10/28/09

Goat Gossip 78

We have made the connection, now which way do we turn?

    I’m champin’ at the bit!  I’m ready to take off!  Hitch me up with the rest of the team of like-minded goat producers and we are liable to burn the wheels right off of the progress wagon!  We are a hard charging group that has a lot of want, but not much how to.  We want to see the caprine industry prosper and grow into something to rival the other meat, dairy, and clothing industries, but lack a great deal of guidance and focus.  We know what direction that we want our industry to go, but we don’t know which turns to make to get to our destination...

    We have hoped and dreamed of an organization that will represent us on a national and state level and work to bring our industry into every home in America, whether it is a meat, dairy, or clothing product.  I’m going to quote a fellow producer and I hope that they don’t call me a big, fat plagiarizer, “I want a group that will get just as powerful as the NCBA (National Cattlemen’s Beef Assn.) They have lobbies and different committees and are the ones that hire Sam Elliott, etc. to promote "Beef It's what’s for Dinner” campaigns. We need to be there someday.... doing all those things to put money in goat producers pockets and protect our rights.”  Now that’s a whole heap of want!

    The dairy cow folks have the mustached stars, the pork folks vend the other white meat, the egg is incredible and edible, and poultry is one of the most popular foodstuffs on the tables of America.  Goat dairy products are becoming increasingly popular as cheeses and milk are being discovered by more and more adventurous folks and the lactose intolerant of our population.  Goat meat is and will always be popular among the immigrant population that is coming to America and is growing in popularity among the “Foodies”, as my friend Lynda Kofford-Di- Di Cicco in Washington State, calls the more discerning folks who enjoy a varied and extraordinary bill of fare.

    There is a growing market for our lean, delicious goat meat and tasty dairy products, and our warm and comfortable clothing produced with mohair and cashmere.  It is right there in front of all producers to reach out and grasp and develop if we would only shed our short-sightedness and overcome our fear of prosperity.  Yeah, we are afraid of making money! Every time opportunity knocks we turn off all the lights and hide in the bathroom!  Instead of uniting to take advantage of the opportunities that practically jump up and bite us in our collective hindquarters, we debate the issue till we pick it apart then let it fade out until it dies on the vine.  We have “niche market” ingrained into our psyche.

    We form associations and organizations to give ourselves a forum to share our views and ideas, and unite for the good ol’ common cause of promoting the caprine industry. Then we drop the whole enchilada in the lap of the elected officials and worker bees willing to tote that barge and lift that bale and fade into the background until something happens like a sale or show that we can participate in.  Notice:  I said participate in, not give your best efforts to help out at or support by promoting until your literal and figurative voice gives out!  We like to jump up on our soap box on any forum such as yahoo goat groups or the various message boards to carp and complain about the services provided by our associations volunteer officials and paid employees, but when it comes time to step up and run for an unpaid position on the board of directors or volunteer for a committee we always seem to “not have the time”.  (Mr. Bill, I write the Goat Gossip, do the public relations and events coordination work for the Freestone Co. Goat Breeders Assn. and help promote and provide sweat equity for the ETGRA, NETGRA, and anyone else who asks.  Including the AMGA.  Just call or e-mail if you need help! I ain’t got much money, but I got a whole lot of gumption and a computer that I know how to use!  Unless you care to give out on the gump and only apply the shun, then I will understand both our points of view.)

    Many of the membership in the various associations feel alienated and that their positions and opinions are discounted and disregarded by the powers that be in these organizations because of inactivity by the BOD or they feel that the BOD is too busy following their own agenda with a total disregard for the views and opinions of the membership.  Ladies and Gentlemen of the Board, if you want to feel the pulse of the goat production community, all you have to do is get on the computational machine and join the various yahoo groups, message boards, and blogs that are available on the internet.  The computational machine is a very powerful tool that can either make or break any association, organization, or entity that relies on dues and fees paying members.  You can choose to not upgrade your web sites, send out e-notices and newsletters, or ignore the inquiries of your members up to a certain point, but sooner or later it will all come back to haunt you!  Folks want the latest info and will move on to bigger and better if you all have nothing to provide!!!

    It is time!  It is time to stop complaining and moaning about what everyone else is doing and get to work!  Stop worrying about the Jones’s and be the durned Jones’s!  Stop crying about funds and participation and offer something worthwhile for the members to believe in. LISTEN TO THE MEMBERS WHO ELECTED YOU ALL!

 FOLLOW THE ELECTED OFFICIAL’S GUIDELINES AND STICK TO THE PROGRAM UNTIL THEY ARE NOT FOLLOWING YOUR WISHES AND THEN ELECT SOMEONE WHO WILL!!!

    Us antsy goat producers are getting tired of the same old folderol and are ready to hitch our team to an association or federation that is proactive instead of inactive.  So get to work, ya bunch of slackers!  Usn’s are getting tired of just lollygaggin’ around and are ready to move on to bigger and better things!

The FCGBA will hold its next meeting at the Freestone Co. Courthouse in Fairfield on Nov. 10^th at 7 p.m.  Topics on the agenda are opening up the membership to folks Statewide and the scholarship fund raisers.  All of the good citizens of Anderson, Freestone, Henderson, Limestone, Leon, and Navarro Cos. are invited to attend and join our association if you care to.

    The ETGRA is having a raffle for a portable hayrack.  Tickets are $5 each or 6 for $25.  The hayrack was made by Greg Ashabranner and consists of three pieces.  It can be assembled by one person in about five minutes and holds one square bale of hay.  The hayrack is easy to move from pasture to pasture as you rotate your herd.   The winning ticket will be drawn at the January, 2010 general membership meeting.  Tickets will be sold at all association events.    Tickets may also be purchased by mail, please include your name, address, contact phone number.  Make checks payable to ETGRA and mail to P O Box 152937; Lufkin, Texas75915, for info go to http://www.etgra.com

NETGRA Catalogue Production Sale - NOVEMBER 14th, 2009.  Location: Hunt County Fairgrounds, Viewing: 9:00am - 11:00am, Lunch: 11:00am - 12:30am, Sale: 1:00pm.  Catalogue will be available on http://www.boergoats.com at a later date. See special events page at http://www.netgra.com for the special notice on consignments.

    That’s all I have.  Contact me if you have any goat gossip at 903-388-8528 or e-mail clwyer@gmail.com.  Bye, for now.

I don't  know, but he left a rusty bullet and theres a smell of fish in the air.