Workshops held at Arena Park goat sale

Saturday's goat sale at Arena Park had two purposes.

In addition to selling kids, bucks and does, SEMO Meat Goat Producers hosted workshops to help people get ready for a fall goat show.

Eva Rainwater arrived with some full-blooded Boer goats, some Boers crossbred with Nubian milk goats and some Boers crossbred with Kiko meat goats.

"Worldwide, more goat meat is eaten than any other meat," she said, adding that the United States imports about 1 million pounds of goat meat annually. "It's leaner than beef."

She said each Boer goat yields between 40 and 60 pounds of meat and requires less than three acres for grazing.

Rainwater, a retired legal administrator for a St. Louis law firm, started goat farming eight years ago with her husband. She said her herd was once up to 300, but was too much work. Now the Rainwaters keep about 125 goats.

Contrary to popular belief, goats do not eat everything in their paths. Rather, she said, they prefer to nibble on trees and shrubs, though commercial goat meat producers train the animals to graze.

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.com Dave Clary watched his great grandson Trenton, 3, play with goats Saturday morning, May 10, 2008, at the SEMO Meat Goat Producers Pen Sale and Goat Fair at the Arena Park Show Barn.

Like any other herd, goats encounter predators, such as coyotes and feral dogs. Despite their curved horns, they need help staying safe while in the fields, Rainwater said. Some farmers keep female donkeys or llamas to guard the goats. Rainwater uses a couple of Great Pyrenees dogs.

As Eva Rainwater stood next to her pen discussing farming, a 3-month-old male Boer goat sidled up and nuzzled the bottom of her water bottle. She petted the animal and cooed at it.

"Buddy is my friend," she said, smiling. The goat is being sold for stud purposes. If no one buys him, Rainwater said, "it wouldn't bother me to sell him for meat."

She said that, though goats are friendly animals, they can be mean or get spoiled.

"If they want attention, they'll butt people right about here," she said, pointing to her hip. "I don't turn my back on them."

SEMO Meat Goat Producers will return to Arena Park on Sept. 6 and 7 for the American Boer Goat Association Sanctioned Boer Goat Show during the SEMO District Fair. To learn more about goat farming, visit www.meatgoatproducers.com.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127

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