| Illinois will host Goat Expo as herd numbers increase |
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| By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent
FAIRFIELD, Ill. — Figures provided by the Illinois USDA Agricultural Statistics Service (IASS) show that Illinois has joined the growing number of states to see significant increases in meat goat herd sizes and production.
Members and guests of the Midwest Goat Producers will celebrate and call attention to their burgeoning industry during the second annual Goat Expo on Sept. 22, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Fairfield.
Illinois’ meat goat numbers increased from 12,600 in 2006 to 16,500 this year, according to IASS. Mark Wells, president of the Midwest Goat Producers, said Illinois’ meat goat population has been rising steadily in recent years.
“It seems that goat production has risen the most among smaller acreage farms,” Wells told Farm World. “Most of these producers have off-farm jobs and this is a livestock that can help control brush and weeds and provide some farm income.”
Highlights of the Goat Expo will include seminars on hoof trimming, grading market goats, herd maintenance, feed and nutrition and pasture grazing options in addition to a private treaty sale of dairy, meat and pygmy goats and sheep.
Feed and equipment vendors will display the latest wares, and plenty of goat stew and goat barbecue will be available at the concession stands.
Door prizes will be awarded and raffles will be held.
“One of the purposes of the Goat Expo is to provide educational information to all producers with seminars and product vendors. There will be vendors of feed, fencing, vet supplies, nutrition supplements, trailers, handling equipment and other ag-related products on hand,” Wells explained.
“Another purpose of the Expo is to provide an opportunity for the purchase of breeding stock through the private treaty pen sale. The forum gives the buyer the ability to speak with each producer about their goats and production techniques.
“The Expo gives all producers – whether just thinking of getting into the goat industry or the veteran goat producer – an opportunity to network with other producers about nutrition, management and marketing.”
There is no cost for admission to the Expo and registration is not required, Wells said.
Illinois still lags behind neighboring states Kentucky (74,000), Iowa (28,000) and Indiana (24,800) in meat goat populations, according to IASS.
However, the jump in numbers has led at least two Illinois universities to take note of and study the state’s up-and-coming meat goat industry.
Western Illinois University (WIU) in Macomb has completed an evaluation of meat goat bucks in the state and has published the results on its website, according to Mark Hoge, director of WIU’s ram and goat testing facility. Researchers with WIU collected and examined data such as individual feed efficiency and rates of gain which, Hoge said, provides valuable information about potential herd sires.
In addition, the University of Illinois (UoI) extension recently expanded its “Livestock Trail” website to include information on sheep and goats. The site provides information for those thinking of adding meat goats to their operations as well as resource and marketing tips.
The Midwest Goat Producers organization was founded in January 2006 to provide a network of information for goat producers and develop some more profitable marketing options for their goats, Wells said. The group is open to all goat producers – meat, dairy, pygmy, show and commercial.
For more information on the organization and the Goat Expo, see its website at www.midwestgoatproducers.org
To see the results of the WIU study, go to www.edu/wiu/ramtest
The UoI’s goat website can be accessed by going to www.livestocktrail.uiuc.edu and clicking on the sheep/goats option.
This farm news was published in the Sept. 12, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. |
| 9/12/2007 |
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