Written by Stephen Ondich
Ten Apple Farm goat hike is a two hour educational and recreational goat experience. The hike consists of an approximately one and a half mile loop
source: Ten Apple Farm
Ten Apple Farm is one of a select few goat farms in Maine where you can hike with these ruminant animals. Whether you love baby goats, funny goats or female goats, 10 Apple Farm has you covered. Goat yoga? We asked but Ten Apple Farm does not offer it…yet. However, after months of anticipation, our family booked a hike at Ten Apple Farm in July of 2019. It was an incredible experience, perhaps the G.O.A.T.? OK, the goat acronym may be a bit of a stretch. However, we strongly recommend visiting the farm if you love homesteading and animals.
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Ten Apple Goat Farm
Location
Ten Apple Farm in Gray, Maine is 147 miles from Acadia National Park.
Ten Apple Farm: About the Farm
Ten Apple Farm is a homestead in Gray, Maine operated by the husband and wife team of Karl Schatz and Margaret Hathaway.
The farm consists of 18 acres where the family tends dairy goats, pigs, turkeys and chickens.
Additionally, here is a short list of things you’ll find at 10 Apple Farm.
- A large garden kitchen
- Overnight accommodations through AirBnb
- Cheese and yogurt making
- Goat hiking
- Farm tours
- Apple orchards
- Freezing, canning and butchering workshops.
In between homesteading activities, Margaret and Karl renovate their 1901 farmhouse and barn.
In short, Karl and Margaret are very busy homesteaders! However, they are passionate about self-sufficiency and their farm lifestyle. Thus, they are eager to share their knowledge, experience and time with visitors from all walks of life.
About Margaret Hathaway and Karl Schatz
Like many people, we found out about Ten Apple Farm through their Hiking with Goats tours. It is one of the most popular activities at their homestead. Certainly, it gets the most media coverage.
However, outside of their goat work, Margaret & Karl are fascinating people.
Our family enjoyed learning about their unique life experiences just as much as we did the goat hike.
Margaret Hathaway is an author, lecturer, Wellesley College graduate and hails from the Midwest. She managed New York City’s prestigious Magnolia Bakery prior to leaving the city for a sustainable homesteading life.
Karl Schatz is a photographer, Syracuse alum and Maine native. He worked as a Photo Editor for Time Magazine. Before meeting Margaret in Brooklyn, he taught photography at the International Center of Photography in New York. Karl is a wealth of knowledge and a great source for goat information.
Homesteading at Ten Apple Farm is a Family Business
Karl and Margaret have three young daughters: Charlotte, Beatrice and Sadie. They were all born on the homestead and take an active role in the day to day farm activities.
After a few minutes of interacting with the Schatz-Hathaways, you get a sense for the intensity of their work ethic.
They are fully committed to everything associated with living a self-sustainable homesteading life. It is not the tepid or wavering commitment of someone who dabbles in a new lifestyle. They are fully vested in their family’s self-sustainability.
In fact, there is a massive amount of day-to-day work required to maintain a homestead. Thus, I am surprised they have time to give tours and run workshops. But, that speaks well to their work ethic.
On a side note, when we took our hike, their youngest daughter Sadie joined us for the last leg. That was particularly exciting because our daughter Sadie was with us and doesn’t meet too many other Sadies!
Goat Hiking at 10 Apple Farm: How Did it Start?
Of all the activities at Ten Apple Farm, goat hiking is the most popular,
The idea came from an experience that Karl & Margaret had with John Mionczynski in the early 2000’s.
The Year of the Goat: 2003
After Karl & Margaret met, they jointly decided to leave New York and raise a family in the country in a self-sufficient manner.
They spent a year travelling the country, driving over 40,000 miles. The purpose was to visit, learn from and document the lifestyle of people already living the goat life.
Along the way, they formulated a plan for their own homestead. Their many experiences from that journey are documented on a website and in print.
Significantly, during their Year of the Goat they spent time with John Mionczynski in Wyoming. In some circles, Mionczynski is known for his decades-long quest to prove the existence of Bigfoot (Sasquatch).
However, it was a goat packing trip with John that inspired Karl & Margaret to create a similar goat experience on their own homestead. According to Karl, they thought it would be very poplar with the people of Maine. Additionally, it dovetailed with the vision they had for connecting with people and introducing them to their homesteading lifestyle.
After being at Ten Apple Farm myself, I appreciate the genius of this concept. Homesteading, canning and butchering is a niche audience. However, everyone loves goats. Goat hiking has a much broader appeal. It allows the farm to connect with and spread their message of health and self-sufficiency to a wide audience.
In a fitting conclusion to The Year of the Goat, Karl & Margaret exchanged wedding vows and began married life together.
Planning Our Goat Hike: First attempt
Early in 2019, I reached out to Karl through the farm’s Facebook page. I wanted to schedule a goat hike and possibly an interview in April on my way to Milbridge.
Karl explained that 10 Apple Farm was a good 2+ hours away from Milbridge. However, the distance did not dissuade me. Unfortunately, the lingering snow limited the number of scheduled activities at the farm. Additionally, Karl was tending to newborn baby goats which put their regular tours on a small hiatus.
As a result, we waited till summer to visit 10 Apple Farm.
Our Goat Hike in July 2019
Finally, we booked a family goat tour for late July of 2019.
Book through AirBnb Experiences
We booked our tour through AirBnB Experiences but you can also book directly through the Ten Apple Farm website.
They have a busy schedule and are tech-savvy. Thus, I recommend booking on-line, one way or the other, rather than calling.
The hike was incredibly fun and educational. Also, we learned so much about goats, farming, self-sufficiency.
Perhaps best of all, our family came away feeling like we were close friends with Karl and Margaret.
Meet at the Farm
Karl sent us a direct message confirming the time and details of our hike.
He provided suggestions for hiking attire and gave us a heads up on what to expect.
Hikes are contingent upon weather conditions. There was rain early in the day of our hike. However, Karl monitored the forecast and kept us apprised of the hike status. Fortunately, the rain cleared up by 3:00 PM, just as Karl predicted.
Our hike was on! One other family from out of state joined us.
Greet the Goats
After meeting up outside their 1901 farmhouse, Karl took us into the animal pen to meet the goats. Next he gave us a primer on how to interact with the goats.
Karl requested that we avoid touching the goats’ horns. The reason is that he has trained the goats to avoid using their horns to engage with humans. In reciprocity, people do not touch their horns. Sounds fair to me.
Goat Behavior
Despite an outwardly awkward appearance, billy-goats are actually very nimble creatures. Occasionally, they decided in lockstep to rush by us on the trail. Karl instructed everyone to just stay still and they will avoid you. He was right. This also explains why they look so natural perched on precariously on high elevations.
One thing I noticed almost immediately is that we were hiking with the goats. They weren’t leading us or following us.
We moved through the woods like an amorphous shape. It was like we were a jellyfish where the nucleus of the group could at anytime be human or animal. The outer perimeter casually but instinctively followed along.
The billy-goats don’t mind us being there. Nor do they really perk up in our presence. You are just kind of with them.
Occasionally a feisty goat Nudged her way past Heidi but for the most part the goats kept any aggressive behaviors to themselves
They absorbed us into their hiking group without judgement or question. It was very cool!
Can goats be woke?
Hike the Farm
Hike Overview
The hike itself is just over one mile. However, there are some slight elevation changes. Additionally, there is at least one spot where you need to use a rope rail to assist in the climb.
For the most part, the trail is flat and well marked.
No Animal Left Behind
Initially, we were concerned about some straggling goats. However, Karl bellowed a loud call to tell the goats to hustle. They respectfully complied. Generally speaking, does and bucks do not like to be left behind. They had a natural desire to keep up with the group.
Hiking in Unison
The hike is a communal experience. I find it a little difficult to describe in words. Our interactions with Karl, Margaret, the animals, our own family and the other family flowed together seamlessly.
Rest Break and Pictures
Once we reached the far end of the property, Karl gave the billy-goats (and us) a few minutes to rest. Most of us took pictures of the grazing animals while our conversations continued.
At one point I mentioned to Margaret that we have a hardwood lumber company and supply tone-wood to electric guitar manufactures. She told me that the previous day someone from Paul Reed Smith came to 10 Apple Farm and hiked. It’s a small world, especially in the goat-hiking community!
Check Out the Woods House
Next, we started back toward the farmhouse. We took a brief stop at the guesthouse where their AirBnB guests stay. At that point their daughter Sadie appeared and joined the group. Sadie, meet Sadie!
Ten Apple Farm Garden
The next stop was their impressive garden.
Goats are voracious eaters. Thus, it was with a bit of annoyance that Karl had to go back and pull one mischievous goat out of the raspberry bushes.
Pretty much everything else on the property is fair game for goat food but apparently this one billy-goat has a thing for ripe red raspberries.
Heritage Mangalitsa Pigs
Next to the garden was a pen containing two very large and distinctively furry Heritage Mangalitsa pigs.
After the walking portion of the hike ended, we went into the animal pens. There, anyone who wanted to, took a turn milking the goats. Karl expertly explained the technique several times before it was my turn. Yet, it still took me a few tries to get it right.
Buy Food, Books and Gifts
Our tour ended up in the farmhouse kitchen.
We had a goat milk tasting. It was our choice of warm or cold milk. I tried the warm goat milk that we just finished.
Additionally, Karl gave away some surplus chicken eggs. We took a dozen back to our AirBnb and fried them in the morning.
I always thought an egg is an egg. Not sure if it was from the type of chicken or what but the eggs Karl gave us were extra rich and tasty delicious.
We bought matching Goat Love tee-shirts for the girls. Apparently, the t-shirt design was based off Karl and Margaret’s wedding invitation. Lest anyone question their commitment to the goat lifestyle, here is the proof!
Our Ten Apple Farm T-Shirts
Here we are at The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. The girls are proudly wearing their matching Ten Apple Farm shirts!
Hospice on the Homestead
Conclusion
Visiting Ten Apple Farm
Karl and Margaret’s farm is located at:
241 Yarmouth Rd, Gray, ME 0403
Ten Apple Farm Website and AirBnb
You can contact Ten Apple Farm through their website here or through their AirBnB listing below.
Heidi
12 Aug 2019Great article Steve. I think you described the goat hike experience wonderfully. It was indeed one of my favorite family adventures of the Summer…. and your right about Karl and Margaret- you might come for the goats but one leaves the experience with a feeling of friendship as well.
Stephen
12 Aug 2019“The Goat Experience.” I think they should start calling it that.
Molly Ondich
12 Aug 2019Wow! Yet again, I’m very impressed by your comprehensive article. Lots of information while still being articulate, concise, and engaging. The goat hike was one of my favorite summer activities. Perfect for any nature lover or animal enthusiast! Like you stated in the article, Margret and Karl really make you feel like you are a part of their community. You certainly leave with human as well as furry friends!
Stephen
12 Aug 2019It was a fun hike. We should do it again!
Karen Downs
12 Aug 2019The goat hike sounds great! I hope to be able to travel there some day.
Stephen
12 Aug 2019Hi Karen – I think your family would enjoy it!