Tomorrow is officially the Day of the Icelandic Goat, and a special forum will be held on the animal Friday afternoon.
A little known fact about Iceland is that there is a native species of goat. Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir and her husband Þorbjörn Oddsson, who live on the farm Háafell in western Iceland, raise Icelandic goats that the general public are welcome to visit. They have also launched a fundraising effort to help maintain the farm.
But interest in goats goes beyond this humble farm. There is also a Goat Farming Research Centre, a group for people who have an interest in goats, both amateur and professional. Dominique Plédel Jónsson, who is on the directorship of the centre, told Vísir that she wants the Icelandic goat’s presence in Iceland to spread to more farms around the country. As it is now, there are about 800 goats owned by about 50 individuals, most of them on Jóhanna and Þorbjörn’s farm.
To bring more attention to the issue, tomorrow will be the Day of the Icelandic Goat. The National Museum of Iceland will be holding an open forum on the creature, tomorrow from 13:00 to 16:00. The general public is welcome to attend.
For those who have not yet seen the video shot at Jóhanna and Þorbjörn’s farm, enjoy:
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