There are about 35 million foreign-born U.S. citizens and most are goat eaters

[primroselane]

Goat meat imports to the U.S. jumped about 140% over a seven-year period ending in 2003. Now some California farmers see gold in goat. They are expanding their herds, hoping to cash in on consumers' broadening tastes.

Some 40% of the goat meat consumed in the U.S. is imported from Australia and New Zealand. The remainder is produced by farmers with herds ranging from 15 to 8,000 animals.

California is well-positioned to capture a large share of the goat meat market. California's dry, mild climate favors raising goats. Pasture and leftover farm produce provide excellent feed sources.

In California and across the nation, the fast-growing Muslim, Latino and Asian communities are pushing up the demand for one of the most widely consumed meats in the world.

[MELOC]

i do not mean to offend anyone but i HATE GOATS! LOL. geesh you could have 100 acres and 8 foot chainlink fence with a full moat and alligators surrounding them and they would still find a way to destroy your last 6 remaining pepper plants hidden away on the porch roof AS THEY BLOSSUM none the less!!! well ok it was not 100 acres and the pepper plants were in the garden but come on surly the alligators shoulda got em'. hehe.

my sis used to have about 4 goats in an american wire fenced area. didn't work so electric was added. still didn't work. nothing works for goats, lol. they are the hoodinis of the farm. everytime they would bypass the lush green grass i never really mow. they would head straight to whatever shrub i had just nursed back to health or to a flower bed. they would always end up in the garden.

right next to the garden is an old stone smokehouse. it is in need of repair now partly because the goats would always eat the old mortar out of the joints. it was soft and salty i guess. after they got all that was on the bottom, they needed to stand on their hind legs to get to the upper joints, unreal.

that was when i snapped and got the wiffle ball bat. 4 inches in diameter of hollow plastic, noisemaking, garden avenging and goat terrifying satisfaction. now, i am not a violent man, certainly not to god's animals, but i figured the bat was better than the 30/30. man i hate goats.

[pumpkinlady]

I have to agree that goats can escape just about anything, but I find them to be so comical and best of all they are so yummy tasting. Goat meat tastes better than lamb. I know several locals that raise and eat goat meat. Try it...you'll like it.

[BrahmaMama]

Goat meat is a booming industry here also. I know if I had the land, I'd get on that wagon lickity split ... a Canadian farmer who's making money?!?! Who'd a thunk it!

[longshadowfarms]

Originally Posted by MELOC

i do not mean to offend anyone but i HATE GOATS! LOL. geesh you could have 100 acres and 8 foot chainlink fence with a full moat and alligators surrounding them and they would still find a way to destroy your last 6 remaining pepper plants hidden away on the porch roof AS THEY BLOSSUM none the less!!! well ok it was not 100 acres and the pepper plants were in the garden but come on surly the alligators shoulda got em'. hehe.

my sis used to have about 4 goats in an american wire fenced area. didn't work so electric was added. still didn't work. nothing works for goats, lol. they are the hoodinis of the farm. everytime they would bypass the lush green grass i never really mow. they would head straight to whatever shrub i had just nursed back to health or to a flower bed. they would always end up in the garden.

right next to the garden is an old stone smokehouse. it is in need of repair now partly because the goats would always eat the old mortar out of the joints. it was soft and salty i guess. after they got all that was on the bottom, they needed to stand on their hind legs to get to the upper joints, unreal.

that was when i snapped and got the wiffle ball bat. 4 inches in diameter of hollow plastic, noisemaking, garden avenging and goat terrifying satisfaction. now, i am not a violent man, certainly not to god's animals, but i figured the bat was better than the 30/30. man i hate goats.

LOL! I'm with you. I HATE sheep and goats. Even if that is where the $ is, I'm not going there. It isn't worth the $ to me to do something I hate. I'll take my pet cows any day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sullen]

Ya know, they are just animals...my dd2 was always running around picking the blossoms off my garden plants, but I don't hate her. I got no peppers this year, but she's so cute, kind of like a baby goat, that I forgive her.
Hey I know....get revenge by raising some and selling them for meat!!!

[michiganfarmer]

foriegn born citizens? I can see someone turnign this into a home defence argument

[Cyngbaeld]

Goats do not eat grass normally. They are browsers, like deer and prefer the weeds and shrubby vegetation. If you have lush green grass you want sheep or cows. If you have a woodlot that needs cleaning up or a pasture that is overgrown with weeds or briers or getting shrubby then goats will clean it up for you.

[Gary in ohio]

The slaughter house near us was recently sold. Before the sale it was mainly beef, pork and ocasionally lamb. after the sale it have moved to chicken, goat and lamb. The change is mainly to suppor the hispanic and Samali markets in Columbus and clevland.

[delta9]

Heck, I'm American as apple pie (fourth generation on one side, pre-revolution on the other) and wish I could find a local source for goatmeat. Seems it would be less fatty than lamb. I'm looking forward to raising goats for family use as soon as we buy our land. Wonder if those Ontario farms are an option for me. Might not be legal though to bring meat across the border...

[fin29]

Problem with the Muslim market is the halal butcher requirement--a tad tricky in less-than-urban areas like little old Maine, though there is a movement here in the state to tap into the market.

[sullen]

Fin, because of Lewiston, the Halal meat market is booming, and there are slaughter houses around to serve the need.....

[Grandmotherbear]

We have goat at our Fl bodegas

[fin29]

Originally Posted by sullen

Fin, because of Lewiston, the Halal meat market is booming, and there are slaughter houses around to serve the need.....

Where at? I know of several trying to start up, but I'm not aware of any currently operating.

[apirlawz]

Originally Posted by MELOC

that was when i snapped and got the wiffle ball bat. 4 inches in diameter of hollow plastic, noisemaking, garden avenging and goat terrifying satisfaction. now, i am not a violent man, certainly not to god's animals, but i figured the bat was better than the 30/30. man i hate goats.

LMAO!!! Oh maaan, I'm glad I wasn't drinking anything! That was the funniest #!@ thing I've heard all week!

I love my goats....they are sweet tempered little girls who never test the fence. Of course, now that I've said that out loud...

While hubby and I were reaserching SAR grants, we came across a guy (I think from here in SD, or perhaps MN) who was given a grant to develop his boer operation to tap into the Muslim market. Judging by his research, I wouldn't be surprized to see a couple of 24 carat ones out there!!

I only wish I had this farm, but up in the Fargo, ND area where I used to live. I taugh ESL (english as a second language) to members of the refugee population up there. Wonderful people, and almost all Muslim...talk about a ready-made market!

So someone explain to me what the Halal meat market/butcher is?

Here where I live we have a sale barn that specializes in goats. People from all around bring their goats to sell here as they buy up and ship them to California. For the last several years everyone around here is trying to get into the bore meat goats.

I didn't mess with them this last summer but the previous two summers I was buying a few weened kids and raising them on brush throughout the summer and selling them in the fall before I would have to buy any feed for them. I was doubling my investment on them.

[Caelma]

Originally Posted by r.h. in okla.

So someone explain to me what the Halal meat market/butcher is?
.

Butchered in accordance with the Qu'ran Halal is to Muslims
what Kosher is to Jewish.

In Islam animals are to raised humainly, butchered humainly and not be meat that was prayed or raised up to other gods.


Geesh raising goats sounds like a thing for me, I love goats, love spring when lambs are born. I'm surprised at the number of folks who don't like goats or sheep.

[MELOC]

i think it is a "lady" thing. my sister love goats. and several ladies i worked with love them. my dad thought they stunk, lol.

ok let's be honest ladies...you picture men everytime you look at a stupid goat, don't you...DON'T YOU, LOL!

[gccrook]

Not a woman here, but I love my goats. And, they do not stink, except for the buck, who is just plain nasty (but necessary). They are stuborn, intelligent, stupid and lots of fun. Oh, and tasty.

[ozark_jewels]

Goat meat is wonderful. And(sorry goat haters ) goats are wonderful as well. I keep mine behind a four strand electric fence(except for the bucks, they have cattle panels), and they stay in. They are very trying if you don't have proper fence....but thats your fault for not supplying proper fence.
Goat meat(chevon) is better than any lamb I've ever had. Of course, I butcher my own at home so I know its done right. I've heard from some folks that the goat meat sold commercially is tough and strong-flavoured. If its handled correctly, its great!
And sorry, meloc, I know lots of men who raise and love goats. Not all folks are cut out to raise goats......They don't know what their missing!!