Central Pa. goat farm lets you mingle with animals for free, no kidding - PennLive

Brian Phillips bought his wife Tracy two dairy goats for Christmas about 13 years ago.

The gift sparked an interest in goats that led to the couple to start a collection, relocate to a larger farm in Duncannon and eventually start a company making skin care products from goats' milk called: Barking Goat Farm.

Now, the family is opening their farm to the public. Visitors can mingle with the goats, see how the soap and other products are made and maybe even get a chance to milk a goat.

The grand opening will be this Friday, May 28th and operate through the weekend until Sunday with the hours 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. each day. The farm will continue to be open Friday through Sundays during those same hours going forward.

It all started about 2008 when Brian Phillips bought the original pair of goats. The goats produced lots of milk, prompting the family to consider additional ways to use the milk. That's when the idea came to use it in skin products.

At first, Tracy Phillips gave the products to family and friends and sold a few items here and there. But soon, demand increased and the Phillips moved to their current larger location at 221 Linton Hill Rd. in Duncannon.

That's where they opened the Barking Goat Farm store.

"My husband, he trains hunting dogs and so that's where the 'Barking' came from in the name," said Tracy.

The upkeep for her goats are similar to having a dog, she said. Goats have good personalities and require proper attention.

"You need to feed them, give them fresh water...everyday we're milking them so we are out handling them everyday. They live in the barn so we have to make sure they have clean bedding and fresh water" Tracy said.

In order to create the products after milking the goats, Tracy freezes the milk. Soap then has to cure which is a four to six week process.

The goat milk is mixed with oil and lye and goes through "saponification," a process which eats up all the oils to create a firm density.

Tracy explained the difference between regular soap found in big box stores and her products.

"Goat milk is the magic ingredient here," she said. "Goat milk has a lot of vitamins and minerals in it, it's very moisturizing to your skin, and it has healthy fats in it. We nourish our skin by the foods we eat and also what we put on our skin. By putting the goat milk on our skin, our skin is getting those vitamins like vitamin A that helps with sun damage, the high fat that helps with moisturizing, and all the other minerals and vitamins that are in that milk is now going into your skin."

In addition to soap, the farm makes goat milk lip balm, goat milk face cream, goat milk lotions, and goat milk body washes in different scents sold both in store and on their website. Her products have five star reviews from thousands of customers.

"Besides the goats, picking the scents is probably my next favorite thing," Tracy said. "So I try to come out with a new fragrance every month. We have five that are our best sellers: oatmeal milk and honey, milk and honey, lavender, almond and unscented that we offer all year."

The Barking Goat Farm also wants to create a hands on experience for the public, inviting visitors to their farm to experience what it's like caring for goats.

Visitors will be taken through the entire process with the goats and visit the store if they want to take products home.

"The farm experience is free, everybody can come out and enjoy the goats," Tracy said. "You'll be able to pet the goats, you'll be able to be with the goats, get your picture taken with the goats and at times we can even show you how to milk a goat for the hands on experience."

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