Jenna Lee Panehal-Pelayo runs a mini-farm in Summerville, South Carolina, alongside her husband, Chris. Named Flowertown Charm, the historic 1870s farmhouse is also home to a herd of Nigerian Dwarf goats who enjoy partaking in goat yoga sessions alongside visitors and guests.
Naturally, the goats star in the mini-farm’s popular Instagram account.
The roots of Flowertown Charm stem from Panehal-Pelayo realizing that “the world started changing and people became more dependent on technology and further away from self-sustainability.” In return, she decided to research sustainable traditions, learned how to garden and looked into farm animals.
“We took the leap and we got our first two goats as bottle babies in 2016 and we’ve just been growing our mini-farm from there,” she recalls. “Now we have goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, a mini-cow, dogs, cats, a giant tortoise and bee hives!”
Taking time out from caring for the homestead, we spoke to Panehal-Pelayo about living around goats and how the yoga classes began. We also got the scoop on a giant tortoise who’s come to call Flowertown Charm home.
Bringing Goats to the Farm
“I have always had a cow dairy intolerance, and goats were a good way to substitute dairy in my diet that was easier on my digestion,” says Panehal-Pelayo when asked how goats came to be a key part of Flowertown Charm.
“Plus they’re just adorable.”
She adds that when she noticed the goat yoga trend, they hosted a class with a couple of their own goats—and promptly sold out. “So we got more goats and we’ve been doing classes every weekend for three years now and are pretty much sold out every time,” she says. “People just love goats!”
Goat yoga is just one great reason to get into keeping goats!
When Goats Act Like Dogs
Panehal-Pelayo characterizes the goats at Flowertown Charm as friendly and well-mannered animals. This is due to the way they’re socialized from an early age.
“Many folks like to refer to our goats as acting like dogs,” she explains. “They love attention, they love being cuddled, they like to be on your lap, they follow you everywhere and they love treats too!
“So when you walk into our mini farm you will probably see a stampede of silly goats running towards you just to get all your attention. And they sound hilarious with their adorable goat bleats because they’re excited to see you!”
Giving Goat Milk A Try
Panehal-Pelayo says that many people initially think goat milk might taste too gamey. But she explains that Nigerian Dwarf goat milk has a higher butterfat content that causes it to “taste creamy and almost sweet, like cereal milk!”
Here are 7 creative ways to use milk from your goat.
Getting Into Goat Yoga
Goat yoga classes at Flowertown Charm take place outside in the sunshine and the breeze.
“You feel so happy inside because you are distracted by silly goats bleating, rubbing up against you for attention, taking a nap on your yoga mat and sometimes jumping on your back to make sure you’re getting that deep yoga stretch just right,” Panehal-Pelayo explains.
“Our goal is to make sure everyone leaves with a smile. I don’t think we have ever not made that happen.”
Introducing the Farm’s Signature Tortoise
If you scroll through photos of Flowertown Charm on social media, you’ll quickly notice that the Nigerian Dwarf goats are accompanied by a resident tortoise. Named Tank, he originally came into Panehal-Pelayo’s life when she resided in Hawaii.
“Last fall we decided to ship Tank here to South Carolina because my parents are traveling more from Hawaii and thought that our farm would be a bigger, better place for him,” she explains. “He shipped via UPS and got here in 36 hours! So we basically inherited him early because he will be living way past my parents and myself. These tortoises live beyond 100 years old, so he will have to be in our will as well.”
Follow Flowertown Charm at Instagram.
