Goat transport gets creative near Hickson

A retired mini school bus has found new life transporting goats for the Harm Voster family near Hickson. Once used to carry students, the bus now carries livestock of all sizes and was recently spotted at Kaufman Service and Supply in Hickson for a tune-up. Gary West photo

By Gary West

A trip to Hickson last week offered a lighthearted reminder of the ingenuity found on local farms.

Travelling along a rural road, this writer spotted a retired mini school bus that had been repurposed by a local goat farmer – a unique alternative to the usual livestock trailer or pickup setup.

The bus, now painted and adapted for farm use, belongs to the Harm Voster family, who raises goats a couple of concessions east of Hickson.

It’s a fitting example of the familiar message seen on roadside signs and in agricultural campaigns: “Farmers feed cities.” Another nearby sign west of New Hamburg puts it a bit more bluntly: “Don’t complain about farmers with your mouth full.”

Today’s farmers continue to find creative ways to operate efficiently while also showcasing their work to the public, and this one-of-a-kind goat transport is a perfect example.