Bryce Mayer, North Vernon Plain Dealer & Sun
In the not-too-distant past, goats were kept on Jennings County farms primarily as companion animals for other livestock, pets and living lawn mowers. They had little other value.
That has all changed in recent years.
A Jennings County Soil and Water Conservation pasture walk on the topic of goats Thursday attracted nearly 100 people to the Allen and Marcy Clark farm in Sand Creek Township.
Those attending learned how to raise high quality goats for meat production and enjoyed a meal made largely from goat products - goat burgers along with cheeses, including cheesecake, and ice cream made from goat milk.
"We decided to target goat producers because of the increasing number of people who are raising them," said Bob Steiner of the SWCD. "Many of these people are searching for answers because goat production is nothing like raising cattle."
Goats are become big business at Brewer Livestock. The firm processes 30,000 goats per year at its butchering facility in Lovett and plans to more than double that amount starting in November, according to owner Donnie Brewer.
Brewer was one of several who talked at the informal workshop, along with a veterinarian, on the topic of goat diseases and parasite control, and an expert on fencing and pasture management.
"Goats have always been kind of a misfit animal on farms around here," Brewer said. "That is not the case anymore."
The demand for quality goat meat is growing with the increase in Hispanic and Muslim populations in the U.S., not to mention European and African immigrants. Other people are learning to appreciate goat meat, too.
"Goat meat is such a traditional food for people in many parts of the world," Brewer said.
Ethnic holidays aren't the only time, either, that goat is in demand
"More goat meat is consumed worldwide than any other livestock meat," Steiner noted.
At Brewer Livestock, hogs and cattle are also butchered but goats and lambs make up 85 percent of its business.
Most of the goat meat is shipped to customers to Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis and other cities in the Midwest, Brewer said. Often customers come to the Lovett facility to participate in religious ceremonies where the animals are sacrificed.
Brewer said the ideal size for meat goats is 40 to 60 pounds. Slaughter goats currently fetch around $1 per pound.
Goat meat is extremely lean, even more so than chicken, according to nutritionists.
Brewer Livestock, which employs eight people and went into operation about 12 years ago, processes animals from the Southern Indiana area and as far away as Iowa and Texas.
"We're keeping our head above water," Brewer said. "Raising goats has to be profitable or the industry wouldn't be growing as much as it has the past few years. Some farms in Texas have thousands of goats."
Of those attending Thursday's event, about half were from outside Jennings County with one farmer from as far away as Princeton.
Goat burgers, donated by Brewer, were cooked on a gas grill. Many among those sampling the meat said the flavor reminded them of lamb.
"The meat is a little dry," said Robin Strope of Commiskey after taking a bite of a goat burger.
This writer found goat burger very palatable and somewhat akin to buffalo burger.
"It takes a while for some people to get past the goat stereotype," Brewer said. "Once they try the meat, they find it's good."
The cheeses were a hit, as was the orange sherbet ice cream and cheesecake. The cheesecakes were prepared by the McNulty family of Scipio from milk produced by their dairy goats.
"That's the most delicious cheesecake I've ever tasted," said Mark Biehle, whose family also raises dairy goats in eastern Center Township.