These Goats – My Skin – Windrift Hill’s Herd

A few weeks ago I was in the town of Conrad, Montana just off I-15, about an hour north of Great Falls. A fairly new gift store, Windrift Hill, has opened there selling some of my favorite skin softeners.

Montana’s weather has low humidity which I like, but that’s a challenge for my skin. I think my skin is naturally dry but this climate makes it worse.

So what makes Windrift Hills’ product so good for my skin? It all starts with the goats. The Nubian goats.

Here is the history behind Windrift Hill.

Dick and Deena Maier own Windrift Hill and it is truly a family operation with several of their children working there. Deena worked as an occupational therapist and saw a need for a good skin product. Dick, a retired school teacher, hand-milks their Nubian goats twice a day – yes – the same guy does that morning and evening.

Windrift Hill’s goats seem pretty content, more like pampered, and I think that may contribute to less stress and better milk yields. I have no credentials to back that up but it seems like it would be important. The goats each produce about a gallon of milk a day.

The goats live at Maier’s farm a few miles north of Conrad. The business name of Windrift Hill was chosen because of the farm’s location on a hill where the wind actually does drift the snow in the winter.

When I toured the farm they had about 70 goats although all of them weren’t being milked. As we entered the corral the goats ran to Dick like a pet puppy runs to its owner. It was cuteness overload. Nubian goats have long floppy ears, their short hair is a variety of colors and they seem to be smiling all the time. I’m serious – look at the photos!

I learned that Nubian goat milk has a higher butterfat content than other goats’ milk which makes it the perfect choice for skin therapy products. Windrift Hill has an extensive variety of products including soaps (40 different scents), body lotions, body

butters, shampoo and bath salts. The products are made in Montana (right in Conrad) from fresh goat milk, natural clay oxides, herbs and oils.

If you are looking for a floral scent, try Sweet Pea or Sweet Magnolia. I’m a fan of a scent called Relaxing which includes French lavender, fir pine, Egyptian jasmine, pure vanilla and delicate musk. It might sound complicated but its my favorite.

A fun fact I learned when touring Windrift Hill is that their Montana Huckleberry goat milk lotion is a natural mosquito repellent. I’ll be trying that next.

Windrift Hill’s production facility is located right behind the gift store. It was interesting and impressive to see them hand-cut the goat milk soaps in a unique ripple style and then stack everything neatly on shelving.  The gift store has other items, some Montana sourced, and it’s a great retail addition to Conrad. It’s easy to locate, just a few blocks off I-15.

You won’t get to meet the goats like I did but there are several portraits of them adorning the walls of the gift store. And yes, they are all smiling!