The Philosopher with the Floppy Ears: A Day at The Little Farmer
Is there anything more Wisconsin than that specific crunch of leaves under your boots in late October? I think not.
Yesterday—Tuesday, October 29th—was one of those “gold-dipped” days. You know the kind I’m talking about. The sky over Lake Winnebago was that piercing, impossible blue, and the air had just enough of a bite to justify pulling my favorite chunky knit sweater out of the back of the closet.
I decided to play hooky from the laundry pile here in Neenah and took the drive down to The Little Farmer in Malone. If you’ve lived in the Fox Valley for more than five minutes, you know the place. It smells like hot apple cider, woodsmoke, and sweet caramel. But while most people were making a beeline for the apples, I headed straight for the barnyard.
That’s where I met him.
I don’t know his name, but I’m calling him Barnaby.
Just look at this guy. He was standing there in the pen, amidst the scattered autumn debris, looking absolutely majestic. He has that classic Boer goat look—a white body with a rich, mocha-colored hood that covers his head and neck, framed by those magnificent, velvety floppy ears. And check out those horns! They curve back like a regal crown.
We had a moment, Barnaby and I.
He wasn’t begging for corn (though, let’s be honest, he wouldn’t have turned it down). He was just standing there, chewing thoughtfully, staring past the fence. He looked so stoic. At 46, I feel like I relate to this goat on a spiritual level. He seemed to be saying, “Yes, the wind is chilly. Yes, the kids are screaming over by the hayride. But I have this patch of dirt, and life is good.”
I snapped this picture right as the afternoon sun was filtering through the trees, casting those long, dramatic fall shadows against the rough bark of the fence post.
There is something so grounding about visiting the animals at The Little Farmer. In a world that moves a million miles an hour, Barnaby the Goat is happy just to stand in the leaves and watch the world go by.
I did eventually leave his side to grab a caramel apple (with peanuts, obviously—I’m not a monster), but the highlight of the trip was definitely my quiet conversation with the Philosopher of Malone.
If you haven’t made it down there yet this season, squeeze it in before the snow flies. And if you see my friend with the brown ears, tell him Jamie says hello.
Stay cozy, Wisconsin.
