Tucked inside the beautiful community of Highland Lake in Flat Rock, NC lies The Garden Hamlet, a charming neighborhood made up of permanent residences and vacation homes, all surrounding a large pasture.

Inside the pasture lives The Hamlet Herd.

—from The Hamlet Herd Facebook Page

The Sandburg goats may be the most famous herd in Flat Rock, but they are not the only adorable goats in the Village. The Garden Hamlet, a community of 30+ homes directly adjacent to the Highland Lake Inn and Resort, recently took over responsibility for a small herd of eight goats previously tended to by the family of developer Kerry Lindsey.

Each of The Hamlet's homes backs up to a large fenced-in pasture which has been home to a menagerie of animals since the development was first built in the early 2000s. The properties are a mixture of permanent residences and rentals for vacationers from around the country. The goats - and a couple of sheep - were considered one of the amenities of this very serene and bucolic setting and a marketing attraction for both rental guests and people looking for a permanent residence.

Heading up the supervision of the goats and their volunteer caretakers is Meg Reim. Meg moved to The Garden Hamlet a little less than two years ago and immediately felt an affinity with her four-legged neighbors who lived just outside her back door. “I became involved because I lived here and went to the barn and got to know the goats,” Meg explains. “I just felt that the goats would get better care and more attention if we had full ownership.”

Judging by the friendliness and playfulness of the goats during a recent visit on a sunny spring day, they seem to be very well pleased with their new arrangement.

Meg previously owned a small organic farm off of Stony Mountain Road in Hendersonville but was not familiar with the care of goats. She was willing, however, to tackle the goat-tending learning curve and when the HOA officially took over the herd in November 2020, she began arranging for experts and volunteers to help with the new community project.

Fortuitously, as the HOA was figuring out what it would take to maintain a herd of goats, Ellen Sugarman arrived on the scene. Ellen is a barn volunteer at Sandburg but has been sidelined from her volunteer duties by the pandemic. Her elderly mother lived in Highland Lake Villages nearby, so Ellen discovered the Hamlet Herd during visits and started asking around to see if she could be of assistance. Her timing was perfect and she and Meg collaborated to create a plan for their new animal friends.

A veteran goat owner was called in to give a detailed assessment of the herd and its living arrangements. Vicky Bochynek, a veterinarian who also cares for the Sandburg goats, was hired to provide medical evaluations. The results of these consultations resulted in a number of recommended improvements. The goats were put on a new diet, the pasture was re-seeded with grasses more conducive to good goat health, the goats were provided with “toys” in the pasture to provide mental stimulation and a place to have fun, the barn was cleaned up and muddy areas in the pasture were attended to during volunteer workdays.

The medical examination also revealed that the herd of eight goats would soon be adding to its number - with two of the females pregnant. In late February and early March, the Hamlet Herd welcomed four new kids to the family. Two females - Kammie and Phoebe Snow - and two males - Joey B. and Jon Snow. Suddenly, a big undertaking got 50% bigger almost overnight.

After four months of attention and improvements, The Hamlet Herd seems very happy and well adjusted. “This was not a socialized herd at all,” says Ellen. “Even getting the vet to be able to capture a goat, to trim its hooves was very difficult at first. But now it's remarkable how social and friendly the goats have become. We get comments from people about how happy they are that the goats are so much more lively and vital.”

Volunteer caretakers are both Garden Hamlet residents and people from the general community who love animals. Still, the group could use more volunteers and encourages interested persons to contact them about helping with feeding, grooming, petting, and just playing with the goats.

Meg’s involvement also led to a very interesting revelation recently. “After four months I woke up one night and a little voice said to me, you’re not the manager anymore. You are part of the herd. I think that might be true now.”

Although there is still much work to be done, Meg is already pleased with the impact the goats are having on the people who care for and visit them. “There's something about their personalities. The way they navigate through the world and their hearts. They are very gentle and very smart.”

Meg wraps her arms around a goat named Petey and says with a contented smile, “It might sound cheesy, but the goats just open people's hearts because they are so very loving.”

——

Would you like to learn more, volunteer, or contribute to a fund to construct a play structure for the Hamlet Herd? Contact:

Meg Reim
85 Water Lily Drive

Flat Rock 28731
(757) 274-1240.

Visitors are welcome. Please contact Meg (text messages preferred) to arrange a time when a volunteer can be available to assist you during your visit.

You can also follow The Hamlet Herd on Facebook at facebook.com/thehamletherd

The Hamlet Herd Gallery