FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, August 1, 2008
For more information contact:Bill Clary(502) 564-4696
FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with Kentucky State University and Western Kentucky University, has been awarded a matching grant of $55,780 to identify new niche market opportunities for sheep and goat products.
Direct marketing to Kentucky’s ethnic consumers and retailers will be looked at, as well as alternative channels such as local butcher shops and meat processors.
“This grant will help open up new markets for Kentucky sheep and goat producers,” Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said, “and allow their numbers to continue to grow in the Commonwealth.”
Kentucky is one of the top five states in number of goats with 81,400 as of Jan. 1, according to the Kentucky office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Kentucky’s sheep inventory totaled 37,000. Sales of Kentucky sheep and goats totaled an estimated $20 million in 2007.
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced matching grants today provided under the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program. More than $1.3 million was awarded to Kentucky and 23 other states and territories to support agricultural market research.
“Farmers are the first important part in the chain of food production,” Shafer said, “and these USDA matching grants support new and practical links from farm to market.”
3 comments:
Sorry about that, I thought that if I deleted that it would delete the whole thing? It didn't it still shows that I made a comment, but the comment is gone now. Perhaps you could be nice and do that for me? This is what my comment said.
"Is there any way to get any money to get started in goat farming? I think I would like to do that, but I don't know where the money is? I need to get fencing and goats not thrilled about the prospect of using electric fencing. I already have a small amount of property. I need to get my pond cleaned up and things of this nature too, I don't know who knows anything about doing that. I am fairly sure that I want to get into goats, it seems like those would be natural lawnmowers (smile) and I would be able to enjoy them as well. I don't know much about how to get started? You can delete this comment too if you want to? Thanks
I too would like to know if there are any programs to get started. I'd like to start out with about a dozen goats. I have a 20 acre farm leased in Versailles, with post/rail horse fencing that would need to be re-enforced up to 36", electric or woven fencing. A few more gates too.
I tried to board horses but that's been very slow and frustrating with folks that don't feed or clean their stalls. I only offer full care now but no calls after advertising.
So, I thought the meat goat business might be a way to keep this place a farm and not grow up houses.
I figure I might need about $4,000 for a good quality young pure bred Boer buck, ten mostly percentage Boer-bred does and some fencing upgrades (couple solar chargers, rolls of 36" woven wire fencing, 6 gates and several bags of insulators-I have everything else-T posts, ground rods, underground cable, some insulators for wire and 1 1/2" tape) More counting stocking up on feed, vaccs, wormer, more buckets/feeders, salt/minerals, etc.. Does this sound like enough? I'll put up one or two sheds eventually. And get a trailer to transport. That's maybe another $4-5,000.
I have two nice big barns /w electric, refrigerators and water to kid in--12 12x12 stalls in one, 5 10x10 in another, that one also has hot water. Auto water fountains in 6 of 9 paddocks low enough for goats.
I would really like to be a part of the agriculture comunity and actually produce something with a market.
Katie
katiesarabians@yahoo.com
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