Home of Two ADGA National Champion Alpines:
	CH Iron Rod STB Shelby 2014 ADGA National Champion Alpine and Reserve Best Udder (Left)

GCH Iron Rod Rev Sutra *M 1993 ADGA National Champion Alpine and Best Udder (Right)

We would like to thank you for your interest in our herd. After having moved from the Pacific Northwest, we have successfully shown our animals primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region for the past twenty-two years. Although we have been breeding quality French Alpines for over twenty-five years now, we have purposefully kept the herd small with an average of twelve milkers.

Our herd name is derived from the lyrics of a favorite hymn:

"Hold to the rod, the Iron Rod; 'tis strong and bright and true;
The Iron Rod is the Word of God; 'twill safely guide us through."

We are grateful for the stewardship we have been given over our small herd of God's graceful and productive creatures.

We own a small farm in the beautiful Piedmont Valley just north of Charlottesville, Virginia, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We have been able to make our farm a place where caring for our animals can be characterized as a more comfortable routine (except for breeding, kidding, and showing seasons, of course).

Our commercial cheese product, Iron Rod Chevre, had been a successful enterprise for fifteen years. Two years ago, we decided that trying to do breeding, showing, Grade A dairy, & cheese production was leaving us with too little sleep and affecting our quality of life. It was just Larry and myself, and I was wanting to be "perfect" in each endeavor. There is wisdom in the mantra, "moderation in all things". My admiration for those who are able to "do it all" is immeasurable!!! Like many other dairy goat breeders, we are now selling our beautiful Grade A milk to someone who loves being a cheese producer as much as I love breeding and showing. This is the greatest of complementary relationships!!!

We participate in linear appraisal every other year. Our last linear appraisal was in 2012. We were very pleased with the results, and the individual scores appear on the individual animal's page. We will be linear appraised again sometime in mid summer of 2014. We are very excited to see the linear appraisal results on the 2012 yearlings that will freshen this spring. The scores will be posted following appraisal. As a group, we feel this is the finest our herd has ever been. We are eager for our estimations to be validated!

Leslie says,
     "I have been breeding and showing dairy goats for over twenty-five years now, and have noted over these years the benefits and disadvantages of this passion. Enthusiastic pursuit of any goal has its sacrifices. As most of you reading this know, raising dairy animals is the most time consuming of all livestock enterprises. There is no time that they do not require our concern and effort. We are each given one lifetime, with finite time, strength, resources and relationships.
     "Our success in preserving these elements is a reflection of our choices. As a rule, (1) I do not breed does their first year, (2) I choose some heavy milkers to take through a second lactation, and (3) some finished champions are given a season's rest and renewal in hope of extending their lives.
     "I am a patient herdsman, respecting the lives for which I am responsible. My barn is not burgeoning with does, my kids play in a half acre of forest, and each buck has a quarter acre in which to exercise.
     "I want to breed these wonderful animals for many more years and so I am conservative, attending only those shows that do not deplete my savings or over strain my marriage."

We have attended 10 National Shows in the last 21 years. Placings of does owned by or bred by Iron Rod are as follows:

Please use the links at left and below to navigate around our site and learn more about our Iron Rod Alpine Dairy Goats. Please contact us if you have any questions about our herd. We would love to hear from you.

Thank you,
Leslie & Larry Sidwell

Visitors since May 23, 2006:

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