Our people: 'Goat Lady' stays busy, busy, busy

Some folks call her "The Goat Lady." Others may refer to her for her work with Clovis schools and others recognize her as a busy volunteer.

She's Sara Williams.

Monday through Friday she is the school liaison for Cannon Air Force Base.

Weekends she's a local business owner.

Williams took time to chat about her life, family and such with The News:

Q: What brought you to Clovis?

A: My husband, Jason, chose to come here on purpose.

He is the only person I know of that put Cannon on their "dream sheet," where he'd like to be stationed. There's only so many places he could choose in his job and he thought Cannon would be a great place to raise our four kids.

When we first got here I was in culture shock. We came from humidity, beaches, high-traffic tourist area, we had never been off the East Coast.

Now I absolutely love it. He got out of the military in 2014 and we decided to stay here because this community and base is our home.

Q: What is your hometown?

A: I grew up in Moosup, Conn. I moved to Charleston, S.C. to go to college where I met my husband. It was his first duty station.

Q: Tell us about your family.

A: Jason and I have four children.

Our oldest is 20, her name is Ashlee, a junior at New Mexico State University. She is a starter for the women's rugby team.

Madison is 18. She's finishing her associate's degree at Clovis Community College.

Our son Rhiley is 16. He is a junior at Clovis High School and is also in the early college program.

Son Greyson is a sixth-grader at Marshall Sixth Grade Academy.

We have quite a number of goats. If we had known goats were so wonderful and loving we would have had those "kids" instead.

Q: You have your job with Cannon, have a livestock business and you volunteer. Some folks might say you're way too busy.

A: I would say my husband would agree with you. We had this conversation just the other day.

It came up because United Way let me know I had won the Gold Presidential Volunteer Award. That means that you've given over 500 hours of community service.

His point was, "We never see you."

I'm on the Clovis-Curry County Chamber executive board, I'm the vice president of the United Way of Eastern New Mexico board, I am also the chair of the youth community action board, chair of the United Way after-school program and do other volunteering in the community.

On top of raising the kids, running our small business and running a farm and volunteering, my free time is for sleeping.

Q: So why do you volunteer so much?

A: After being an elementary educator for 11 years and working with children I feel like if you want to see changes you have to be the change.

Q: Tell us about your business.

A: We started back in 2019 before COVID with a mobile petting zoo business and we realized that many families had never been up close and personal with farm animals. The business started to take off then COVID hit.

In February 2022 my dad had passed away. So to take my mind off it I decided to start milking some dairy goats I had. I started making soap for the family and soon word spread and I started making soap for the public.

Then we were asked to do the spring crafts fair and then the Home and Garden Show and soon it threw our business into tons of sales.

Then we just did vendor events until we opened our store on Main Street in Clovis in October 2022.

The store features soap bars, shampoo bars, conditioner bars, lotion, body butter, lip butter, sugar scrubs and "goat swag."

On our ranch we have goats, sheep, donkeys, pigs, cows, chickens, ducks, rabbits, a bearded dragon, cats and dogs.

I'll have anything my husband will let me have or what I can go get after he says "no."

Q: Some folks have joked, "Goats are a cross between dogs and monkeys."

A: I would agree. We have goats that come on command, and their behavior reminds me of dogs. They're nosy. They do like to climb like monkeys.

Q: Your family has made a business purchase?

A: We are closing our storefront at the end of October when we will be closing on the purchase of Five Heart Farms.

We're going to change the name to Williams Livestock Ranch and we will be having a petting zoo, a storefront and we will continue the Five Heart Farms activities and working to make it an amazing place for families.

Q: Your favorite food?

A: Lasagna. The Italian girl in me makes the best lasagna. I make batches that last for weeks. I don't know how to make anything little.

I can't go to a restaurant that serves Italian food. I was brought up that when it comes to Italian food it has to be made at home.

Q: Do you have a favorite saying?

A: "Boss me around, tell me where I can help."