Strengthening the Goat Industry: A National Goat Conference

Strengthening the Goat Industry: A National Goat Conference

Summary

The results of this project indicated that producers, agricultural professionals and students that attended the National Goat Conference in 2010 were able to benefit from the educational and research-based information they received after attending the event. Producers felt they would make the greatest improvements on farm management followed by herd health. Sixty-eight percent of the producers felt extremely confident about being able to apply their new knowledge to their farmer operations. Ninety-four percent of the conference attendees stated they would attend the conference again in the future while 51.69% would like to see the conference held annually.

Objectives/Performance Targets

• The overall objective of this project is to increase the number of educators (extension agents, state and federal agencies, community-based organizations [CBOs], private entities and non-governmental organization [NGOs]) trained on current, 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.

  Develop a clearing house (website) of information (i.e., Langston’s Goat Certification program, eXtension Community of Practice for goats) where goat producers, agricultural professionals, students, stakeholders and others can find training opportunities and research and extension publications on management of goats from the agricultural institutions in their state.

Accomplishments/Milestones

• Recruited 38 individuals representing thirteen 1890 universities three 1862 universities, 1 state agency and 3 community-based organizations to serve on the National Goat Conference committee and subcommittees. The universities included Alabama A and M University, Alcorn State University, Auburn University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Florida Department of Agriculture, Florida Meat Goat Association, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Langston University, Lincoln University, Meat Sheep Alliance of Florida, North Carolina A&T University, South Carolina State University, Southeastern Small Farmer’s Network, Southern University, Tennessee State University, University of Florida, University of Tennessee, Tuskegee University, and Virginia State University.

  Held 10 conference calls and 3 face-to-face meetings.

  Organized 6 subcommittees to facilitate conference activities and appointed chairs.

  Hired Program Assistant (conference coordinator).

  Contacted speakers from across the U.S. to present at the conference.

  Recruited speakers to present during the pre-conference workshop, the luncheons and banquet and to give the conference welcome. They included the USDA/NIFA, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture (Mr. Charles Bronson), Representative Allen Williams (Florida), the 1890 Land Grant SSARE Liaison (Mr. James Hill), Farm Credit and a representative from the Mayor of Tallahassee office.

  Recruited 1890 partners (i.e., Kentucky State University, Southern University, Alcorn State University, South Carolina State University) to help bring farmers from their home states to conference to ensure limited and minority producers were able to attend the conference.

  Developed conference survey.

  Recruited additional sponsors to help provide financial support for the conference.

  Called for speakers and poster abstracts.

  Identified keynote speaker, Dr. David Pugh, DVM author of over 400 publications, over 80 book chapters and the textbook entitled “Sheep and Goat Medicine.”

  Developed conference logo and public relations materials that were disseminated through, workshops, field days, training meetings, the Ag. Sunbelt Expos’ (Moultrie, GA), Association of Extension Administrators (AEA) listserv, professional meetings, USDA announcements, community-based organizations, Minority Land Owner magazine, 1890 and 1862 extension listservs, local and national newspapers, the website etc.
  Recruited moderators to help facilitate the conference activities. Producers, FAMU students and agricultural professionals from University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Southern University, Meat Sheep Alliance of Florida, Florida Meat Goat Association, South Eastern Small Farmer’s Network were selected to serve as conference moderators.

  Developed conference program, banquet and refereed conference proceedings.

  Arranged for hands-on activities (i.e., laboratory, animal husbandry practices) and farm tour at Florida A and M University.

  Establish scholarships for producers, students and agricultural professionals to attend the conference.

  Held conference on September 12-15, 2010 at Leon County Civic Center in Tallahassee, FL and Florida A and M University’s Research and Extension Center on the last day of conference.

  What Work Is Left To Do?

  Edit conference video footage to submit for report and for PR materials for the next conference.

  Submit report from the “Asked the Expert” panel discussions.

  Submit report from the forum entitled “Where Do We Go from Here?
  Establish officer slate for the next conference.

  Work on consortium.
  Officially announce the next conference date, place (North Carolina A and T University) and time.

• Conference Survey
• Conference Brochure
• Conference Logo
• Conference Save the Date
• Conference Program
• Conference Promotional Flyer

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

• Over 490 participants attended the conference. Conference attendees included students, producers and agricultural professionals. A total of sixteen U.S. states and territories including the U.S. Virgin islands and Puerto Rico and 4 international countries were represented at the conference. This project was able to provide technical assistance to producers beyond the southeastern region, thus increasing outreach efforts and program delivery of FAMU Cooperative Extension Program. For the full report, refer to the National Goat Conference Survey Report (pages 1-4).

  Results from the conference surveyed (less than 25% of the participants turned in surveys), indicated that 38.84% of the conference attendees were African Americans and 38.84% White or European Ancestry. Eight percent where White Hispanic, 6% were Black African, 5% were Black Caribbean, 3% were Asian, 3% American Indian and 2% were Black Hispanic. Thus, indicating to continuing having African American producers participating in educational and training opportunities, 1890 universities must be involved in these training initiatives. For the full report, refer to the National Goat Conference Survey Report (pages 1-4).

  Every 1890’s university (17 schools and Tuskegee University) was represented at the National Goat Conference in 2010. Faculty, staff, administrators and producers were present in large numbers to support and participate in this historical event. There are few opportunities were all of the 1890’s universities can all come together under one accord to support an initiative outside of the annual professional meetings due to conflict in schedules or other pressing commitments etc. This training initiative furthered strengthened alliances between the respective universities as well as federal and state agencies and community-based organizations that participated in this conference.

  Instituted the first National Goat Conference ever held in the U.S. for the sole purpose of providing producers, students and agricultural professionals with the latest educational and research-based information on goat production, management and marketing to improve the viability and sustainability of the goat industry in the U.S. The next conference date, time and place (North Carolina A&T University) will be announced shortly.

  While the focus of the conference was on goats, the committee members recognized the importance of the sheep industry in this conference by adding 3 sessions in the conference for sheep producers. And because there were several similarities between both species, sheep producers were able to benefit from most of the training sessions in the conference as indicated in the National Goat Conference report.

  Provided an opportunity of producers from across the U.S. to network with other producers and extension professionals from their area.

  Proceedings were peered reviewed which provided conference attendees with relevant, current and accurate, information on small ruminant production and provided agricultural professionals with an opportunity to have their papers or abstracts published in the refereed conference proceedings booklet.

  Provided educational research-based information to producers, students and agricultural professionals on small ruminant (i.e., goat and sheep) production, management and marketing through class room lectures and hands-on training.

  When asked what areas producers felt would make the greatest improvements on the farm after attending the conference, they indicated that they expected to the greatest improvement in Producers expect to see the greatest improvements in management of their animals followed by herd health.*Refer to page 11 on the conference survey report for the full results.

  Sixty-eight percent of the producers that attended the conference felt extremely confident about being able to apply their new knowledge to their farmer operations while 18.92% of the producers polled felt moderately confident. *Refer to page 12 and 13 on the conference survey report for the full results.

  Ninety-four percent of the conference attendees stated they would attend the conference again in the future while 51.69% would like to see the conference held annually. *Refer to page 12 and 13 on the conference survey report for the full results.

• Keynote Speaker, Dr. David Pugh, DVM
• Exhibit Book
• Conference Participants on Farm Tour
• Conference speaker talks with participants
• Producer asked questions to “Ask the Expert” panelist
• Banquet.jpg
• General Session
• Speaker Speaks to Reporter
• Hands-on Training
• FAMU Pioneer Award Recipients and Innovative Farmer Recipients
• Ask the Expert panelist
• Producer asked panelist questions
• Breakout Session
• Conference Banquet
• Farm Tour
• Conference Participants in General Session

Collaborators: