Every goat, every dog, and every job starts here — at Riverside Ranch, our regenerative 48-acre farm nestled along the river in Coldwater, Ontario, right in the heart of Simcoe County.

From Forgotten Farmhouse to Thriving Ranch

When Dan first purchased the property in 2021, it was barely recognizable as a farm at all. The original 1800s homestead — once a thriving riverside farm and flour mill known as Riverside Rollers — had been abandoned for years. Overgrown beyond recognition, covered in every weed and sapling imaginable, the previous owner had one word for it: "tropical."

Dan had no farming experience and no agriculture background. What he had was curiosity, determination, and a hunch that goats might be the answer. He picked up two goats off Kijiji — a Nubian named Snowball and an Alpine cross named Candy — and the journey began. Word spread quickly. People started dropping goats in the driveway. Before long, the family had become known simply as "the goat people."

Five years on, that forgotten riverside property has been completely transformed — and it's now home base for one of Simcoe County's most unique and eco-friendly land management operations. You can read more about the goats that started it all on our Our Goats page.

What We Raise at Riverside Ranch

Riverside Ranch is more than just a home base for our Kiko goat herd and livestock guardian dogs. It's a working regenerative farm producing a range of high-quality, responsibly raised food products.

Farm Products

Pastured Poultry

Our chickens are raised on pasture the way chickens were meant to live — outdoors, on grass, doing what they do naturally.

Grass-Finished Highland Beef

Our Highland cattle are grass-finished on the farm's river pastures — no feedlots, no shortcuts. Just slow, natural growth on good Ontario grass.

Organic Free-Range Eggs

Fresh, organic eggs from free-range hens living their best life along the Coldwater River. Real eggs from real farms.

Coming Soon

We're always growing — literally. On the horizon for Riverside Ranch:

  • ✔  An apiary for local honey production
  • ✔  An organic vegetable garden and orchard
  • ✔  A milking goat operation

Stay at the Ranch — Airbnb Farm Experience

Just an hour north of Toronto, Riverside Ranch offers something increasingly rare — a genuine escape from the city. We're proud to offer an Airbnb farm stay experience that lets guests slow down, breathe fresh Simcoe County air, and spend a weekend along the river in the heart of Ontario cottage country.

What to Expect

Picture waking up to the sound of the river, stepping outside to find goats grazing in the morning light, and spending the day exploring a working farm that's been brought back to life from scratch. It's not a resort. It's real farm life — and that's exactly the point.

Whether you're a Toronto family looking for a weekend reset, or someone curious about regenerative farming and the kind of traditional pastoralism we practice here, Riverside Ranch is worth the drive.

The Heart Behind the Ranch

None of this was planned. It grew organically — the same way good farms always have. One animal at a time, one season at a time, one lesson learned the hard way and another learned through grace. Dan's story is really the story of this farm: what happens when someone with no experience, a lot of faith, and an unshakeable work ethic decides to do something meaningful with a piece of land that everyone else had given up on.

Riverside Ranch is the home of our Kiko goat herd, our Maremma guardian dogs and Cowboy Craig, and the base of operations for all of our goatscaping work across Barrie, Orillia, and Simcoe County. We're proud of what it's becoming — and we're just getting started.