Goat Walking in a Golden Forest with Callie Russell

Happy Fall Equinox! Happy Autumn!

The Larch trees are turning golden here in Montana and I wanted to share the beauty with you all.

In this video I am out on a goat walk. I walk myself and my goat herd everyday so they can eat. Rain, or shine, or snow, we walk.

Their diet is almost all wild forage. If we are in the front country, I give them a little bit of hay while I milk them, and if we stay up north for the winter I give them some hay to supplement the limited wild forage, but if we go down south for the winter then there’s plenty of wild food for them.

Goat walking is a part of our daily rhythm and I am happy the share a bit of it here with you.

Someone will probably ask, so I will also say, I made my clothes out of mule deer hides that I skinned and brain tanned. I wove my pack basket from wild willows, and sewed on buckskin straps. I love to make home made gear, it helps me to feel more connected to the land, the plants, and animals.

More about Larch and Tamarack trees:

Did you know there is a Conifer tree that looses their needles in Autumn?

Deciduous trees (ones that looses their leaves) are typically broad leafed - not conifers, who are known for their needles holding green all winter long.

However, Larch is a very special family of trees (Larix genus) that turns golden in Autumn and then covers the ground below them in organic confetti.

In the entire world, there are only 18 species of Conifers that are deciduous, most of them are in the Larch genus.

The Larches I have the privilege to live amongst are the Western Larch - Larix occidentalis - the Larch that grows the largest.

I just love all this gold!!!

May you find the gold in your world, no matter the season ❤️ Happy Autumn :)