boer goat

This week's episode is with guest interviewer ABGA  Executive Director Katie Carruth, as she speaks with Judge Phil Myers about the ins and outs of grading livestock in the ring.


Links:
https://www.abga.org

We won’t be bringing you our typical podcast for the next few weeks, because we’re doing a Bowman left.  Those of you who are regular listeners might remember that that’s the swerve in plans we tend to do if we find something interesting to pick up.  Sometimes that’s sudden, sometimes expected, but either way it’s a departure from our norm.

We’re about to get on a plane to head to Grand Island, Nebraska, because this week is the 2022 American Boer Goat Association’s National Show.  Last year we had an exhausting but truly fun time running around filming all week in the barns, and the show ring and the surrounding farms, all on behalf of the ABGA. 

Links:
http://triplewgenetics.com/
https://www.abga.org/

Small ruminants are the bedrock of agriculture in much of this little ball of rock we humans inhabit.  That said, here in North America they can be an afterthought for much of the population.  We think that's going to change.

Whether they're used for meat or fiber (or even as pack animals these days for a trek through the wilderness), we believe the time has come for us to rexamine the "lost category" of small ruminants.  This year, one of the themes we'll be following at Backyard Green Films is the use of these animals in our agricultural production systems; How sheep, goats, and other small ruminants can help us to maximize our potential output and minimize some of the environmental issues we're dealing with today (think climate change, wildfires, drought, and the need for all of those cozy socks).

Today we're bringing you a panel discussion with a group that's working to help out those in the goat universe, whether they be milk or meat or fiber production, pack animals, or even the desire to educate the consumer base about the benefits of this diverse species.  Join us as we speak with Tom Boyer, Tammy Fisher and Randy Dusek about what the American Goat Federation does, and why this just might be the Year of the Goat, no matter what the calendar says.

Links:

https://americangoatfederation.org
https://www.abga.org
https://www.sheepusa.org

In Episode 1 of Franks for Listening, Laura Frank & The Other Guy discuss Amanda Palmer & making a living from Patreon, the final Midnight Oil Tour, Neil Young taking on Spotify and Bob Dylan selling his catalogue.  They also tackle hard hitting topics like who the next James Bond will be, what it’s like to be the parents of a goat & give you the first look at an unreleased Laura Frank tune. 
Head to www.laurafrank.com.au/podcast for access to the show notes & to like, subscribe & follow.

In this week's episode, we sit down with four breed organization members. We have representatives from the World Heritage Yak Conservancy, American Boer Goat Association, Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Registry, and American Milking Devon Cattle Association to discuss genetics, small farms, and what makes their livestock breeds so unique.

Links:
https://www.heritageyak.com
https://www.ctlr.org
https://www.abga.org
https://www.milkingdevons.org
https://livestockconservancy.org

Kristy Meyer, FFA media and communications spokesperson extraordinaire, is today’s podcast guest.  She welcomed us graciously at the 2021 FFA convention in Indianapolis, Indiana (once we could find a place to stand behind the 55,000 teenagers and a gargantuan harvester, that is).  

But we have other stars of the show as well – The Interns.  Backyard Green Films enlisted (drafted, coerced…) the help of two young people who we hope will make future appearances in the agri-Culture universe.  Logan and Alaina of the JABGA came with us to find out more about what opportunities are available to an enterprising young person at this venue – whether it be universities, the military, or an independent media production company.  Or a really big nationally-known organization, for that matter.  The FFA showed an interest in poaching our interns as well - not that we blame them.  

Thank you, girls, for a lovely weekend.  We’ll stand in a field with you any day.  Or on a convention floor (But we prefer the field, if we have a choice).

Links:
https://www.ffa.org/
https://convention.ffa.org/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-meyer-02448a3
https://abga.org/jabga/

Goats were brought over to this country almost exactly five centuries ago.  For something that has been around so long, it’s amazing that this animal has flown under the radar of popular consumer taste for most of its residency here in North America.  But goats have a lot to offer to the agricultural universe, as the rest of the world has known for thousands of years.  That realization is finally hitting our production markets, and it’s due to the efforts of people like our guest today.

Randy Dusek, President of the American Goat Federation, was gracious enough to sit down with us (okay, so we stood in the goat pasture) to talk about the amazing animal that is the goat.  On The Lazy S-T Ranch in the San Angelo area of Texas, Randy raises the powerhouse meat producer known as the American Boer Goat.  He also has about 100 head of Hereford’s – the bovine type – and is busy helping to create The Cattleman’s Guide to Raising Goats, which outlines the benefits of having these two non-competitive critters pastured together.  Randy is tireless in his efforts to help people to learn about these amazing animals, and about as patient a guy as we’ve met.  We’ll be speaking with him again in the future about not only the American Boer Goat, but about all of the breeds of goat that he faithfully represents.

Just a note here:  We know there are dairy goats, and fiber goats, and meat goats, and even brush control goats, but pack goats?  That was a new one to us.  Future podcasts are on our radar for something as interesting as that sounds.  Randy, we’re coming back to test your patience again soon.

Links:
www.americangoatfederation.org
www.abga.org

We’re very happily back on the road again this summer -- and this week we’re also back on the banks of the Platte River, in Grand Island, Nebraska, where it’s 95-104 degrees outside.  We’re filming the American Boer Goat Association’s National Show, held at the Fonner Park fairgrounds, which, by the way, is the place where you can also find the annual Nebraska State Fair. 

The ABGA is an organization that helps its members to find opportunities in the marketing, education and commercial industry for the hearty little ruminant known as the American Boer Goat.  The ABGA is a family-oriented bunch, and kids are a plentiful as adults at this get-together.  Whether it be the serious business of livestock husbandry and prepping for the show ring, or the fun-and-games of the costume contest (or anything in between), this week definitely goes down as one of the most enjoyable shows we’ve covered.  Smiling faces are common here, and we love it.  We have a game of our own today, in celebration of that.

It’s a giveaway podcast today, and we also have an exciting announcement in the Backyard Green Films universe.  Stay for Rick’s closing for all the details.  Because, after all…

Life’s a Boer.

 
Links:
https://abga.org/
https://abga.org/jabga/
https://fonnerpark.com/
https://visitnebraska.com/
https://www.grand-island.com/
https://visitgrandisland.com/events/sandhill-cranes-migration.html