Scott Horner, Extension re-search and 4-H and Youth Development specialist, presents Kalinda Lopez of Tarrant County with the certificate naming her as one of 13 recipients in the 4-H Goat Kid Giveaway. The 4-H’ers received their certificates during the May 20 Agricultural Field Day at Prairie View A&M University. — Staff photo by Carolyn Rost

June 1, 2006 - “Sustaining the Future of Agriculture” was the theme for Prairie View A&M University’s first agricultural field day held May 20 at the Carden-Waller Cooperative Extension building and the International Goat Research Center located on the campus.

This year’s field day combined the previously stand-alone Goat Field Day with the Small Farm and Ranch Workshop to provide a variety of information to those interested in learning the latest research and farm demonstration techniques.

Included in the day’s activities were workshop sessions on sustainable agriculture, cooking with goat meat, basic goat reproduction, beef cattle, wether selection, hands-on management and forage production.

For a little appetizer before the noon meal, participants were able to sample goat meat from contestants vying for the title in the barbeque goat cookoff.

Jerry Schaefer of Caldwell carves the goat meat while David German and his father Stephen, from Seguin, fill their plates during the event’s noon luncheon. — Staff photo by Carolyn Rost

One of the highlights of this year’s field day was the 4-H Goat Kid Giveaway. This year marked the 20th occasion of the program with 13 4-H kids from across the state joining over 400 other 4-H members and alumni in 59 Texas counties receiving a goat.

Scott Horner, Extension 4-H agent and research specialist, said the purpose of the Kid Giveaway Program is two-fold. The most important aspect is it helps youth who receive kids (young goats) to develop important life skills such as responsibility, commitment and social interaction. Secondly, by promoting and sponsoring animals, goat breeders throughout the state benefit by increasing their clientele for marketing other goats, breeding services, etc.

“The benefit to the kids, of course,” said Horner, “ is it gives them some registered stock they may not have been able to afford to purchase. Or in some cases the kids have goats but they want to have a bigger project. A lot of kids have market goats but want to do breeding which is really a whole different kind of project.”

Taking on a breeding project requires a lot more work, stressed Horner.

“With breeding projects comes long-term commitment and a lot more responsibility. (There are) things they have to do year-round, not just for three months. So it helps kids grow. They have to take on the assignment of doing the recordbooks and being responsible for this animal year-round.”

Before a youth can receive a goat, they must complete a three-page application that allows them to describe their commitment and service to their community, to the 4-H program in general, and in particular, to the goat project. Details of the caretaking arrangements for the goat have to be given to help insure it will be going to a place where it can be taken care of properly.

Youth selected to receive a goat must then attend a training session during the field day where they learn goat care basics through printed material and hands-on experience. Following the training, youth are then allowed to take their goats home.

Once a goat arrives at a recipient’s home,  the new owner is responsible for a number of things including:

• Quarterly reports detailing the growth of the goat, health records, show records and breeding records must be submitted;

• Exhibit the goat at least once in the following year at their county fair, major livestock show or breed association sponsored private show; and

• Agree to return an offspring of their goat (or a suitable replacement) to the program within two years.

By returning a kid, the youth contributes to the growth of the program and reduces the reliance on adult breeders for animals to keep the program going, said Horner.

This year’s recipients of Boer goats were: Shantel Hood, Austin County; Amanda Heflin, Austin County; Kalinda Lopez, Tarrant County; Olivia Price, Brazoria County; Joli Timm, Polk County; Sarah Kendzior, Guadalupe County; and Dylan Sorge, Waller County. 

This year’s dairy goat recipients were: Ashlyn Sorge, Waller County; Kendall Pearse, Cooke County; Aaron Price, Brazoria County; Pauly Seymour, Burnet County; Randall Hibler, Burnet County; and Abigail Vollers, Brazoria County.

For more information about the 4-H Goat Kid Give Away Program visit www.pvamu.edu or send an email to the following address: goat_fieldday@pvamu.edu.