Winchester, Ky. — Kentucky’s goat producers have a strong advocacy and support group in the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office. The umbrella organization for the Kentucky Goat Producers Association and the Kentucky Sheep and Wool Producers Association, created in 2007, provides breeding, health, and marketing support for goat producers. In addition, KSGDO promotes the industry, advocates for producers, and mentors those new to the industry.

January 2024 USDA data identifies Kentucky as one of the nation’s leaders in goat production. With 5,300 dairy goats and 59,000 meat goats — the state ranks 23rd and 6th nationally in those categories.

Four thousand Kentucky farmers raise goats as part of their livestock operations, adding over $3.5 million in revenue to the state’s agricultural receipts.

Kelley Yates, the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office executive director since 2012, touts the versatility and utility of goats, through their capacity to produce lean meat, provide milk, and mohair, and serve as foragers.

“That’s why they were one of the very first animals domesticated because they offer so many things to people,” she said.

“I want people to understand that when you get into goats most people are thinking they’re going to show them or they’re going to eat them,” Yates said. “That’s the biggest portion of the industry, but there are other aspects of these animals that people need to learn about.”

Janet Quarles of Quarles Farm has been involved with goats since 2014. They raise about 50 head of goat per year with sales fluctuating between meat and junior fair projects.

“It depends on the year,” Quarles said. “Some years when we have quite a few weathers and it’s more for the show market, other years we sell more meat.” “It depends on what sex we have and the current situation.”

Quarles, who also raises sheep, supports the goat industry and sees the value of both animals. 

“Everything has its pluses and its minus,” she said. “Goats grow a little slower than the sheep and the sheep market is a little bit stronger — but the goat market is growing.”

While goat meat has a high consumption rate worldwide, U.S. consumers continue to acquire a taste for the high-protein meat. Demand comes from the ethnic market and urban centers along the Atlantic seaboard. 

Home consumers are Kentucky’s primary buyers of goat meat. Most sales occur around late fall through the spring in conjunction with special occasions and the holidays.

“I’d say probably 85 to 90% of goat meat is hitting the ethnic market and they’re not necessarily concerned about carcass grade,” Yates said. “It’s more a quantity issue than a quality issue —  I don’t think we’ll see an increase of goat meat in grocery stores.”

Kentucky meat goats are sold between 60 and 80 pounds with a carcass yield of 35 percent. 

The goat dairy industry is a smaller market segment because of strict product regulations. “You have to be a grade A or a grade B dairy and you cannot sell raw milk, it has to be bottled or turned into a product,” Yates said. “You can’t even sell cheese or fudge unless you’re a grade A or grade B dairy — you can do soaps and lotions but, you need a cosmetics license.”

“It’s not a big industry in Kentucky because of dairy cattle, but I would say that the sheep and goat industry is growing here,” Serenity Hills Farm owner Dawn Holland said.

The federal government prohibits the interstate sale of raw goat milk however, states have the authority to adopt their own laws on raw milk sales. This has created a complex network of regulations on how, and if,  goat milk is distributed throughout the country.

Purchasing goat shares is one-way raw goat milk gets into the hands of motivated consumers. 

“I know a lot of farmers are starting to sell goat shares to people,” Holland said. “They have partial ownership in the animal on the farm and can purchase some of the products directly from that animal without holding the farm responsible for not being a dairy.”

 As some states begin to loosen regulations and restrictions, Holland is encouraged about its impact on Kentucky. “I’m hoping we’ll start seeing some of those trends come here, as the public starts putting out more and more demands to purchase raw milk,” she said. 

Serenity Hills isn’t a licensed dairy farm. They milk nearly twenty-one Nubian and Saanen goats to make soap and sell the raw product as pet milk and for craft purposes.

The business of using goats as foragers or targeted grazes is growing. Yates frequently gets calls from people wanting to rent goats to clean out fence rows or neighborhood associations looking to clean up shared space. However, the niche market faces challenges.

“One of the biggest hurdles people have in trying to rent their goats out is to have good liability insurance,” Yates said. Containing the animals on site and overseeing their progress are other concerns that increase costs. “You’ve got to be at a distance where you can get to those animals if something’s wrong or check on them on a pretty regular basis,” she said.

Targeted grazing is still a young industry in Kentucky with only a few individuals operating a herd. However, Yates sees an opportunity.

.“One of the things I would like to try is to expand that concept with our state park system or municipal companies and see if they can use them on fire breaks and things like that,” she said. “We started some conversations with Kentucky State University — but it’s one of those things that will take a while — but I think it could be profitable.” 

The KSGDO markets and promotes the goat industry on its website rather than through participation at local shows and county fairs.

Yates uses the Kentucky Fiber Trail to help promote events for various vendors.

“It could be a yarn shop, a fiber producer, an agri-tourism location, a retail outlet, whatever is on that trail — we’re trying to hook people up with them,” She said.