About Us

Rosasharn Farm is a diversified family farm, consisting of 130 acres of pastures, gardens and forest 11 miles east of Providence, RI in Rehoboth, MA. Started in 1986 by Anne Petersen, Rosasharn Farm's original and primary focus is our nationally recognized herd of Authentic Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats. All our goats trace their ancestry directly back to the original foundation Nigerians in the AGS herd book. By now most Nigerians trace some of their ancestry back to Rosasharn!

Since ADGA opened a Nigerian herdbook our goats have been registered with ADGA, the American Dairy Goat Association, and can be registered with AGS, the American Goat Society as well. Our herd has achieved top awards in the show ring, including many National Champion titles, and recognition for top milk production, proven by our long history of participation in DHIR, Dairy Herd Improvement Registry, and a historic presence on the ADGA and AGS Top Ten milk production listings. We also participate in, and achieve high scores in ADGA's Linear Appraisal program.

We have worked very hard to promote and prove purebred Nigerians as the legitimate family or homestead milker they are. For many years our does were milked twice a day for standard lactations of 305 days or longer. As we relax a bit into our own aging process, we have also relaxed about our milking routine. We allow our does to raise their own kids, separating them from one another at night once the kids are eating solids. This provides plenty of milk for the farm family each morning and, we feel, produces healthy, growthy kids. Once kids are weaned and show season is over for us we drop most of our does down to a once-a-day milking schedule, the exception being young does who are earning their dairy stars.

When the farm children were young and in 4-H we showed our goats a lot. We regularly traveled to NJ, NY, VT, NH and ME. Now we pick and choose only a few local shows to participate in. We still travel as far as 20 hours to participate in ADGA National Shows.

The Rosasharn Nigerian herd has been a closed herd for close to 20 years. Occasionally we bring in an outside buck for leash breedings to achieve genetic diversity but they live in a separate pen and never are blended with our main herd. We practice strict biosecurity and have never had CAE, Johnnes, or CL. We sell goats both locally and far afield, having shipped to most states in the US, including Hawaii and Alaska, as well as Canada and the US Virgin Islands!

Since we rely heavily on our Livestock Guardian Dogs to protect our herds and flocks, the goat breeding program was followed by an AKC and OFA registered Great Pyrenees and Anatolian Shepherd-Great Pyrenees cross LGD dog breeding program. Puppies are available several times through the year.

As a sustainable, predominantly self-sufficient farm we raise all our own meat animals including sheep, poultry, and heritage hogs. The hog breeds we chose are American Guinea Hogs and Large Blacks for their efficiency of growth in our environment and easy to manage temperaments. We also raise and breed Narragansett turkeys and a wide variety of geese, ducks, chickens, and guinea foul. Anne produces many cheeses and yogurt for the farm's consumption and a line of goat milk soaps, based on the uniquely rich Nigerian Dwarf milk.

We believe in living a sustainable lifestyle. We strive to leave as small a foot print on this earth as is reasonably possible. We grow the majority of our own foods; vegetables, fruits and livestock (goats for milk, poultry for meat and eggs, hogs and lambs for meat). We farm using sustainable practices without artificial chemicals on the land and as little as possible for the herds. We see our land not as a resource to be mined but as a way to grow food and community within a mutually beneficial relationship between the land, the animals and ourselves. We believe in a sustainable cycle of nutrient flow here on the farm. We farm because we love to. The livestock and gardens are integrated and mutually dependent on one another.

We see education as a vital part of our mission and offer farm internships, 4-H and volunteer opportunities, private and school group tours and classes, petting and therapy programs by appointment, workshops, tutorials, and private tours to share our knowledge and enthusiasm for our lifestyle, work, and learning in an inspiring community. Please contact us if you would like to schedule a visit or program.

Rosasharn in the News

August 2015