Yoga, line dancing & more: Centre County’s only goat dairy continues to expand offerings
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Nittany Meadow Farm operates Centre County's only goat dairy.
- The farm produces 10–15 gallons of goat milk weekly using Nigerian Dwarf and mini-Nubian goats.
- In addition to dairy, the farm runs agritainment events like goat yoga and goat line dancing.
Cows, chickens, lambs and pigs roam the fields of Nittany Meadow Farm, but the biggest (and loudest) population on the farm is the herd of over 90 goats.
Owners Michael and Tara Immel bought into the agritainment industry when they purchased the property in May 2021. The farm, located at 227 Nittany Meadow Farm Lane in Boalsburg, started with goat yoga sessions and has grown to also offer goat line dancing classes and even a petting zoo on wheels with its Goats2Go bus. Just a few months ago, though, Nittany Meadow Farm branched out and became the only goat dairy in Centre County.
The farm sells goat milk, goat cheese and goat milk soap online or at the farm during open hours. Michael Immel said they produce between 10-15 gallons a week, which quickly gets sold out.
“If you like milk, you’ll love goat milk,” Immel said. “It’s very rich, very creamy and very sweet. So, I tell people, it tastes like melted ice cream, so if you like ice cream melted, you will like goat milk.”
The farm uses two breeds of goats for milking, Nigerian Dwarf goats and mini-Nubian goats, who have higher butter fat content in their milk. This makes their milk better for producing cheese, butter and ice cream.
The milking operation is more intensive than you may think. Immel straps on his boots and walks into the dairy, where he uses feed to lure goats into their stalls. He attaches suction cups to the goats to draw the milk, which is funnelled into a large vat. Then, the milk is put through a cold pipe system to lower its temperature and prevent bacteria from growing.
From there, Immel pasteurizes the milk, bottles it up and preps it for sale. With his current setup, he’s able to milk 12 goats a day. The milking equipment alone costs over $100,000, which was aided by state grant funding this summer through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program.
Still, Immel described the operation as “a fun-maker, not a money-maker.”
“There’s no stress. I don’t have to do this to make money,” Immel said. “For me, I spend more than I make probably … that’s why there’s no goat dairies around. People aren’t doing it to make money, so for me it’s more of a hobby.”
Immel worked as an engineer and was a faculty member at Penn State for 25 years. Now retired, taking over Nittany Meadow Farm was more of a passion project for him. He and his 12-year-old son, Grayson, call themselves “the goat whisperers” and handle most of the farm’s operations.
The family has named all of their goats and can easily identify who’s who, whether it’s Spot, Pip Jr., Jet or Sonny and her baby, Cher. Goats are naturally friendly and sociable, which is a big part of why events like goat yoga have been popular at the farm. For that same reason, Immel has enjoyed working on a farm rather than a traditional workspace.
“I don’t have to argue with goats. No politics. They’re all sweet. They like me, I like them, right?” Immel said. “I’m a super easy-going, friendly guy. I do not like conflict. This to me is enjoyable. So I get up in the morning, I’m happy, I come out, they’re licking me, they’re kissing me, they’re friendly.”
Those interested in hanging out with the goats can sign up for activities or even book an overnight stay on the farm through Nittany Meadow Farm’s website. The dairy is open from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays and during scheduled events. Any other visit must be made via appointment.
