“How Austin Peay Senior Lucas Bales Juggles a Business Degree While Thriving in His Goat Venture” – Clarksville Online: Your Source for News, Sports, Events, and More!

Clarksville, TN – Last spring, Austin Peay State University senior Lucas Bales brought a baby goat named Midnight to campus. Students couldn’t resist stopping to pet him, and Midnight quickly gained an Instagram following, becoming a popular figure at university events.

Midnight is just one part of Bales’ emerging agricultural business, which he’s building while pursuing a degree in business management. Growing up on a farm in New Market, Tennessee, Bales spent much of his childhood caring for animals. This early experience inspired him to pursue a career in animal care.

Bales is balancing classes, track, and student teaching while nurturing his business. Bringing Midnight to campus not only helped him care for the goat, who needed bottle-feeding, but also let the baby goat bond with students, faculty, and staff.

“It was fun but chaotic,” he said. “Having just one baby goat was a lot of responsibility. If I had two, they could socialize with each other.” Despite the challenges, Bales found it a valuable experience.

His venture, Bales Goats, offers services like alternative landscaping, dairy production, and community events such as goat yoga. Bales hopes to use his business degree to expand these services, particularly in dairy production, which has been gaining popularity lately. According to the USDA, goat milk is projected to see a significant increase in demand over the next few years due to its health benefits and unique flavor.

“I wanted to grow the goat business, and getting a business degree made sense for me,” Bales explained. He’s excited about applying the skills he’s learning as he prepares to launch his career in the animal industry.

Overall, Bales’ story illustrates how passion and education can align to create unique opportunities in today’s market. With a growing interest in sustainable practices, his approach resonates with many looking for innovative ways to blend agriculture with community engagement.

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