Duluth Overalls Take On Twelve Hour Work Days At The Feed Mill And On The Goat Farm

Forget what you think you know about goats. They aren't stubborn. They don't eat everything in sight. They don't butt people or other animals.

"They're like dogs," says goat farmer Jim C. of Douglas, MA. "Very curious and social. When I go out to feed them, they're all over me. They need the contact." The goats often pick the pockets of Jim's Duluth bib overalls, looking for anything and everything of interest. And Duluth bibs have LOTS of pockets to pick – 15 of them!
What about goats eating garbage or tin cans? "Not true," says Jim. "They're very fussy eaters. Although they will eat the paper on a tin can – they like the taste of the glue."

Jim and his wife Cathy love their goats. "They're like our kids," he says. "We've bottle fed all of them. And every one of them has a name." The biggest one is Dillon – a 300-pounder!

Jim got interested in goats working at the Tufts Vet School, where he helped give shots, take blood and give medication to over 300 goats. Eventually he adopted two females and a male, and his herd grew from there. Now he has an organic goat's milk business. But the way he talks about his goats, you know it's far more than just business.

Jim has another love too: his Duluth Trading overalls. "They're the best ones I've ever had," he says. "I wear them from sun up to after sundown. They fit comfortably all day, every day from work through my leisure hours. The double rows of buttons and elastic in the suspenders allow me to adjust the fit for work situations and seasons when I need a bit more room to accommodate heavier winter clothing – without buying a larger size that wouldn't fit as well."

And his goats aren't the only ones who like all the pockets in his overalls: "Jackknives, cellphone, everything I need I can keep close at hand, right in my overalls."

We don't know of any Duluth customer who puts his clothes to more of a test than Jim, taking care of his goats and working 12-hour days at a feed mill, often loading 100-pound bags for customers.

All his hard work does have its rewards. The day before we talked, on Valentine's Day, a new doe kid had been born. Goat number 41 for Jim and Cathy. They named her Valentina. "Just a reminder how sweet love can be even in this harsh climate," says Cathy.