Why Meat Goats?

Meat goats are one of the fastest growing agricultural production systems in the United States.  Worldwide, more goat meat is consumed than beef or pork.  There are 23 million meat goat consumers in the U.S., yet only four million meat goats.  As a result, Americans import 60 percent of their goat meat from places like Australia and New Zealand.

Goat meat (called chevon) is healthy, with less fat and more protein than beef, pork and chicken.  It's easily sustainable, and since a goat's natural diet is brush and weeds, it's about the most "green" animal in production.

Goat meat also tastes good.

When Leslie and I moved to Southside Virginia, our property came with 20-plus acres of cut-over - land that was cut for timber around 2004 and left to grow wild.  Due to the heavy growth of brush, vines, trees, bushes and weeds, you can't see, much less walk, into this property.  We could pay someone big money to bulldoze the acreage, or we could buy some goats and let them do it for us.  We chose goats.

Given a choice between grass and the tender leaves of a vine six feet in the air, goats will pick the leaves.  The "weeds" and brush no other animal eats are health food for goats.  Elevated browse is also better for parasite prevention, since parasite larva live on the ground and climb on the grass.

Goats can be endearing and fun.  They're definitely not the brightest bulbs in the barnyard, but they enjoy human attention, are often playful and develop distinct personalities.  They're of a size conducive to easy management and don't require much care beyond food and water.

America is waking up to goats.  We do almost every morning.

Alan & Leslie Keck