FLAT CREEK FILE
Since we live on Flat Creek, Ray decided to call the column he writes for Kentucky's Goat News "The Flat Creek File." Here are some of the past columns, beginning with the latest one.
Flat Creek File: No, Chicken Little, The Sky’s not falling!
So far 2007 has given us plenty to be concerned about; skyrocketing feed prices, a late freeze, and an early drought. These are challenges that would depress any livestock producer, but it’s not the end of the world. With a little determination and creativity, we can find ways to rise to these challenges and come out ahead.
What troubles me more than these temporary problems is something far more insidious and potentially damaging. Rumors are probably causing producers more sleepless nights than anything else.
Every time there’s a dispersal sale of some sort, the rumors about the eminent collapse of the goat industry start to fly. Not only that, just let one producer get a little less for their goats than they think they should at a sale and suddenly the market has crumbled. Let’s take an honest look at why some things happen and perhaps it will put a few minds at rest.
As to the matter of dispersal sales, I defer to an article written by my esteemed colleague from Texas, Jack Mauldin who stated “There are several reasons why some of the well known breeders have gotten out of the business in the past. Many are related to health reasons and age. One breeder had a big business opportunity come up that left them no time for the goat business also. Some of the well known breeders became well known just by being one of the early breeders with goats and as more people got in, they just could not produce better animals than the other breeders. Finally, there are a few breeders that are making a living at having an annual total dispersal sale.”
On the topic of prices, we should always keep in mind that sale prices are cyclical and go up and down due to pre-established patterns and sometimes due to extraordinary events that influence supply and demand, like drought. Most farmers and ranchers who have dealt with livestock for a period of time understand these trends and take them in stride, even though there may be a few discouraging words uttered in conversation with other producers. Many goat folk, however, are newcomers to the livestock industry and have no previous experience with the rollercoaster that sale prices can be. Tess Caudill, Sheep and Goat Marketing Specialist for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture says this year might be a particularly bitter pill to swallow. “The ‘summer slump’ happens every year about this time. It was expected, but it came in with a vengeance because of the drought.” Tess says prices are fully expected to recover and may even spike in the future as there will be less animals available for market due to this sell-off.
Experience is a great teacher, so the wise producer becomes a shrewd observer, noting trends and planning his breeding seasons and product availability according to them. Most folk seem to know someone that has the Midas touch when it comes to livestock, always making money from a sale. There’s nothing mystical about it. These folks have just taken the time to learn to anticipate trends and capitalize on them.
In other words, it’s just part of doing business. The goat industry is growing by leaps and bounds and some of these events are precipitated by an industry that is seeking to define itself. In the final analysis, there are still plenty of good markets for the products we produce and most of them are growing exponentially each year. It’s a little like the stock market. You’ve got to be in it for the long haul.
Taking a half-empty (or bone dry) view of the glass doesn’t make life any better, especially when others are being infected by pessimism. Instead, we need to be looking at all the positive things that are happening in our infant industry and realizing just how fortunate we are.
One of those positive things, the new Sheep and Goat Development Office is now OPEN! Please feel free to contact me at kygoat@fewpb.net or snail-mail us at Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office, 1009 Twilight Trail Suite 121, Frankfort, KY 40601. The phone number is 502-352-2434.
Flat Creek File:
Let’s Hear It for the Kids!
Another exciting year has passed, leaving us joyfully anticipating the events of 2007 which will soon be unfolding before us.
As you leaf through the pages of this edition (January 2007) of Kentucky’s Goat News, you will no doubt notice a lot of attention being placed on the achievements of our kids – the two-legged kind! The past year saw market wethers included for the first time in the Kentucky State Fair Sale of Champions and the first ever Junior Market Wether Goat Show at the North American International Livestock Exposition. Toss in the tremendous support of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture as demonstrated by their Kentucky Proud Points program and I think you will agree that the Commonwealth and the goat industry recognize the importance of promoting and encouraging the participation of young producers and exhibitors in the fastest growing segment of animal agriculture. After all, we are looking to the future of our industry and I have a feeling that it’s in good hands, judging by the caliber of talent and the level of dedication we have witnessed.
Many of us (ahem) older folk have been guilty in the past of a little unnecessary fretting and hand-ringing over the direction the youth of this country have been taking. Isn’t it a crime that my cohorts in the media tend to focus on all the bad things a few of our young people are engaged in without taking time to celebrate all the good things that are happening, especially the accomplishments of those involved in agricultural pursuits? Attending as many livestock shows and events as I do, I get the opportunity to see, first hand, all the great young competitors out there vying for prizes, but at the same time learning about husbandry and ethics. If they aren’t learning these positive lessons, then shame on us adults for setting bad examples and teaching the wrong priorities. Winning’s fun, but sometimes graciously accepting defeat is a great deal more rewarding. I really appreciate all the young people I get to see and meet and only wish we had room in this humble publication to show you all their shining faces.
We have to keep up the good work in 2007 and I truly believe we will. KGPA president Shawn Harper is currently working with the board of directors to refine the association’s current youth program and make it more accessible and meaningful to our younger members and prospective members. The board will also be working with the NAILE to have goats included in their Sale of Champions as well. We must seek more and more opportunities to acknowledge and reward the hard work of our youth, our future.
Flat Creek File:
Image
In a recent column for the Parsons, Kansas-based Farm Talk magazine, Mark Parker wrote "Out with the image of a goat chewing a tin can in the front yard of a hillbilly shack, in with a rapidly expanding - and economically viable - segment of American agriculture. If goats aren't big business right now, they're certainly on their way."
Now there's a man after my own heart. This is another indication that mainstream agriculture is becoming more accepting of the goat industry.
Here in the Commonwealth, we know attitudes are changing. As you have seen by the front page article in this issue of KGN, Governor Ernie Fletcher has proclaimed October "Goat Production Month in Kentucky." As goat producers, you can give yourselves a little pat on the back because you earned that distinction. Numbers of goats continue to rise in Kentucky, as do quality of animals. Many of you are doing things right and all of you are looking for ways to improve your operations and management plans. Sure, you’re looking to the bottom line. What business person isn't? But hopefully you’re also looking with me into the future and seeing a vital, thriving industry that's here for the long haul.
The Kentucky Agriculture Development Board obviously shares that vision with us. On September 15, they approved $184,000 in diversification funds to help start the new Office of Sheep and Goat Development which should be operational by early 2007. I’m sure you will agree with me that they made a wise investment.
The new office will be under the shared oversight of the Kentucky Sheep and Wool Producers and the Kentucky Goat Producers Association. When an Executive Director is appointed, that individual will be charged with looking after the interests of Kentucky's oldest and newest livestock industries. Sheep have been raised in the Commonwealth as long as anyone can remember. Goats have, too. It's just that they've never gotten the positive attention they're getting now.
As we consider the future of the goat industry in Kentucky, we have to look closely at the next generation of goat ranchers. Introducing young people to goat production and encouraging their efforts is possibly the most important thing we can do as producers. That's why it was so exciting to see market goats included in the Kentucky State Fair Sale of Champions this year. The North American International Livestock Exposition is following suit by featuring their first Junior Wether goat show on November 15th. You know, these younger folks might have a few things to teach their elders when it comes to raising goats. I'm constantly impressed with young people (like Allison Fister of Georgetown) who are dedicated to the industry and are turning out some world-class animals.
My crystal ball has always been a little foggy, but you don’t have to have any particularly powerful soothsaying skills to recognize that goat production - in the Commonwealth and across the country - is growing like kudzu.
People are starting to notice. Ain't it great?
Flat Creek File:
Goats and Sheep Unite!
Back in May, a watershed moment occurred that went largely unnoticed but had a profound impact on the business of small ruminant production in the Commonwealth. The Kentucky Goat Producers Association and the Kentucky Sheep and Wool Producers partnered with the University of Kentucky, Kentucky State University and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to hold the first Goat and Sheep Summit.
I’m pleased that this event actually had its genesis, in part, here on Flat Creek. Dr. Jimmy Henning and Dr. Robert Harmon from the University of Kentucky were kind enough to come out for a visit last August to have a tour around Jerusalem Ridge and discuss developments and issues in the goat industry. The docs were excited about progress that had been made at the Beef Summit and thought, rightly so, that goats and sheep would greatly benefit from a similar event. The wheels were set in motion and the process culminated in a two-day session in Elizabethtown where invited small ruminant stakeholders from across Kentucky gathered to examine the current status of the goat and sheep industries and where we should go from here.
KGPA president Shawn Harper and Sheep and Wool Producers president Richard VanSickle are to be commended for their efforts in pulling the meeting together.
Historically, sheep have been a major livestock species in Kentucky, even though stock numbers have fallen off in recent years. Sheep numbers are once again on the rise in Kentucky. That, combined with the unparalleled success of meat goat production in the commonwealth, more than justifies setting aside a time for industry stakeholders to examine Kentucky’s status and make plans for the future.
A number of topics were discussed but a lot of attention was devoted to the idea of developing an educational curriculum similar to the Master Cattleman program for goat and sheep producers. A good bit of interest was also demonstrated toward the establishment of a full-time office for promotion of goat and sheep production in Kentucky. Both ideas are currently being investigated and hopefully there will be good news about them in the near future.
I have always felt Education and Communication are two of the keys to success in any endeavor. Attendees at the summit were in total agreement. The Goat and Sheep Summit opened a number of avenues for producers of both species to continue the dialog begun in May and meetings such as this will be critical to the future success of both industries.
Congratulations and thanks to all who planned, participated in and supported this important event.
Flat Creek File:
The Bully Pulpit
The internet encyclopedia Wikipedia notes that President Theodore Roosevelt referred to the White House as a "bully pulpit," meaning a terrific platform from which to persuasively advocate an agenda. Roosevelt often used the word "bully" as an adjective meaning superb/wonderful (and, indeed, "bully" in Roosevelt's time was often used to define something as "cool" or "neat"). I have sometimes used this forum as my Bully Pulpit and make no apologies for it. I do encourage you however, to take anything I write at face value and thoroughly investigate every issue before forming your opinions.
Come July 1, unless cooler heads prevail, the Kentucky State Veterinarian’s office has decreed that all goats (and sheep, for that matter) being sold in the Commonwealth have a Scrapie tag affixed in their ear. On the surface, this sounds like a responsible enough ruling. But start asking the right questions and you may determine that this is not being done in the best interests of Kentucky small ruminant producers. It is a way for the state Department of Agriculture to begin forcible implementation of their premise ID program, a precursor to the much-debated National Animal Identification System (NAIS), which, by most accounts, is two to three years away if it ever does manage to be implemented.
Let’s first note that the national Scrapie program does not currently require the tagging of all market goats. The program itself is not a bad idea, in that eradication of Scrapie is a necessary goal. Where Kentucky’s permutation of the Scrapie program goes off the rails is in trying to enforce more stringent requirements than those currently set forth by the federal government. As just one example, goats entering the slaughter chain do not have to be tagged under the federal program. Under Kentucky’s new guidelines, ALL goats being sold must be tagged. The federal program also recognizes goats as a “low risk” for Scrapie but Kentucky makes no such distinction. To help put this in perspective, please understand that only 15 goats in the United States have tested positive for Scrapie in the last 15 years and none of them were in Kentucky.
So what makes the new rules so necessary? As I stated earlier, the Kentucky State Vet’s office wants to prop up their premise ID program. Ask state vet Robert Stout and he’ll essentially tell you that. The new Scrapie rules are a convenient camouflage. Engage Dr. Stout or his representatives about Scrapie and they’ll quickly try to divert the issue away from Scrapie and on to premise identification. This is not about Scrapie at all. If it were, goats and goat producers would hardly enter the picture.
When the cost of the program is brought up, the rallying cry is “…but the tags are free!” They are – for now. What happens if it is determined that Scrapie HAS been eradicated in the U.S., but NAIS has been implemented? Then, we’ll pay for the tags and probably pay dear for Radio Frequency ID’s (RFID) and the associated equipment you’ll need to effectively use them. And who collects all the information associated with the tags? There doesn’t yet appear to be a plan for information gathering that anyone’s willing to talk about. It’s one thing to stick tags in goats’ ears, but what’s the point if you’re not doing something with the information. The burden of information gathering and storage will end up landing on the shoulders of the producer or the stock yard where the animals are sold. Either way, the producer ends up paying for it through a greater investment of time to do the bookkeeping or an added cost for the stock yards to do it, being passed along to the producer in the form of larger fees charged for sale of the animal. Our already slim profit margins will shrink further, making it increasingly difficult for small-scale producers to survive.
It greatly troubles me to propose such dystopian ideas, but hopefully some of the things I’ve mentioned will spur you to ask questions and do the research so that you can make a decision for yourself as to whether you support or oppose these new rulings. When this entire affair began I was cautiously supportive of the idea. I already Scrapie tag my goats. I have already registered my premise, but I did so when I was less informed. What I wish for you, dear reader, is that you get the information first. Since the idea first emerged last year, I have asserted over and over that these decisions should be made with producer input, and only after the producer completely understands the ramifications of the action. There has been no producer input solicited (as even the USDA says there should be) and so-called “informational opportunities” have been little more than pep rallies designed to confuse or obfuscate the issue and garner support for a plan that has more holes in it than a sheep brain riddled with Scrapie.
So ends my rant. I know many of you will disagree with me and I support your right to do so. Please ask questions. Please talk to each other. If this plan doesn’t measure up in your estimation, contact Dr. Stout’s office and voice your disapproval. If you support their plan, let them know that, too. Our informed, enlightened, experienced opinions should count for something.
Contact Dr. Stout at:
Robert Stout, DVM
100 Fair Oaks Lane, Suite 252
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Office Phone: 502-564-3956
Office FAX: 502-564-7852
Email:Robert.Stout@ky.gov
Flat Creek File:
Happy New Year!
What an incredible year 2005 has been! It has been a tremendous honor to serve as KGPA president and I want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to the members of the Kentucky Goat Producers Association for placing their faith and trust in me for the past year and a half as I have endeavored to provide guidance and leadership to your organization to the best of my meager abilities.
As I leave office I have some very mixed emotions – sadness that I have not been able to accomplish everything you have asked me for and all that I expected of myself, but also a deep sense of accomplishment in the things we have been able to do. I’m especially grateful to my dear friend Shawn Harper for the advice and support he has given me as I attempted to serve you and for unselfishly rising to the challenge of accepting the president’s chair as my term ends. Shawn is a devoted family man and the demands placed upon him by this job may, at times, distract him from his obligations to his wonderful wife and daughters. However, I’m confident that he has the skills and the attitude to balance all his commitments and serve admirably in all his capacities. I hope you will recognize how fortunate you are as an organization to have a young man of such exceptional character and ability who is willing to take on the sometimes overwhelming responsibilities that come with this position. I only hope that I can be half as meaningful to him as he has been to me.
To those members who are leaving the board, I want to thank you for your time and commitment as well. KGPA board members are elected to three year terms and dedicating that much time and effort to our cause is an act that should not go unrecognized. Thanks to Jason Beshear, Wade Buntin and Jeff Przbylak for their efforts on behalf of the organization and we look forward to continuing to benefit from their wisdom and experience as participating and contributing members.
As president, it has been my mission to personally spend time with you as much as I could. This has been a selfish act on my part, because I gain so much personal enjoyment from meeting you and sharing ideas. I hope it doesn’t sound too corny, but I am passionate about this industry and I really treasure the limited time I get to spend with folks who share that passion. If we haven’t had the occasion to enjoy each other’s company, I hope that can be rectified. As a board member and editor of this publication, I hope you will continue to invite me to come and visit with you to establish, renew or continue the friendships that have become so important to me.
Let’s all work together to make 2006 the best year ever for the Kentucky Goat Producers Association.
Flat Creek File:
Visibility and Credibility
It seems like a week hardly goes by these days without some reporter calling me to ask about the state’s goat herd. I love it!
On Memorial Day the Business Monday section of the Lexington Herald-Leader ran a beautiful spread with color photos that took up two thirds of page one and a third of page three. The headline proclaimed “Goats are heroes for some growers.” Beverly Fortune visited Larry and Barbra Yearsly’s Cynthiana farm and spoke to several other breeders and industry figures in order to paint a very complementary and insightful picture of goat production in
The same day
Oddly enough, my first meeting with Dominique was in
The broadcasters have gotten into the act as well. My friend Mike Feldhaus from Kentucky Farm Bureau’s Across Kentucky syndicated radio show has had me on his program three times in the past six months and has done another interview with Tess Caudill of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture regarding goat marketing. By the time you read this, I will have done still another interview with
OK, so we’re getting a lot of attention. So what?
When you consider that many Kentuckians aren’t even aware that there is a goat industry and some of the ones that know about us don’t exactly take us seriously, this is a pretty big deal. Media exposure is providing us with an avenue to take our message to the general public, providing us the visibility and credibility we need to continue to grow and develop. I don’t mind a bit when a reporter calls me up and affords me the opportunity to talk about my favorite subject.
How about you? Have you considered making a call or sending an e-mail to the news desk of your local daily or weekly paper or your radio or television station to invite them to your farm or to the local goat association meeting? Having been out there in the trenches as both a print and a broadcast journalist, I know there are times when those folks are searching for something interesting to fill up some broadcast time and print space. We have an interesting and exciting story to tell. Don’t be shy, just step right up and tell them you’re a
Flat Creek File:
Tobacco Buyout or Government Sellout?
For a number of years now, many of us have anxiously been observing the progress (or sometimes the lack thereof) of Tobacco Buyout legislation. In late 2004, the much-anticipated bill was passed, but those of us who no longer have a tobacco base are left wondering what went wrong and when (if?) we will ever see any compensation as a result of it.
You might be asking just what this has to do with goats. For those of us trying to diversify our operations and wean ourselves away from tobacco income, the hope of a genuine buyout meant more capital to invest in the growth of our industry; more breeding stock and better infrastructure. Now, if you’ll excuse the pun, the Tobacco Buyout is looking more and more like a pipe dream and possibly like a nightmare.
The idea that farmers should be compensated for the loss of quotas has not played well in the popular press and among the population not directly affected by the buyout. It seems that we farmers are being portrayed as just wanting a handout or to be propped up by the federal government. In most cases, nothing could be farther from the truth. Newer landowners (like me) purchased land in
For the last several years, tobacco farmers have seen their quotas dwindle to a fraction of what they had historically come to depend on. When the buyout was initially proposed, it would have been based on late 1990’s quota levels. The actual buyout was based on the most recent quotas which were, in most cases, half or less of the original amount. If you were trying to sell a house or a car and expected to get a fair price, only to receive half the value of the property, wouldn’t you be upset? Isn’t that just exactly what has happened?
The tobacco companies and our national lawmakers who seek to appease them expected quota holders to be happy with the crumbs from the table. Perhaps we should be. After all, the program has been subtly eroding for years. It could very well have gone away completely leaving us with nothing at all. Even so, there seems to be little consolation in the fact that, hey, at least we’re getting something!
Most small farmers endure the headaches and hardships because they are looking to preserve a way of life. The demise of the small tobacco farm also rings the death knell for a culture and a lifestyle that has defined a segment of the Commonwealth’s population for generations. Sure, the economic aspects of the Tobacco Buyout are disappointing, but the societal implications are even more devastating. As goat producers, we understand that there’s more to what we do than the bottom line.
The American cowboy’s ethics and lifestyle are celebrated in folklore and popular culture. In many ways, the independence and spirit that led to them being canonized as great American heroes are the same characteristics evidenced in that other disappearing breed, the tobacco farmer.
When I hear city folks, wags and media pundits whine about the money being “wasted” on the Tobacco Buyout, all I can say is what my dear, departed buddy Dick Rayborn would probably have said: “You’re gettin’ off cheap!”
My opinions are my own and should not be misconstrued as representative of the Kentucky Goat Producers Association.
Flat Creek File:
Cattle Producers Can Increase Their Bottom Line - Just Add Goats!
(A slightly condensed version of this article also appeared in the February edition of "Of Cows and Plows," the newsletter of the Franklin County, KY Extension Service.)
Photo: Registered Boer goats and registered Angus cattle at Keith Jeffries farm, Henry County
Last column, I broke the news to you that I was your interim president. Well, now I’ve got the job for real. At the November KGPA Annual Meeting in Bardstown, the board voted to keep me on as President. The goat industry in
One way to do that is to establish more credibility with our partners in the
First of all, there are few pastures occupied by cattle in
Parasite control is another bonus. Goats and cattle do not share parasites, so the two species grazed together or alternately rotated will help reduce each others parasite levels. Cattle may also discourage predation if the goats and cattle are allowed to bond.
Of course it's not a perfect world. Species diversification does lead to the need for better fencing, modified handling facilities and methods and additional health maintenance. In the long run, however, producers should find the advantages far outweigh any disadvantages.
Basically, multispecies grazing gives the rancher more bang for the buck. You get the benefit of reduction of unwanted plant species and parasite problems and diversification of animals results in diversification of income sources. It just makes sense.
Flat Creek File:
President’s Column?!?!?
On August 6, the Kentucky Goat Producers Association board of directors regretfully voted to accept the resignation of President Jason Brashear. Jason will remain on the board until his term expires in 2005, but he feels the demands of his new position in
So, the task before the board was to select an interim president. For better or worse, the mantle of responsibility was quickly draped over my shoulders. I am humbled by the trust my fellow board members placed in me and hope it was not misplaced.
I intend to be active and accessible as your interim president, however the first month and a half of my service might not be indicative of that. Scarcely a week after my appointment, Hurricane Charley slammed into the west coast of
Now, after six weeks of dodging three more hurricanes, I’m back in the Commonwealth on my beloved Flat Creek and, hopefully, will be able to devote myself to service to you as KGPA members and to the
Obviously, I missed a lot while I was gone. There were the Dairy and Boer goat shows at the State Fair as well as countless local shows and field days. I would have loved to have been at them all with you, but I can’t tell you how rewarding it is to try to help folks get back on their feet after such a devastating event. Unfortunately, it is equally frustrating to see them be knocked right back down again… and again… and again! I would have stayed in
As editor of this publication, I have always stressed that it is YOUR newspaper, just as the KGPA is YOUR organization. The board and I serve at the pleasure of you, the member, and are sensitive to your needs and desires as
One excellent way for you to be involved in this organization is to attend the Annual Meeting on November 13 in Bardstown at the Days Inn, just off the
My apologies for the rambling nature of this epistle. I’m attempting to refocus on things here in
Flat Creek File:
Caveat Emptor!
This is a column I’d really rather not write, but I’m not one to shy away from controversy and I usually share my mistakes with anyone who’ll listen in hopes that it might save them some future grief.
I really enjoy production sales. I usually get the opportunity to see and sometimes buy some fine animals, but lately I’ve noticed a very disturbing trend. More and more, breeders are using production sales to sell their culls. Now think about it – does one producer buy another producer’s culls to build or improve his/her herd? I realize that everyone has a different idea of what constitutes a cull, but some things are unavoidable. Sure, a strong, healthy animal that’s difficult to handle might be a cull to a show breeder but perfectly acceptable, even desirable to a meat breeder. However, sick, weak, inferior non-breeders aren’t much good to anybody.
I recently attended a sale that I thought would feature Kentucky-bred animals. I bought two absolutely beautiful Kentucky-bred does that were slick, fat and healthy and I got them at a very reasonable price. But, then my luck ran out. The next girl I purchased looked great in the ring, but I didn’t see her papers until after I had paid for her. Only then I discovered that she was a fairly recent import from another state. Also, she had been consigned by a dealer that I had learned in the past not to trust. If that wasn’t enough, she was a replacement for the doe in the catalog that I thought I was buying. Now, I’ll take the blame for that oversight, because it probably was announced when she entered the ring and I was busy doing something else and missed it. Even with all those strikes against her, I still thought I had a pretty decent doe until, after being in quarantine for a couple of weeks at my place, she developed a huge CL abscess behind her right ear. She’s still in quarantine, being treated, but her future is very much in doubt.
Now, when I buy does at a stockyard auction, it’s truly caveat emptor, “let the buyer beware.” But when I attend a production sale, I expect to see healthy, high quality animals with accurate representation in the sale catalog. In other words, if you have to scratch an animal, don’t replace it. Save any newcomers for the end of the sale and try to provide an accurate supplement to your catalog. It might also be a nice gesture to make available copies of the paperwork, with the animal’s sale number clearly marked on the documents. Producers, use a production sale to put your best foot forward. Sell only the best animals you have available and be willing to stand behind the sale if the buyer feels the animal may have been misrepresented. Production sales cannot be allowed to be turned into a dumping ground. Furthermore, if you have an animal that you’re just trying to get rid of, sell it at the stockyard for meat, not breeding stock. To my way of thinking, there’s nothing more important to a breeder than his or her reputation.
I’m sure I may have offended someone with this modest epistle, and if so I’m very sorry to have hurt your feelings. I do not apologize, however, for my opinions, which should not be misconstrued as representative of the Kentucky Goat Producers Association. I’m convinced that the goat industry in
There! Now I have that off my chest and hopefully we can go on to more positive things.
Flat Creek File:
Ode to Spring
Sometimes I enjoy a little snap of brisk, cold weather... but winter usually wears out its welcome with me pretty quick! A couple of nice, fluffy snows are very pleasant and quite enjoyable, especially right around Christmas, but when those ice storms down utility lines, freeze my pasture gates to the ground and cancel flights leaving me stuck for a day or more in an airport, I’m ready for spring!
No question, spring is my favorite time of the year. There’s this wonderful feeling of renewal and rebirth. The trees are budding out and, for many of us, new kids, foals and calves are cavorting in the fresh, new grass that explodes with verdant splendor in the fields. And, it certainly doesn’t hurt anything, at least from my perspective, that the turkeys are gobbling. That’s a sound that draws me into the woods every spring, deeply stirring and warming my blood with an unexplainable excitement that surely must be a genetic imprint, traceable down through centuries of outdoorsmen who desperately sought a cure for cabin fever.
I’m often in the woods well before daybreak in the spring. I love to see and hear the world wake up. There’s that rosy time at dawn when a choir of birds begins to sing and you catch the first sight of the magnificent pastel pastiche created by an arboreal canopy clad in festive finery. The blush of dogwoods and redbuds is breathtaking.
As the morning progresses, reality sets in and it’s time to build and repair, a logical extension of the generation and regeneration occurring in nature. Fencing, plowing, planting, mowing... starting the cycle all over again. There’s nothing quite as grand as being a farmer in the spring, especially in
I dearly love the place of my birth and its people. Former Governor A.B. “Happy” Chandler used to say that as he traveled around the world, “I never met a Kentuckian that wasn’t going home.” It’s a special place that you never completely leave. A part of it stays with you no matter where you go. I’ve lived in other states and have traveled abroad, but as Dorothy says, “There’s no place like home!”
I can’t help but get my hackles up when I hear other folks demeaning or maligning the Commonwealth. It has been recently suggested by concerns from other states that we don’t know how to grow goats here and that the climate and other factors will always hinder us in our production efforts. The distribution of tobacco settlement monies has also come under fire from states that don’t benefit from it. Granted,
In the spring, when the Sun Shines Bright on my Old Kentucky Home, the fields produce abundant graze and browse and our well-maintained goats shed their wooly coats and grow slick and fat. With proper education and management skills,
Flat Creek File:
What State Am I In?
It sure is good to be back on Flat Creek. At the behest of the federal government, I spent the month of October in
While I was there I did get Sundays off, so one afternoon after church I wandered out into Franklin County, North Carolina to see some goats. I had spoken with a nice lady named Pearl Thurlington and made arrangements to visit her, but got completely turned around and wound up doing what I do best - wandering.
As I was driving along through the beautiful countryside, the sign in the accompanying photo caught my eye. Using my limited Spanish, I managed to figure out the directions and a few minutes later found myself pulling up the drive of Meadow Lane Farm, owned by Steve and Martha Moberly. A gentleman was there helping some youngsters groom some cattle for the upcoming State Fair, and he explained that Steve was away and “Miss Martha” was out on the farm showing cattle to some prospective buyers. He excused himself to go back to his work and I wandered off to look at the goats and wait for Miss Martha.
In addition to being the local goat guru and a director of the North Carolina Meat Goat Producers Cooperative (http://www.ordergoat.com), Martha Moberly is also the
I introduced myself as President of the Franklin County Goat Producers Association, and, seeing her apparent confusion, quickly added “Franklin County, KENTUCKY!” She appreciated the joke and a lively conversation ensued. I left about an hour later with a new friend and some valuable insights into goat marketing, Tar Heel-style.
I called Miss Pearl the next day and apologized for my poor sense of direction. She was most gracious, but couldn’t figure out how anyone could get lost on their way to her place. She doesn’t know me very well, yet!
Flat Creek File:
What an exciting time to be involved with the goat industry in the Commonwealth! The industry itself is experiencing unprecedented growth and people are starting to take notice. In the August issue of the Lane Report, state Agriculture Commissioner Billy Ray Smith called goats “the fastest growing enterprise in
As the industry grows, the role of the Kentucky Goat Producers Association (KGPA) becomes more important and it’s voice, this publication, grows stronger. Our new affiliation with The Farmer’s Pride will enable us to take our message to a broader audience in a more efficient manner. Farmland Publications has long been a friend to the industry and now, with this new partnership, the alliance grows stronger.
I hope you’ll enjoy the new
It is now your job, dear reader, to help us adhere to those standards. Tell us what you want to see in
I trust you will indulge me by allowing me this forum in each issue to communicate a little more personally with you. I call it The Flat Creek File because I live on Flat Creek in