Out to Pasture: She's got style, she's got grace, she's a winner!

Roster changes at MeadowWild Farm include the addition of Awe Baby, from Split Rock Farm, in the hope that she'll produce awesome babies of her own this season with Senor Sanchez.

Here she seems to be aiming a raspberry

at her roommate, Dream.

The ladies enjoy some shade on an outing with Barb.

Baby browses in the tall grass

while Dream gazes longingly at the willow branches just beyond her reach

until Barb takes the hint and lowers some to within munching distance.

Meanwhile Kona hopped aboard the Goatmobile

for a trip to Rice Lake, WI,

and transfer to Heidi's Goatmobile for the final leg of the journey (with handsome young buck Altitude) to Summer Solstice Farms

where she will be on loan for a while. Here she meets Heidi's herd

and gets reacquainted (in a typically unsentimental way) with her sister Lassi, who has been a member of that herd since 2012. (photos by Heidi)

The highlight of the summer, of course, is the Carlton County Fair

with its spectacular rides

breathtaking displays of farm machinery, and --- most importantly ---

wholesome, gourmet fair food.

(The coffee wagon guy seems oddly undercaffeinated.)

But the real highlight of the fair

is the dairy goat show.

In the goat barn, Cheeky and Ray scope out the competition

while Eclipse commandeers a hay bale

and everybody samples gourmet fair food of their own.

Geisha and Viva spent some time entertaining folks at the historic old barn

and all of the ladies contributed to an impressive showing for MeadowWild.

Viva won a pink ribbon for Senior Kid (5th place in a large field), and, with Momo, came in second for Produce of Dam (their mom Juju).

Arabica (Ray) took third place in the Dry Yearling class and, with Geisha, fourth place in Produce of Dam (their mom Kona).

Momo took third place in the Milking Yearling class

with Eclipse winning the blue ribbon (first place) in the same class.

Cheeky (Tzatziki) won first place as Senior Dry Yearling

while Geisha took first place as Senior Kid

AND was named Grand Champion of the entire Junior Doe division. (photo by Carol Jelinek)

In the words of the immortal Tom Jones ("She's a Lady"), "She's got style, she's got grace, she's a winner!"

(Unfortunately, Tom pronounces "winner" as "weiner." Geisha is not amused.)

We asked Heidi to convey to Kona the good news about the daughter

she abandoned last spring. No report yet as to whether Kona is having second thoughts.

Another winner was Barb's goats' milk soap, which was awarded the blue ribbon.

August has been yet another dry month

leaving us officially in a drought

and in a very high fire danger area. We've confiscated the goats' smoking materials and Zippo lighters.

Tansy is flourishing despite the drought, but Barb's potato garden looks pretty wilted.

We're still enjoying lots of farm fresh local produce, however,

thanks to our membership in the Northern Harvest Farm CSA.

During the heat wave that is bringing August to a close, Bubba remains a melted puddle on the office floor (instead of hiding in his usual lair, an upstairs closet).