Goats

Soon, beef might not be what's for dinner for everyone, due to a steady increase in price. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, last December, steak and ground chuck prices increased  11 percent. More price increases are expected this year; In 2011, the US cattle herd declined two percent, totaling 90.8 million head as of this January making it the smallest herd since 1952. And, major cattle producing states, like Texas and Oklahoma, had to cull their herds due to an ongoing drought last year.

A Clark County farmer lost most of her herd of South African Boer goats in a fire Thursday afternoon that quickly destroyed a barn. An estimated 140 of the goats, which are raised for meat, were killed in the fire. Most of them were kids. About 50 others escaped. The owner, Ella Mae Cline of 3360 Iron Works Road, could not be reached prior to the Sun's deadline this morning. The Clark County Fire Department responded to the call for the two-alarm fire about 3:15 p.m. and put the city's firefighters on standby because the county had to put "everything we had on it," said Asst.

Thirteen classes at Wilmore Elementary School voluntarily gave up their annual Christmas present exchange in order to collect funds for tribal families in India. The money jar in one second grade classroom read "Give a Goat for Christmas. " Cindy Hahn, the second grade teacher at Wilmore Elementary School with the collection jug, said that the project helped the children grow in character. "Usually there are complaints about presents," she said. "This was something totally different.

George Hawes claims he doesn't know what is keeping him young at 86, but this Old Goat drinks more than just milk. Hawes belongs to a coffee club of men who meet at an underground location, calling themselves the "Old Goats Club. " Nine of the 20 members are sitting at a round table in a rented basement room at 8 a.m. on a weekday. Goats pay monthly dues of $20 for rent and a phone, share the coffee expense and come and go as they please. The camaraderie is free. "When you're our age, it's worth the twenty bucks just to have a place downtown to go to the bathroom," says Gene Worthington, 70. The room erupts.

James "Kendell" and Dana Barnes of Winchester were awarded gold and silver honors for two of their bucks at the sale and field day of the Western Maryland Pasture-based Meat Goat Performance Test. The couple also won overall best consignment. All of their animals qualified for the Top 20 sale and met needed requirments in weight gain and health standards. The test started in June and concluded on Oct. 4, and was open to any marketable meat goat in the nation. The Barneses tied for third place last year and plan to continue to compete in the test again next year along with an additional test in Oklahoma.

LIBERTY - More than 100 goats were in competition last week at the first official Casey County Fair goat show. Rolan Sandor, who was in charge, said seven breeds - Alpine, Nubian, Saanen, Toggenburg, LaMancha, recorded grade, and a new breed, Nigerian dwarf, miniatures from Africa - were shown in the dairy goat junior and senior divisions at the event June 4. Entries came from Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The results, by class, are: Junior doe champions Alpine: Grand champion, Emerald Knoll Edin-Go-Brat, Frances Chochrek; and reserve grand champion, Shady Lawn Serpa Kaiba, Shady Lawn Farms.

Kentucky's growing goat industry received some valuable affirmation at the Kentucky State Fair when judges chose goats with Kentucky bloodlines as grand champion and reserve grand champion. In fact, both goats came from the farms where they were born and raised. Alison Fister of Georgetown exhibited the grand champion goat, and Cody Jenkins of Muhlenberg County showed the reserve grand champion. At the Sale of Champions on Thursday, Fister's goat attracted a winning bid of $10,100, and Jenkins' goat fetched $7,500.

A couple cows and a couple goats will soon make their way to a Ugandan family, courtesy of the students at Clark Middle School. The sixth-graders competed against each other to raise nearly $1,000 to donate to Heifer International, a charity that distributes livestock to families and farmers throughout the world. CMS Assistant Principal Greg Hollon said students have been collecting money throughout the school year, including two two-week periods in November and February where the sixth-grade teams competed against each other.

Betty King has pared down, skimmed all the unnecessary off the surface. Part of the simplicity boils down to nine goats grazing on a steep Garrard County hillside that come running to eat the handful after handful of food she offers from her upturned palm. The goats need the extra feed as they slowly will swell to 16 over the coming months. King also decided to keep company with only one cat, albeit a 20-pound one. Wearing a tuxedo pattern coat, it sometimes crops up in her watercolor paintings such as the large-scale one hanging over her dining table.

Grace Stokley, 7, had fun feeding the goats, a baby camel and other little creatures at the petting zoo Saturday at the Clark County Fair. Her father, Mike Stokley, had taken part in the rodeo Wednesday.

Soon, beef might not be what's for dinner for everyone, due to a steady increase in price. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, last December, steak and ground chuck prices increased  11 percent. More price increases are expected this year; In 2011, the US cattle herd declined two percent, totaling 90.8 million head as of this January making it the smallest herd since 1952. And, major cattle producing states, like Texas and Oklahoma, had to cull their herds due to an ongoing drought last year.

Allison Fink exhibited the Reserve Grand Champion Market Goat at the Kentucky State Fair on Aug. 20. The 79-pound goat will be auctioned this week in the Kentucky State Fair Sale of Champions. Pictured with Allison are Cade Wilson, judge and Roy Turley, Clark County Extension Service agent for 4-H youth development. Photo submitted

Discussion about whether to enact a livestock ordinance was abundant at the Wilmore City Council meeting Monday, but after talking for 40 minutes, the council voted to table the discussion until its next meeting. Wilmore city attorney Robert Gullette presented the council with a draft of an ordinance he created after examining similar laws in other cities. The draft prohibits the keeping of swine or goats and the maintenance of pig pens, regardless of the size of the lot unless it has an agriculture zone.

Discussion about whether to enact a livestock ordinance was abundant at the Wilmore City Council meeting Monday, but after talking for 40 minutes, the council voted to table the discussion until its next meeting. Wilmore city attorney Robert Gullette presented the council with a draft of an ordinance he created after examining similar laws in other cities. The draft prohibits the keeping of swine or goats and the maintenance of pig pens, regardless of the size of the lot unless it has an agriculture zone.

The Garrard County Fair held the 4-H/FFA open market and breed goat show Monday. The results were:   Showmanship Competition Showmanship Novice: Kailey Vinyard, Danville, first place; Zachary Speake, Waco, second place; Logan Speake, Waco, third place. Showmanship Junior: Casey Simpson, Nicholasville, first; Josie Orlich, Nicholasville, second; Eliza Hurst, Lancaster, third. Showmanship Senior: Derrick Simpson, Nicholasville, first.   Open Breed Show Percentage Boer Does: Doe Kids (0-4 months)

STANFORD — Goats are the heroes of this story. It was goats that inspired the humble beginnings of Kentucky Soaps & Such nine years ago. It is goats that supply the essential ingredient to the Stanford store’s line of upscale soaps and lotions that have attracted quite a following. And it is a goat that adorns the advertising and packaging of Plainview Farms, the homegrown brand of goat’s milk products that are handmade in the basement of the Kentucky Soaps & Such downtown storefront and shipped out across the country.

Stefan Fink, age 15, a Clark County 4-H member, was selected as the Overall Champion Showman and received the Richie Farmer Commissioner of Agriculture Award from a field of 234 participants Aug. 20 at the Kentucky State Fair. Stefan is the son of Endre and Betsy Fink. Additional Clark County State Fair goat winners were: Stefan Fink, two second places in class; Allison Fink, sixth place out of 63 in the 9-11 year old division, second and fourth in class; Cole Wills, eighth in the senior division, second and fourth in class, reserve champion in Senior Skill-a-Thon; Lucas Kiser, green ribbon; David Kiser, blue ribbon; and Dee Dee Kiser, blue ribbon.

Recently the Kentucky Agriculture Development Board awarded the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Council $85,000 in state agricultural development funds for continuing service of the education, promotion, and marketing needs of Kentucky's sheep and goat producers. "These funds will put the organization in a position to continue to educate and promote the sheep and goat industry, while implementing new programs for our producers," explained Ray Bowman, executive director of the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office.

Nicholasville children enter livestock in exposition Children in two different Nicholasville families have entered cattle and goats in the 36th annual North American International Livestock Exposition, which will take place in Louisville from Nov. 7 to Nov. 20. Laurel Alexis Culp entered three Chiangus cattle; Kelsey Anne Culp entered seven cattle, three Chimaine and four Chiangus; Brittany Kay Culp entered one Chimaine; Ken Culp III...