Strengthening the Goat Industry: A National Goat Conference

View the project final report

• 2009 annual report
• 2010 annual report

Commodities

• Animals: goats, sheep

Practices

• Animal Production: animal protection and health, grazing - continuous, feed formulation, feed rations, grazing management, herbal medicines, livestock breeding, mineral supplements, grazing - multispecies, pasture fertility, pasture renovation, preventive practices, grazing - rotational, stocking rate, vaccines, winter forage
• Crop Production: food product quality/safety
• Education and Training: demonstration, display, extension, farmer to farmer, networking, workshop, technical assistance
• Farm Business Management: new enterprise development, budgets/cost and returns, community-supported agriculture, marketing management, value added

As mentioned in the 2011 report, the results of this project indicated that producers, agricultural professionals and students that attended the National Goat Conference in 2010 benefited from the educational research-based information presented at the conference. After the initial objectives were accomplished on this grant, Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) Small Ruminant Program integrated information (i.e., nutrition management, reproduction, herd health) from the 2010 conference into training activities for producers who were unable to attend this event. Additional training materials (i.e., training modules) were also developed to complement the information from the 2010 conference proceeding. These courses were held during FAMU’s annual Master Goat and Sheep Certification Program, the annual Master Farmer’s Program and aspects of the training materials (i.e., FAMACHA training, nutrition, herd health) were introduced to goat farmers in Haiti.

In addition, personnel from FAMU’s Small Ruminant Program developed an alliance between researches and extension personnel from several land grant institutions as well as governmental agencies and a community-based organization to form the National Goat Consortium (NGC). The purpose of NGC is to provide an avenue by which members of this organization can work together to address critical issues facing the goat industry (through research and educational activities) at the national level. The National Goat Conference is one of the activities the NGC host tri-annually.

To view exerts from the conference visit the site below http://www.youtube.com/user/SmallRuminant

• Flyer- Master Farmer Program
• Flyer – Master Goat and Sheep Certification Program
• Master Farmer Program – Lecture on reproductive management
• Master Farmer Program – Producer listening to speaker
• Haiti Initiative – Haitian producers receiving their certificates after successfully completing the FAMACHA training
• Master Goat and Sheep Certification Program – Veterinarian (Dr. Mike Purvis), demonstrates how farmers can conduct their own physical examinations on their goats
• Master Goat and Sheep Certification Program – Hands-on training
• Haiti Initiative – Haitian goat producers receiving FAMACHA training in Haiti
• Schedule – Master Goat and Sheep Certification Program
• Schedule – Master Farmer Program

1. The overall objective of this project is to increase the number of educators community-based organizations [CBOs], private entities and non-governmental organization [NGOs]) and producers trained on accurate and relevant information on goat production and management to share with their clientele, students and other agricultural professionals.

   Create an avenue by which the committee members can share research-based information, share concerns, resources, technology and ideas to develop a national strategy and agenda to train current or future goat educators in effort to strengthen and enhance the goat industry in this country.

   Develop a national consortium of goat educators, federal and state agencies, NGOs, and CBOs to address critical issues facing the goat industry.

   Allow participants from the area of government an opportunity to become more aware of the significance of the industry and to share information about how they can support the industry (i.e., regulator issues, marketing issues).

   Encourage the trainees (i.e., extension agents, farm group-leaders) to share what they have learned from the conference with producers from their respective communities through training meetings, workshops, field days, conferences etc.

   Increase the number of producers adopting sustainable goat production practices on their farms to improve the sustainability and viability of their goat enterprises as the direct result of their extension agent’s, extension specialist’s or group leader’s participating in this conference and other training opportunities.

   Develop an evaluation instrument and survey to determine the impact of the trainee program on program participants.

   Develop a handbook [i.e., include a listing of each institutions resources such as websites, goat publications, research labs] and other training materials that can be used as a tool by the trainee to increase the access of reliable information available for goat producers.