Increasing the sustainability of northeastern goat farms via the establishment of value-added goat meat products in new, nontraditional markets

Increasing the sustainability of northeastern goat farms via the establishment of value-added goat meat products in new, nontraditional markets

Summary

This project seeks to increase the sustainability and growth of goat farms located in the Northeast by cultivating new marketing opportunities for goat meat by non-traditional consumers.   Prior research has demonstrated that significant interest exists for value-added goat meat outside of traditional ethnic markets, and this project will help to realize the potential of this opportunity particularly in upscale foodservice and retail venues.  Understanding the market potential for goat meat will directly impact sales, net income and sustainability for goat farms in the Northeast region, while also creating a new opportunity for farms that are interested in transitioning to raising goats.  This project will include the development of custom processing cuts of goat meat, product development and sensory analysis of products by experienced chefs and foodservice operators.  Outreach will be to farmers, restaurateurs, and consumers throughout the Northeast via press releases to newspapers and industry trade magazines and journals, as well as through product announcements, presentations, seminars, website publication, and product demonstrations and tastings.

This project has been extremely successful to date!  Tremendous impacts have occurred, outreach has already begun, and worldwide publicity has resulted!  This was highlighted by the fact that the Associated Press authored a story in January, 2007 that profiled the Rutgers Food Innovation Center and specifically highlighted the value-added goat meat work that was completed thus far in this study.  This story was published in several hundred newspapers and e-publications throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia, that included newspapers throughout the Northeast and the entire US, as well as the International Herald Tribune, Business Week, Forbes, and USA Today.  As part of this story, the Associated Press visited the collaborating farm on this project, Goat World, and took photographs that appeared in stories worldwide as well.  

As a result, goat farmers are interested in transitioning the raising and feeding regimens of their goat meat business to that of the model being developed by the collaborating farm Goat World,  interest in the establishment of a cooperative has begun, and foodservice establishments have expressed an interest in purchasing product once it becomes available.

Objectives/Performance Targets

To date, sustainability of goat farms has been affected by both seasonality and price sensitivity. Goat farms in the Northeast region have been servicing ethnic and religious-based consumers residing in the area for many years.  However, goat farmers have needed to raise their sale prices due to increased production costs, yet have found that these traditional customers are very resistant to price increases.   A research study completed by a collaborator on this project (Lechner, 2002) indicated that in the face of increasing prices of domestic goat meat, current ethnic-oriented (primarily Muslim, Hispanic and Caribbean) consumers will change their consumption patterns and purchase less expensive mutton or imported goat meat.  Because of the relatively unattractive economics of servicing this traditional market, and the lack of alternative, more profitable markets for goat meats, the goat meat farming industry has not realized its profitability potential.

Given the current market conditions, producers in the Northeast find it difficult to be price competitive and run a sustainable operation. The majority of the goats slaughtered in the United States are raised in the Southwest.  These goats are typically range-raised on large tracts of land and require little in terms of additional production inputs. Meat that is imported originates from goats raised in a similar manner.  These production methods have low associated costs and the large, inexpensive supply of imported goat meat tends to place a ceiling on the price that traditional ethnic consumers are willing to pay for goat meat in the Northeast. Producers in the Northeast are faced with higher production costs and production constraints that are not experienced by farmers in the Southwest. Agricultural operations in the Northeast are small in scale compared to other parts of the country. This can be a major stumbling block for sustainability, since small scale production is usually associated with increased unit costs.  In the Northeast, land values, taxes, and labor are higher.  As a result farmers are finding it more profitable to sell their land for development, than to actually farm it.  It is necessary to maintain the existing farms and stimulate their production in order to preserve and sustain agricultural practices in the Northeast.

The Rutgers Food Innovation Center has previously funded preliminary market research that indicates that significant interest exists for goat meat outside of traditional ethnic markets, and this project will help to realize the potential of this opportunity.  This statewide survey of New Jersey fine dining restaurants revealed that 75% of restaurants had either a limited knowledge or were not currently aware of goat meat.  The majority of the restaurants (89%) were very interested in learning more about goat meat and its preparation, with 43% indicating that they would be interested in offering a high quality goat meat product on their menu.  These studies have demonstrated that potential new alternative markets exist for value-added goat meat, in foodservice and retail venues, so long as certain raw material specifications can be established and consistently met, and educational information was available regarding product usage, preparation and recipe concepts.  Understanding the market and pricing potential for high quality goat meat will directly impact sales, net income and sustainability for goat farms in the Northeast region, while also creating a new opportunity for farms that are interested in transitioning to raising goats.  

This project proposes a solution to create more profitable marketing avenues available to goat farmers so they can increase their sustainability.  Goat meat is readily available today in most cultural and religious-based butcher shops, supermarkets and restaurants. However, goat meat is not typically available today in mainstream butcher shops, nor is it readily seen in foodservice or retail establishments in any value-added form.  The majority of New Jersey butcher shops do not sell goat meat (355 evaluated by Lechner, 2002), and currently goat meat is rarely found on the menus of New Jersey fine dining restaurants (230 evaluated by Lechner, 2005). Compounding this problem is that goat meat is typically available in forms that are not recognizable to the traditional mass market customer base.  Goat meat is commonly sold as primal cuts (shoulder, rack, loin and leg), while traditional mass market consumers are accustomed to purchasing processed cuts (roasts, steaks, chops, etc). Additionally, restaurant management (owners, managers and chef) and non-traditional consumers of goat meat have limited knowledge of this product and its preparation.
 
Educating restaurant management (owners, managers and chefs) about goat meat and its preparation is critical to maximizing the potential of this marketing outlet.  A formalized and widely-accepted preparation and recipe guide for goat meat that can be utilized by the restaurant industry does not currently exist.  Goat meat can be more difficult to prepare than beef and lamb, since it contains less intramuscular fat.  Culinary students are typically not exposed to goat meat during their training. If not prepared correctly the meat can easily dry out and become tough and unpalatable.  The American Lamb Board has developed a chef education program to educate chefs and the student community on the features and benefits of American Lamb. One of the slogans is “Educating the Chef of Tomorrow”.  This project is very successful and has opened up new marketing opportunities for American Lamb.  This same model will be applied for developing the market potential for goat meat.

Performance Targets:

Target One:  Custom Slaughtering, Butchering, and Yield Determinations

The first objective and performance target will address the custom slaughter/butchering portion of the project, in which goats are fed a prescribed and custom diet and are raised according to specific standards.   Very little industry data exists for goat slaughtering weights and yields, so this will be very beneficial information.   The data collected will be used to educate producers about the marketability and value of their product. Fifty goat kids will be slaughtered at a cooperating USDA-inspected facility at 16 weeks of age.  Carcass parameters monitored will include carcass weight, fat score and dressing percentage.  The carcasses will be chilled for at least 48 hours before being butchered.  Ten carcasses will not be processed. The remaining 40 carcasses will be processed into primal cuts (breast & foreshank, shoulder, loin, rack and leg).  Primal cut yield will be calculated as a percent of the total carcass weight. Twenty of the carcasses that were processed into primal cuts will be further processed to assess valued-added and retail cut yield, e.g. legs will be processed to short cut leg roast (sirloin off), shank portion leg roast, center leg roast, center slice, boneless leg and sirloin roast and sirloin chop.  All cuts will be weighed and photographed, with yield being calculated as a percent of the total weight of the primal cut.  

Target Two:  Development of Value-added and fully-cooked “Sous vide” products from butchered meat portions

After this project began, it was determined that it would be advantageous to demonstrate these products to consumers in two ultimate forms:

1) As raw, vacuum packaged primal and subprimal cuts, that would be of greatest potential interest to the customer who is a more experienced foodservice operator, that would prefer to prepared, cook and customize value-added goat meat products themselves.  Such cuts may include short cut leg roast (sirloin off), shank portion leg roast, center leg roast, center slice, boneless leg and sirloin roast and sirloin chop.  

2) As fully cooked and portion-controlled convenient products, that would be of greatest potential interest to the customer who is

a. a less experienced foodservice operator or one that does not have the staffing or the time to prepare value-added goat-meat products, or

b. a retail customer who could offer his/her family a fully-prepared and convenient product that already contains an appropriate sauce to accompany the goat-meat protein.  

The initial proposal to SARE discussed having this product developed in the raw, vacuum packaged form as was described in Target One.   A method of producing the product in a fully cooked state was subsequently determined, that would offer greater and more flexible uses for value-added goat meat.   Even though goats in this study were provided a particular feeding regimen, and were raised to result in optimal cooking quality, there still existed concern that the goat meat product may be tough to the consumer.  As a result, the Rutgers Food Innovation Center determined that a process called “sous vide” was the appropriate technology for producing the value-added and fully-cooked goat meat products.

Sous vide, a French term that translates to “under vacuum,” is a technology in which raw or partially-cooked ingredients/components are packaged in pouches or trays, and then vacuum sealed, post pasteurized, and rapidly chilled.  This procedure is the opposite of what typically occurs in the food industry, as products are typically processed and then packaged, and not packaged and then processed as with sous vide.  The sous vide cooking process first gained notoriety in France during the early 1970s when the French chef George Pralus used it as a way to improve the cooking of foie gras.  He discovered that if the foie gras was hermetically sealed in a specially-designed pouch and then slowly cooked in the pouch at low temperatures, it displayed outstanding culinary quality and showed little sign of shrinkage when compared with conventionally-prepared product.  Over the decades that followed, it was determined that this process could be applied to a wide variety of product applications, including a filet of salmon, breast of chicken, or rack of lamb (and potentially a sirloin chop of goat meat).  Natural moisture and juices are retained in this process, which in turn preserves or accentuates flavor, aroma, texture, and nutrients.  

The process of sous vide cooking involves the following six principles:
1. Preparation of components.  This typically includes:  cold blending and/or heat processing of sauces; injecting and/or tumbling of meat, poultry, or seafood portions, possibly followed by grilling or searing (but not cooking) of the surface of the protein; dicing or slicing of vegetables and fruits, possibly followed by blanching; and partial cooking of starch components.
2. Assembly and Packaging of components in pouches or in trays.
3. Sealing of the pouch or trays under vacuum (or alternatively, in unique situations, under a modified atmosphere).
4. Cooking the vacuum-sealed foods at a precise temperature, and for a precise time, using either a batch or continuous process, with either steam or water as the cooking medium.  Equipment used may include a steam chamber, smokehouse, retort, water-submersion tank, or cascading waterfall bath.  Products are typically cooked under steam or water temperatures that range from 142°F to 170°F, depending on the product.  Use of thermocouples or other forms of product data collection assure the exact degree of doneness and represent a critical control point.
5. Chilling the pouches or trays very rapidly to immediately stop the cooking process.
6. Storing the cooked chilled product under controlled refrigeration conditions, ideally at 33°F–35°F.  Alternatively, the products may be flash frozen, and since the product is vacuum sealed, ice crystallization will be minimized and the cooking process used will still yield quality that is superior to a conventionally-prepared product.

Target Three: Focus Group Testing with Chefs
The third method involves conducting focus groups with foodservice chefs.   This will serve as a vehicle to evaluate product juiciness, flavor and overall liking.   As described above, this will be conducted with samples produced that were prepared from
-Raw, vacuum packaged primal and subprimal cuts
-Fully cooked and portion-controlled convenient products, processed sous vide

Given the limited amount of funding available, a formal focus group will only occur with the raw, vacuum packaged cuts that will be prepared and evaluated by foodservice chefs.   Sensory evaluation conducted by chefs and chefs-in-training at Drexel University’s Goodwin College of Professional Studies Culinary Arts Program will occur, as it was determined that this analysis by foodservice chefs was critical, vs. this analysis by consumers (the usage of this Drexel facility will replace the  Food Science Department at Rutgers University, originally considered for this study, who would have used  consumers in their testing).  This session will also include a hands-on cooking experience for students utilizing various samples of goat meat and round table discussion to understand their perspectives on menuing and marketing the product.

In addition, chefs and a small group of consumers will be informally polled regarding their interest in fully cooked, portion controlled sous vide processed products at a meeting of the American Culinary Federation – South Jersey Chapter in January of 2007.    

In the initial application to SARE, it was proposed that a preparation and recipe guide be developed.  Although The French Culinary Institute had committed to develop a preparation/recipe guide they ultimately were unable to make this commitment.  Based on project learnings, it was determined that it would be highly advantageous to process goat meat using a method called sous vide and gain chef interest on pre-cooked goat meat for additional markets.  It was also realized that the proposed budget of $3000 for development and printing of a culinary guide and brochure is insufficient for the type of marketing tool that will be needed by the industry, and that this funding should be expended against the other objectives described above, primarily against the focus group research by foodservice chefs.  Through preliminary research, it has become evident that in order to market goat meat to virtually untapped market channels, research at this stage must be targeted primarily on culinary experts and food service professionals. It is through food service professionals that we will learn how to market and sell this new product.   As a result, a revised budget was submitted to SARE that incorporates expending the funds for this project based upon the significant learnings that have occurred.

Target Four: Outreach

Outreach will be to three distinct populations:  farmers throughout the Northeast, restaurateurs throughout the Northeast, and consumers.  Specifically this includes:

1) Northeast farmers
Prospective and current meat goat producers located in the Northeast will receive project announcements, presentations, seminars, newspaper articles, web sites and journal publications. Associations such as the New Jersey State Meat Goat Association, Garden State Sheep Breeders Association and Department of Agriculture will be made aware of these findings.  In addition, the data will be presented at a National Society of Animal Science meeting within the Sheep and Goat Symposium.  Articles will be published in newspapers such as the New Jersey Farmer, Lancaster Farmer, Northeast Farmer and Goat Rancher.  The studies results will be displayed on the Rutgers University Department of Animal Sciences web page.

2) Restaurateurs located in the Northeast
The primary target population of our outreach plan includes New Jersey restaurants that are classified as up-scale or fine dining establishments, and restaurants that offer gourmet (exotic or game) meats or ethnic cuisine on their menus.  As a secondary target, the outreach plan will include Culinary Institutes and restaurant associations located in the Northeast. Restaurateurs will receive information via project announcements, seminars, magazine articles, hard copies of the goat meat preparation guide and web sites.  

3) Consumers
The Food Innovation Center will develop and broadly release a comprehensive press release about the results of the study, the nutritional and qualitative attributes of goat meat, and a profile of the regional goat farming industry.  This will be released to newspapers throughout the Northeast region, as well as food trade magazines and restaurant publications.    This press release will also be made available on the website of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center, Goat World, and potentially other collaborating websites as well.

Accomplishments/Milestones

Target One:  Custom Slaughtering, Butchering, and Yield Determinations – Concluded

The first phase and target for this project, Custom Slaughter and Butchering, occurred during the months of April 2006 – July 2006 and is concluded.  This phase addressed the custom slaughter/butchering portion of the project, in which goats were fed a prescribed and custom diet,  raised according to specific standards, and slaughtered and butchered according to specific standards.   This was conducted with the oversight of collaborator Jim Lechner of Goat World, and butchering was done on a contract basis at Bringhurst Meats Inc., Berlin, NJ. This project encompassed three methods.  The status and results of each method is summarized below.  The data collected will be used to educate producers about the marketability and value of their product.  

1. Evaluate retail cut yield – This objective was completed in July 2006. Fifty goat kids were slaughtered at Bringhurst Meats Inc., a USDA-inspected facility. Carcass parameters monitored included carcass weight, fat score and dressing percentage.  The carcasses were chilled for 72 hours before being butchered.  All carcasses were processed into primal cuts (breast/foreshank, shoulder, loin, rack and leg).  Primal cut yield was calculated as a percent of the total carcass weight. Carcass weights from the 50 goat kids averaged 27.6 pounds, with an average dressing percentage (carcass wt/live wt) of 55.4.  Fat score was evaluated on a scale of 1-5 (5 = greatest) the degree of fat deposited in the body cavity.  The carcasses yielded an average score of 3.9.   The leg and shoulder yielded the highest primal cut weight and yield and the rack yielded the lowest (Table1).  

Table 1.  Average primal cut weight (lbs) and yield (%)
Leg Loin Rack Shoulder 4 Shank & Breast
Weight lb
7.8 2.3 1.8 7.8 3.8
Yield % 27.9 8.2 6.6 26.7 14.5

2. Assess potential value-added processing techniques – This objective was also completed in July 2006.  Twenty of the carcasses that were processed into primal cuts were further processed to assess valued-added processing techniques.  The butcher processed the primal cuts in a variety of ways to assess individual types of retail cuts obtained from these carcasses.  All individual cuts were weighted.

Each loin can be processed to yield either:
• Boneless loin roast + tenderloin strips or
• Loin chops or double loin chops + tenderloin strips

Individual cut # of individual cuts/goat Avg. weight (lb) of individual cut
Boneless loin roast 2 0.6
Tenderloin strips 2 0.05
Loin chops       12 0.3
Double loin chops 6 0.6

The rack can be processed to yield the following individual cuts:
• Rib roast  
• Crown roast  
• Rib chops

Individual cut # of individual cuts/goat Avg. weight (lb) of individual cut
Rib roast 2 0.9
Crown roast 2 0.9
Rib chops 12 0.16

The leg can be processed to yield the following individual cuts: All roasts can be processed bone-in or bone-out

• Whole leg only
• Short cut leg roast + sirloin chops
• Center leg roast + sirloin chops + hind shank
• Short cut center leg roast + center slice + sirloin chops + hind shank
• Shank portion roast, short cut leg roast + center slice + sirloin chops

Individual cut # of individual cuts/goat Avg. weight (lb) of individual cut
Whole leg        2 3.9
Center leg roast 2 2.9
Short cut leg roast 2 2.2
Center slice        4 0.6
Sirloin chops        8 0.4

The shoulder can be processed to yield the following cuts:  
• Square cut whole shoulder roast + neck slice or neck stew
• Boneless shoulder roast
• Boneless shoulder roast + neck slice or neck stew
• Arm and blade chops + neck slice or neck stew

Individual cut # of individual cuts/goat Avg. weight (lb) of individual cut
Boneless shoulder roast 2 3.5
Arm/Blade chops 14 0.8
Neck stew 1 3.9

The foreshank and breast can be processed to yield the following cuts:
• Shank
• Spare ribs
• Boneless rolled breast

Individual cut # of individual cuts/goat Avg. weight (lb) of individual cut
shank 2 0.6
Spare ribs 2 1.0
Boneless rolled breast 2 0.5

During the butchering phase of the project carcasses, primal and individual cuts were photographed for use in the development of a potential goat meat handling guide.

Target Two:  Development of Value-added and fully-cooked “Sous vide” products from butchered meat portions – Concluded

__ In the course of investigating work with the culinary institutes, there was an opportunity to work with a company called Cuisine Solutions, based in Alexandria, VA, which specifically uses the sous vide method to prepare entrees for the food service industry.  Given the potential toughness of the cooked goat meat product, our interest was to determine if goat meat could be enhanced by this unique cooking method, whose process is described in the “Objectives” section of this SARE report.  Furthermore, Cuisine Solutions agreed to package the goat meat products with a complementary sauce that would offer great convenience and ease-of-use by either foodservice or retail customers of this product.

Goat meat portions that were butchered as part of this study were shipped overnight to arrive at the Cuisine Solutions facility in Alexandria, VA.  Cuisine Solutions consulted with the Rutgers Food Innovation Center, and prepared a number of cuts with a number of sauces and froze the samples.  The cut selection sent to Cuisine Solutions was the following:

1/2 rack – 12 @ 1.2 lbs each
sirloin chops – 40 – total 15 lbs
center leg slice – 20 – total 10 lbs
shoulder chops – 40 – total 20 lbs
double loin chops – 24 – total 15 lbs
spare ribs (whole side) – 10 – total 25 lbs

Cuisine Solutions prepared the following sous vide samples of goat meat:

LIST OF GOAT MEAT PREPARATIONS
CUT                SAUCE
Double Loin Chop Tagine sauce without cilantro
Double Loin Chop Tagine sauce  
Double Loin Chop Bordelaise sauce  
Double Loin Chop Apricot sauce
Sirloin Chop   Tagine sauce
Sirloin Chop   Bordelaise sauce
Sirloin Chop   Apricot sauce  
Sirloin Chop Rosemary Demi-glaze
Sirloin Chop Herb crust
Sirloin Chop   Olive vinaigrette
Shoulder Chop Rosemary Demi-glaze  
Shoulder Chop Herb crust
Center Leg Slice Toasted spice rub  
Center Leg Slice Tagine sauce  
Center Leg Slice Moroccan spice rub
Center Leg Slice Rosemary Demi sauce
Center Leg Slice Apricot with cilantro sauce

Target Three: Focus Group Testing with Chefs – Partially Concluded

A formal focus group will occur with chefs in March 2007, who will evaluate goat meat products produced from raw, vacuum packaged primal and subprimal cuts.   Sensory evaluation will be conducted by chefs and chefs-in-training at Drexel University’s Goodwin College of Professional Studies Culinary Arts Program.  This session will also include a hands-on cooking experience for students utilizing various samples of goat meat and round table discussion to understand their perspectives on menuing and marketing the product.

An informal focus group with chefs and a small group of consumers occurred in January of 2007, and this portion of the focus group testing is concluded.  will be informally polled regarding their interest in fully cooked, portion controlled sous vide processed products at a meeting of the American Culinary Federation – South Jersey Chapter in January of 2007.    

The results of this informal tasting with chefs and a small group of consumers, that evaluated the fully cooked, sous vide processed products, was outstanding.  The goat meat’s natural moisture and juices were retained, preserving its flavor, aroma, and nutrients. Benefits of this process that were identified included:
 Improved product texture and moisture.  The low temperatures used in the process, coupled with the absence of evaporation, produced excellent texture results.  Natural fibers softened, leaving the goat meat protein tender enough to cut with a fork in most cases.  
__ Improved product consistency.  In conventional cooking, higher oven temperatures (350°F–450°F) are typically used when preparing and processing meats, like goat meat.  As a result, conventional cooking typically results in some degree of overcooking to the exterior of the protein portion, until the interior has reached its minimum USDA required temperature requirement.  Typically, in the sous vide process, the water or steam temperatures used for cooking are only between 0°F–5°F higher than the product’s final internal temperature target (versus about 200°F higher than the product’s final internal temperature target, as occurs with conventional cooking).  As a result, a much more consistent product results with sous vide.
__  Improved retention of natural flavors.  Because product is cooked in a sealed container, flavors and volatiles are “trapped” and do not evaporate or dissipate as is typical in conventional cooking.  Natural flavors are so enhanced that far less seasoning, especially salt, is required.  In addition, flavors become accentuated in sous vide processing.    
__  Improved retention of nutritional levels.  Many vitamins, essential amino acids, and minerals are sensitive to air, light, and heat.  As a result, the retention of vitamins, such as ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), is significantly greater with the sous vide cooking process, since no evaporative processes are at work.  
__ Improved yields.  Measurable shrinkage of sous vide products is typically 10 percent or less, compared with 20 percent or more on some conventionally-cooked products.  For this reason, this technology is ideally suited for value-added protein processing (such as salmon filet, chicken breast, pork ribs, rack of lamb, and value-added goat meat) where the additional costs of labor associated with this process can be offset by gains in yield.
 Extended shelf life.  Shelf life of sous-vide products is typically 21 days in the refrigerated state, but can be significantly more depending on the product’s formulation and the actual heat process used.  

Target Four: Outreach – Partially Concluded

Outreach will be to three distinct populations and has already begun to:  farmers throughout the Northeast, restaurateurs throughout the Northeast, and consumers.  This will be discussed in more detail in the following section.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Tremendous impacts and outcomes have already occurred, outreach has already begun, and worldwide publicity has resulted!  

The Associated Press authored a story in January, 2007 that profiled the Rutgers Food Innovation Center and specifically highlighted the value-added goat meat work that was completed thus far in this study.  This story was published in several hundred newspapers and e-publications throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia, that included newspapers throughout the Northeast and the entire US, as well as the International Herald Tribune, Business Week, Forbes, and USA Today.  As part of this story, the Associated Press visited the collaborating farm on this project, Goat World, and took photographs that appeared in stories worldwide as well.  A copy of this article can be seen at this weblink:
http://www.c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007701080306

In addition, in January of 2007, the Rutgers Food Innovation Center and its client Goat World were also featured on NJN (New Jersey Network) television news. This story profiled our project of developing value-added goat meat products targeted at upscale restaurants.  The reporter even tried several of the sous vide processed products, and indicated on television how excellent he thought they tasted.  

In addition, an informal focus group with chefs and a small group of consumers occurred in January of 2007, at a meeting of the American Culinary Federation – South Jersey Chapter. The results of this informal tasting, that evaluated the fully cooked, sous vide processed products, was outstanding.  The goat meat’s natural moisture and juices were retained, preserving its flavor, aroma, and nutrients. Interest has already occurred from chefs, including those at high volume locations such as upscale restaurants at New Jersey casinos, who would like to purchase
the goat meat product once it’s available.

Further outreach initiatives are underway, and a potential cooperative structure for goat meat farmers is under consideration.  Because standards needed to be firmly established for state goat meat producers’ use in production, slaughter and distribution, Rutgers University has moved forward to meet what was evidently a need in the goat production community and has established a Meat Goat Production School in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. This will provide potential and existing meat goat producers with a science-based overview of goat production practices.  Topics will include; starting a meat goat operation, goat nutrition, animal health and marketing meat goats. Special organizational meetings are scheduled to be held in February 2007 at the Hunterdon County Extension in Flemington, New Jersey and at the Gloucester County Extension office, Clayton, New Jersey. The goal of these programs is to ultimately establish a meat goat marketing cooperative which would allow producers to market their animals at reduced cost while enhancing viability.  

Tremendous interest has resulted from the agricultural community as a result of these impacts and this publicity.

Collaborators: