About the Author

Marissa Ames

Editor of Goat Journal and Backyard Poultry magazines, Marissa Ames runs a small homestead in Fallon, Nevada, where she focuses on saving and propagating rare breeds of goats and garden vegetables. She and her husband, Russ, travel to Africa where they serve as agricultural advisors for the nonprofit I Am Zambia. She spends her free time eating lunch.

10 Ways to Identify Goat Pregnancy

June 1, 2019 · Marissa Ames · Goat Notes

If you must know whether your goats are pregnant, you can spend money on blood tests, X-rays, or ultrasounds. But all pregnant goats show some visible signs.

Goat Journal May/June 2019

April 24, 2019 · Marissa Ames · Magazine Previews

The May/June 2019 issue of Goat Journal is now available! Subscribe for valuable stories on banding goats, rotational grazing, weaning goats, and more!

Scrapie in Goats, and Other Prion Diseases

March 14, 2019 · Marissa Ames · Health

Scrapie in goats is just one of several prion diseases. They have no cure and can bring down an entire goat or sheep operation with one diagnosis. But what are prion diseases and why won’t antibiotics help?

How to Make Feta Cheese

March 14, 2019 · Marissa Ames · Home Dairy

Some hard cheeses are intimidating, but feta doesn’t need to be. Making feta cheese is a simple way to practice for more complicated recipes.