Goat Farm Gives Marine Veteran a Fresh Start

The Virginia Farm Bureau highlights how Joseph Bates transformed a small herd into a thriving operation.

CEDAR BLUFF, Va. (RFD News) — When Marine veteran Joseph Bates retired to the mountains of Virginia, he never imagined a small herd of dairy goats would become a thriving business.

The Virginia Farm Bureau shares how Bates and his wife turned excess goat milk into lotions and soaps, growing Bates Family Farm into a business with products sold across the country.

Bates said farming also helped him overcome PTSD after leaving the Marine Corps and gave him a renewed sense of purpose.

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Knoxville native Neal Burnette-Irwin is a graduate from MTSU where he majored in Journalism and Entertainment Studies. He works as a digital content producer with RFD News and is represented by multiple talent agencies in Nashville and Chicago.


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