and they are actually quite smart,” he said.
By the response he received from this first venture, he realised he was “on to something” and soon a steady stream of people visited the farm to spend time with the goats and eat the cheese, icecream and gelatos.
Visitors learned how goats were one of the first animals tamed and herded by humans going back some 9,000 years.
“Goats are also incredibly smart, can be taught their name and to come when called,” he adds.
Mr Jackson’s parents help with the day to day running of his business, Naughty Little Kids.
Ask what motivates him and he said he ‘really doesn’t like the idea of working for someone’. That being said, his parents still tell him what to do at times.
“I’ve told them I’m looking forward to the day I can fire them,” he laughed while explaining what working with elderly parents was like.
“They tell me they’re looking forward to that day too!”
The Jackson clan wouldn’t be complete without a couple of dogs thrown in for good measure.
“We have two guardian dogs, one is named Harris and the other Yabba,” he said.
“They look after the herd and protect it from foxes and wild dogs.”
He said foxes were of particular concern in the area.
“We also have five sheep that help manage fireweed on the property,” he said.
“Going forward the plan is to focus more on the manufacturing side of the business and buying milk in so we can sell more gelato and cheese.
“Once people try goats milk products and see how it actually tastes compared to how they think it tastes, they love it.”