Fundraising to Save the Icelandic Cashmere Goat from Extinction

When headed North of Iceland, with my family or during my knitting tours, we never fail to visit Háafell farm that is the only surviving commercial goat farm in Iceland. The goats are not just completely adorable and friendly, they are famous for their acting in Game of Thrones, but moreover, their are an endangered specie. At Háafell, the amazing Jóhanna has dedicated her life to save the Icelandic goat from extinction and has managed over the years to substantially raise their number: at a time there were only 90 goats left in Iceland! Brought to Iceland by the first settlers more than a 1000 years ago, the breed has stayed pure and developed an especially fine cashmere in the Icelandic climate. The Icelandic goat is today still an endangered specie with less than 1000 animals, Jóhanna owning one fourth of them. Jóhanna’s aim has always been to make the farm a sustainable one and to produce a viable income by selling and developing products such as milk, cheese, cashmere, and meat. She has however received little understanding from the government and has had to face numerous difficulties in particular from the administration regarding regulations for selling fresh milk and producing fresh goat cheese (goat milk is suitable for people with lactose intolerance and infants, the Icelandic goat milk being particularly mild with a delicate flowery taste).