When a neighbor needed help bottle-feeding a newborn goat, young Nathan Hummert stepped in to help, nourishing the goat in his parents’ kitchen.He was hooked.Hummert, 22, of Jonesburg, now has focused his love of agriculture on a business venture called Goats & Yolks, officially founded in 2015. He raises Boer meat goats and at last count, 142 chickens.“I started with seven chicks when I was a 12 years old,” he said. “It just exploded. In high school I had 56 birds. Now I sell between 40-45 dozen eggs per week.”Hummert graduated from Warrenton High School in 2014, where he was a member of FFA. He said the knowledge he gained in FFA and his experience showing goats at the Warren County Fair were invaluable to him.Other local goat breeders served as his mentors as he strived to produce show-winning goats.He became a member of the EMS Explorers Academy at age 16, which gave him the desire to become a paramedic. Working for Warren County Ambulance District, four days off and two days on, Hummert finds it a perfect schedule for fulfilling his career dreams.Hummert strives to produce the best confirmation, muscle tone and bone health in his goats. Bred once a year in August or September, kids are born in January or February.Hummert sells some of his young goats to children hoping to raise a champion. He particularly enjoys teaching the students about goat and poultry health and agriculture in general. He knows what to look for soon after a kid is born.“It needs to have a nice wide front end, the width of three fingers between its horns and not a lot of slope on its back end,” said Hummert, citing a few of the desirable traits.Knowing the curious nature of goats and their desire to eat about anything, he has carefully designed his 3-acre plot to contain the goats and provide great nutrition to them. At least four strands of electric fence spread 6 inches apart seem to keep them contained in the lush pasture.“Goats provide plenty of comedy,” he said. “Their favorite snack is saltine crackers.”Hummert said raising goats in the heat of the summer is challenging. Their anatomy helps.“The horns cool them, they pant and they sweat,” he said. “That is helpful.”Although he loves raising goats and has eight years of competing under his belt, Hummert’s chickens bring in the income.His favorite breed is the Cinnamon Queen, which will lay 260-320 eggs per year. Hummert has loyal customers all around Warren County.“There are even some random duck eggs thrown in and people love it,” he said.Using his knowledge of poultry, Hummert will serve as the poultry superintendent at the Fair this year which will be held July 3-7 at the Warren County Fairgrounds in Warrenton. He will organize the events and hand out helpful tips to the entrants.“I enjoy passing on all education to the youth,” he said. “Ag education is slowly disappearing as the practice of growing your own food becomes less.”To find out more about Goats & Yolks, visit Hummert’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Hummertsgoatsandyolks. He is the son of Joe and Marisa Hummert.

Nathan Hummert, 22, Jonesburg, raises Boer goats and poultry at his farm in Jonesburg. His goat Sadie won overall grand champion in breeding stock two years ago. Hummert’s hens provide more than 40 dozen eggs per week to local customers. Hummert will serve as the poultry superintendent at the Warren County Fair to be held July 3-7. 

Record Photo/Cindy Gladden