Why Trump’s golf club got rid of its goats — and how it still saves hundreds of thousands in farm tax breaks

At Trump’s Bedminster club, 113.2 acres are now reported as used for hay production — sufficient to meet the farmland income threshold

Twelve goats that once grazed the manicured grounds of Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, have been quietly removed — but the tax perks they helped secure remain firmly in place. A recent 2025 tax filing by the club’s parent company, Lamington Farm Club, revealed that there is “no longer livestock on the property.” Yet the estate still qualifies for a lucrative agricultural tax break worth approximately $240,000 annually, the Financial Times reported.

From goats to hay: How the tax break works

Under New Jersey’s Farmland Assessment Act of 1964, landowners can significantly lower their property tax bills if at least five acres are dedicated to agriculture and generate $1,000 in farm sales. While the rules are meant to support legitimate farms and discourage urban sprawl, they’re relatively easy to meet — and have been used by several high-profile property owners, including Bruce Springsteen and Steve Forbes.

At Trump’s Bedminster club, 113.2 acres are now reported as used for hay production — sufficient to meet the farmland income threshold. Another 70.6 acres are dedicated to woodland. These designations dramatically lower the taxable value of those parcels to about $474 per acre, compared with $109,300 per acre for non-agricultural parts of the property.

Tax savings add up over time

According to records reviewed by the Financial Times, the Bedminster club has saved about $1.2 million in taxes since 2021 by maintaining this agricultural classification. A similar tax strategy is in place at Trump’s Colts Neck club near the Jersey Shore, where hay and woodland use on 86 acres has cut the property’s tax bills by nearly $926,000 over five years.

A legal and common loophole — not just Trump

The Trump Organization isn’t alone in benefiting from the farmland exemption. Former Governor Christine Todd Whitman and NJ Transit CEO Kevin Corbett have also taken advantage of the program — Corbett, for instance, claimed tax relief for keeping a flock of sheep. These practices are legal under state law, which allows everything from livestock grazing to woodlot management to qualify.

Filing for the break is relatively simple: owners must submit an annual form outlining their agricultural use and anticipated income, though documentation isn’t always requested by local tax assessors.

When goats and politics intersect

The goats themselves made headlines once before. In August 2023, they briefly blocked Donald Trump’s motorcade as he returned to the Bedminster club following his arraignment in Washington on charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election.

While the goats are now gone, the hay remains — and with it, the tax benefits. The Trump Organization has not commented on the filing or its tax strategies, but the move highlights how farmland laws intended to preserve agriculture can also serve as powerful tools for property tax savings — even at luxury golf resorts.