UPDATE:
It is with sincere gratitude to all of you who have supported the campaign to
Save Haafell Goat Farm that we share the news from Haafell goat farmer
Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir that "the goats and the farm are safe and we can carry on." We could not have accomplished our fundraising goal without your amazing support, contributions, and abiding love for the Icelandic goat.
It affirmed for us that goodness trumps greed every time and that the collective power of a group of caring, compassionate people can accomplish anything. We still have one week to go in our campaign to support Haafell goat farm and help it get back on its feet again and in that spirit, we ask you to continue to spread the word about our campaign. The farm has been saved but the next step is to make it completely sustainable and for that what we need for Haafell is to build a milking room and secure cheese making equipment.
We are working hard to find a company or individual to donate the equipment Johanna needs and we will continue to raise funds for the milking room. Johanna currently has cheese made at another dairy in the region but it is cost prohibitive and does not make a profit. If she were to have a milking room and cheese making equipment of her own, it would empower her to realize her dream of being a sustainable farm. It would also return the tradition of goat milk and goat cheese consumption to the Icelandic people, an ancient practice that was lost in the wake of the goat population crisis. Johanna is a tireless pioneer and champion for the Icelandic goat and your continued support will empower her to continue on with her work and provide her with the tangible tools she needs to not only "carry on" but to thrive.
It is with tears in our eyes and a grateful spirit that we thank you again for your incredible support. We could not have done this without you and are grateful to each and every person who shared the news about our campaign, donated to it, and most of all, dared Johanna to find the strength, hope and optimism she needed to lift up her head and continue on with her work, fortified by the support of people from around the world who have not only supported the Icelandic goat in this campaign but endorsed the idea that together we can accomplish anything. And we have! Takk Fyrir!! And as they say in Iceland upon parting or to usher in a new beginning, "Bless, bless."
Short Summary
In a scene from season 4 of Game of Thrones, Khaleesi's dragon, Drogon, breathed fire over a herd of goats before snatching one up in his talons and carrying it away.
Today, these goats aren't being menaced by a fire breathing dragon...but the threat to their lives is just as dire.
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Next month, nearly four hundred of them will be slaughtered when Iceland's only surviving commercial goat farm,
Háafell , is put up for auction.
There are less than 820 Icelandic goats left on Earth. Needlessly reducing their population by almost half risks the extinction of an entire species already in a desperately fragile state.
You can help rescue the goats from Game of Thrones by donating to the campaign to save farmer Johanna Thorvaldsdóttir's goat farm.
Time is of the essence. If the funds are not raised within the next month to save Johanna's farm, this unique species, introduced to Iceland by the Vikings a thousand years ago, will disappear from the earth forever.
Johanna sacrificed everything, including her career as a nurse in Reykjavik, to save the Icelandic goat. At one time, the species was so neglected its numbers had fallen below ninety animals.
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As a result of the tireless work and devotion of Johanna, her husband Thorbjörn, and their six children to save the species, their farm, Háafell, sustains the largest population of Icelandic goats in the world.
What We Need & What You Get
Now the farm is under a threat. The family is facing foreclosure in September. This will result in the entire goat flock being butchered unless 10 million Icelandic krona, which equals about $90,000 USD, is raised to save the farm.
This will allow the family to remain on their farm, keep the goats safe and healthy, and begin the journey of creating a sustainable farm by developing products such as cheese, cashmere, and meat that will provide a viable income.
We are offering a number of enticing perks for those who pitch in to help save the Icelandic goat from extinction. This is more than a campaign to save a farm, it is a campaign to save an entire animal species. If we all collectively join in to help, we can save the goats!
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The Impact
Because of the extinction risk, the Icelandic goat has been added to
Slow Food International's Ark of Taste , a rare distinction granted to products that embody the culture, history, and traditions of their region of origin.
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A Photo of Johanna and Her Goats in the Cookbook North.
Johanna and her farm have also been included in the cookbook
North: The New Nordic Cuisine of Iceland, a book celebrating the traditional food producers of Iceland by chef Gunnar Karl Gislason of Dill and Kex, and cookbook author Jody Eddy. The book will be published by Ten Speed Press in September.
Author Jody Eddy also included Johanna and her goats in her
culinary tour of Iceland last year. The visit to Háafell was the highlight of the trip.
And then there was that epic scene from Game of Thrones Season 4, episode 6!
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This is Casanova, the star of the Game of Thrones episode who was carried away by Khaleesi's dragon. It wasn't planned that he would steal the show, but he was so charismatic during filming that the director couldn't resist.
Here's an article in English with more details about Johanna's farm Háafell and its very special goats:
Risks & Challenges
There is no getting around it: the situation is dire and the funds that must be raised to save Háafell are substantial, but we truly believe that we can collectively join together as a group of compassionate, concerned citizens to save this farm.
In doing so, we are investing in the future of our world by saving an animal species from extinction. We are protecting a legacy, ensuring that future generations who live in or visit Iceland will be able to enjoy the experience of watching one of the world's unique species roam the green fields of Iceland, instead of telling the story of how our generation let this species disappear forever.
We can do this together! And with your help, we will save Háafell!
Other Ways You Can Help
Please get the word out through your social media channels about our campaign to save the goats from Game of Thrones. IndieGoGo's share tools make it easy!
Simply link to this campaign, and use the hashtag #SaveTheGoats on twitter to join in the fight to save Johanna's farm!
Thank you! Or as they say in Icelandic, “Takk fyrir!”
