Notebook
c 1950-1960

The Sandburg family's 1945 move to North Carolina resulted in growing success for Mrs. Sandburg's dairy goat herd. Her Chikaming stock won national honors for milk production and show quality. Mrs. Sandburg had studied genetics at the University of Chicago and was meticulous in her research and planning for breeding her prize-winning goats. Mrs. Sandburg's granddaughter remembered, "My grandmother [knew] every goat by name, and the names and records of all their dams, sires, siblings, and ancestors."

Mrs. Sandburg knew the importance of careful record keeping and the benefits of a planned breeding program. Often she thought two or three years in advance to determine mating partners, having calculated the percentage of blood-lines each mate shared with each other. This knowledge of a goat's history reduced the chance of failure in breeding and lessened her need to cull goats. Due to these practices she had become a well respected dairy goat breeder. Another breeder of Toggenburg goats had this to say about Mrs. Sandburg: "Her expertise is what put it all together and made her the greatest and most predictable breeder of our times."
Paper. L 21.5, W 14.0, T 2.4 cm
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, CARL 86500