About JSM Farms
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The Moodys
We are the Moodys—a family of five living on our family's fifth generation livestock and row crop farm in southwest Iowa. John, Suzanne, Amelia, Cora, and Mae love the farm life and the hard work it takes to maintain the land that sustains us. Farming is our full time job, the hours are highly variable, and no two workdays are ever the same.
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The Goats
We began raising meat goats in 2017. Prior to that we had no livestock and only grew row crops. We wanted our kids to experience raising livestock firsthand, witnessing the birth, nurturing, and the cycle of raising animals to feed our family and others. Starting with a small herd on 15 acres, we’ve since built 8 miles of fence, installed over 3,000 feet of water line, and set up 6 watering systems. Today, our breeding herd includes around 300 nannies rotationally grazed on over 250 acres.
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The Heroes of Our Pastures
Raising goats would be impossible without the protection of our guardian dogs. While learning about Spanish goats was fascinating, watching our dogs mature into fearless yet gentle protectors was equally remarkable. In the early years of raising goats we struggled with predation, particularly from coyotes targeting newborn kids. We now have a great group of guardian dogs who live full-time with the goats, keeping them safe from coyotes, bobcats, and birds of prey. We are constantly amazed by their instinctual bond with the herd and their unwavering dedication to protect them.
Spanish Goats
Our foundation herd consists of Sawyer bloodline Spanish goats. Known for their hardiness, strong maternal traits, adaptability, and unique history, the Sawyer bloodline has been selectively bred for 80 years with a focus on meat production, while retaining the valuable traits of the Spanish goat.
Spanish goats were brought to the U.S. over 500 years ago, many becoming feral and adapting to the diverse southern environments. In the 1800s different ranches began keeping separate herds for land management and meat production. Numerous bloodlines developed, each unique to those ranches that held them, while the breed as a whole maintained the inherent characteristics of the Spanish goat. Our foundation herd came from the Neely-Sawyer ranch in southwest Texas, where they were bred for over 80 years with a focus on meat production. When we brought them to Iowa, they not only quickly adapted, but thrived in our Midwest climate. Today, we're proud to carry on the Neely-Sawyer legacy, owning one of the largest herds of Sawyer goats in the U.S. and offering their exceptional meat to our customers.
Through the Generations
Over 100 Years of Family Farming
processing
Hamburg Locker
We value the opportunity to work with the Hamburg Locker on processing our goats. Jake Jones, grandson of the late Murl and Shirley Dovel, is continuing his family's legacy with his new locker in Hamburg, Iowa. Growing up around the former locker owned and operated by his grandparents Murl and Shirley, Jake developed a deep appreciation for where food comes from and how it sustains us. As a kid, he loved watching his grandpa interact with customers and seeing the business bring his family together. With his new locker just a block down the street from his grandparents retired locker, the tradition now continues, and Jake is excited for the opportunity to serve people the way his grandparents did for over 50 years.
The Hamburg Locker is the sole processing facility for our goats. We are extremely blessed to have this locker just 6 miles from our farm offering USDA inspected processing. They do a tremendous job butchering our goats and packaging each cut we offer you.