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10 n e w h a v e n B I Z | M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 9 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m A N I M A L M A G N E T I S M At this farm they'll get your goat (and that's a good thing) T R E N D I N G A nneliese Dadras talked about keeping goats since childhood, and saw an opportunity to make her dream of having her own goat farm come true when a historic Southington prop- erty came on the market. Dadras bought a farmhouse and surrounding property on Shuttle Meadow Road about four years ago. She spent a year on renovations before opening Bradley Mountain Farm to the public in 2016. e business began with two goats and Dadras making and sell- ing goat milk-based soaps. Today, her business has grown to 27 goats and zany activities for visitors such as"Goats 'n' Pajamas." (at's just what it sounds like — people come and dress goats in pajamas before tucking them in for the night.) "It's a way people could interact with goats which is fun for the goats and for the people," Dadras explains. "We try to find ways to safely marry goats and humans." e business affords visitors op- portunities to take a goat for a walk, cuddle with the creatures and do yoga with them. Bradley Mountain Farm also offers soapmaking classes, birthday parties, "Fairy Goatmoth- er" play dates, and farm weddings. At Halloween timethere is a Goats 'n' Goblins parade, with the goats dressed in costumes, of course. "It took years to come up with a business where people could interact with goats," Dadras says. "We keep adding activities — we hear ideas from customers or we just see what people enjoy about goats. People like to cuddle with the young ones, which got us to start goat cuddle therapy. ere is nothing like being out with the herd when the goats are sleepy." Dadras' inspiration for Goats 'n' Pajamas came from seeing Internet photos of goats that people had dressed up. She found it adorable and wanted to share that sentiment with others. While goat yoga has become a "thing," she believes many of the farm's other offerings, like Goats N' Pajamas, are unique. "It is crazy chaos, but I love it," Dadras says. "People are laughing — it is designed to be chaotic and fun." And it is. Dadras has a day job, too — she works as project manager for e Hartford insurance company. But she hopes to be able before long to make the farm a full-time gig. In a previous life the property had been a dairy farm, then later was used as a private residence. Da- dras lived nearby and dreamed of making it a farm again. e house on the property dates from 1813. "is farm is really part of Southington's legacy," Dadras ex- plains. "I didn't want it to fall into disrepair. I fell in love with the idea of living in the house and having a business in the back." Terri Battaglia, a "goat nanny" and event coordinator, led a recent Goats 'n' Pajamas event. According to Battaglia, Dadras saw the new activities as a way to get others to love these animals, too. "She wanted to share her goats with everybody," Battaglia says. Goats 'n' Pajamas costs $15 per person and attracts visitors of all ages. e staff initially brings out goats one at a time, and the animals each immediately walk onto a stanchion, where guests can brush and pet them. Before pajama time, visitors practice handling and walk- ing the goats. e goats eat out of visitors' hands, as participants get a bag of treats to share with them. e staff brings out several con- tainers of pajamas or costumes. e animals are adorned with blankets, headband accessories, dresses and even tutus. Guests are urged to give each costume a name, and at a recent event, participants picked names like "Early Spring," "Pink Floyd," and "Lady Liberty." e farm's dairy goats are LaMancha, Mini-LaMancha and Nigerian Dwarf breeds. Most are related to each other. e farm's website features the goats' pictures with their names so visitors can identify which animal they got to know during their visit. "People say they don't even think about their phone while they are here, and this is their happy place," Dadras said. "I want people to feel they forgot their worries." As a small-business owner, Dadras uses social media like Facebook frequently to market activities at the farm. "Customer referrals are a big thing for us, too — people say they had fun and talk about going on a Fairy Goatmother play date, and that really helps," Dadras explains. "We are a small business, so we try to find an appropriate [balance] — we don't want so many customers that we get overwhelmed. We want everyone, including the goats, to have a good experience." n By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo Bradley Mountain Farm's Anneliese Dadras (below) with friend.

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