My family friend Marty is moving from Michel Road, Mountain Ranch to near Pioneer Cemetery, just outside San Andreas, California Highway 12. She’ll be moving her goat herd. The herd is two bucks and fifteen does. Fourteen does are pregnant and due anytime from now until around seven weeks from now. One doe has given birth to one buckling and two doelings.


In the summer of 2020, my older brother Luke offered Marty a tenancy at his house on Michel Road, Mountain Ranch. Our grandmother had given the house and the land to him when she bought it in July 2017. She bought him a brand new truck too. She loved him so much and had chosen him to take care of her in her old age.

Our grandmother was 95 years old then. My older brother was almost 47 years old. Our grandmother wrote out the deed with both of their names as joint tenants with right of survivorship. She thought surely her beloved grandson would outlive her.


In August 2020, my brother convinced his old friend Marty to come stay. They were old friends from high school years in the 1980s in El Sobrante. In the 1980s, after Luke’s mother had died, Marty helped Luke and his little brother Simon, who went to stay with Marty’s family. Marty’s dad would take them out with him on construction projects.


Luke had always loved Marty. At 50 years old, he thought, if he could turn his life around and get healthy again, he would marry her. And, with Marty there helping, Luke could bring our grandmother home from assisted living.

Marty and Luke both loved goats and decided they would have kids together. Luke offered Marty a forever home for herself and for her goat herd. Marty accepted, agreeing to pay what her budget afforded her for rent, $100 per month, sleeping in her fifth wheel on the other side of the barn, close to her goat herd, where she could hear them call for her if they needed her. After all, Marty is the mother of the herd.


Marty gave up her lease in Marysville and spent every last dime transporting herself, her goats, and her equipment for the goats to Michel Road in Mountain Ranch. It was heaven for the goats. They immediately loved the change from the flat land in Marysville to the steep hillside on Michel Road. They climbed the hill first thing every morning and played, running and sliding down the hillside. Luke and Marty planned gardens and a goat milk soap making business. They were all so happy together.


One month later Luke died. He had a heart attack and died in his sleep.


Marty found Luke when she came into the house to make breakfast. 


Marty was heartbroken.


Luke was 50 years old. Our grandmother was 98 years old. She had survived Luke. Just one month before, she had also survived covid.


Three days later, on Monday, the new owner came by, in our grandmother’s name, saying that Marty and the goats had to go. The new owner never came back. But the mail from the new owner’s lawyers came.


The new owner said Marty didn’t have tenancy, and, even if she did, the new owner was ending it, gave her notice, filed a lawsuit against her, and refused to negotiate a move out date that would be after the does had given birth and the kids would be strong enough to make a move. The new owner said the ten acres had to be sold, and all that land couldn’t be shown to potential buyers with a 17 goat herd running around. Marty was sick with worry for her pregnant does and all the bucklings and doelings they were carrying.


Marty did her best to find land with water, suitable for her goat herd. She had just moved to Mountain Ranch in August and didn’t know who to ask. She went to Sender’s Market and started asking around. She called an ad on craigslist and found some Los Angeles investors who would give her access to five acres with no water, if she would pay $1800 up front.


Marty hasn’t yet found anything else available. She is supposed to let the Los Angeles investors know if she’ll accept their offer on Wednesday, January 20th.

Marty would be happy to keep the GoFundMe money local to the Mountain Ranch area, if she knew someone local who could give her and her goats a place to rent. Marty also has chickens, three cats, and a dog. She has a jeep, a van, and two trucks. She lives in her fifth wheel. She can put up her own portable shelters for her goats and build her own t-post and hog wire fencing to keep her goats safe.

If you can help by donating and by spreading the word, Marty and I would be so grateful. If you love goats and want to come meet them, Marty would be happy to introduce them to you. Thank you so much.