Chambers County Goat Project Sponsors
BY KADIE TAYLOR
FOR THE LAFAYETTE SUN
CHAMBERS COUNTY — Chambers County 4-H is holding its first Chambers County Goat Project, and is in need of community sponsors. Along with investing in possible future farmers, sponsors will help provide equipment for local children to start this project, support them throughout and help purchase ribbons and belt buckles for the show.
“This is a new project we’ve started this year,” said Chambers County 4-H Agent Katie Hill. “We are partnering with two other counties, Lee County and Russell County, to bring a livestock project to our area. We’ve always done chickens and rabbits, and we wanted to do a step-up project with something [that is] not as big of a responsibility as cows, so we thought goats would be a good fit. With our project — they pay a project fee, they will get two goats and then they can participate. We’ll have a showmanship clinic, and we’ll teach them all about how to take care of their goats, groom and show them. And then our goal is to help them go and compete at the show at the Alabama National Fair in October.”
Hill said the project will teach children the skills to care for their goats and the confidence to show their animals at the fair — along with supporting the future of Chambers County agriculture.
“The children are judged on how well they present themselves and their attire, but then also how well they present their goat — so making sure their goats are clean and groomed, and then they’ll do a portion that is showmanship,” she said. “They get to keep the goats at their place, and after the project’s done, they have their goats, they are able to keep them, raise them, continue showing or keep them as pets — whatever they would like to do with them afterwards.
“Chambers County’s strength is our agriculture; we have several farmers who do beef cows, forestry or wood. And I really just want children in our area to start learning more about that, since that is what Chambers County provides, and get their feet in the water and get interested in it. We really want them to learn some responsibility; they’re having to take care of something, they’re the ones having to work with their animal and give them some confidence that they can do this. And we want them to go to the show and do well, get interested in farming and hopefully get more and more involved with our agricultural industry.”
To help support the efforts of Chambers County 4-H and those participating in the Goat Project, Hill said sponsors are appreciated.
“The goal of this project is that, besides paying for the goats, the kids don’t really have to buy any other equipment, because there’s a lot of equipment involved — halters, brushes, clippers, a stand and all kinds of things,” she said. “So we’re looking at paying for that ourselves, and the kids would just borrow it during the project, so that there’s not a lot more [those participating are having to pay for] besides the goats. Sponsors are just helping pay for those things, and the kids — year after year — will have access to this equipment. And we’re also wanting to provide a belt buckle and ribbons when they go to the show, so we’re hoping that will cover awards as well.”
For more information, email Hill at EKH0013@auburn.edu or visit Chambers County - Alabama Extension on Facebook.
