Summary

Building Organizational Capacity to Represent, Support and Grow the

U.S. Goat Industry
 

The Mission of the American Goat Federation [AGF] includes providing educational offerings and
educational resources to AGF member organizations and individuals. The mission extends to goat
producers throughout the nation who are potential members. Locations for educational offerings,
training content, method of delivery, and other pertinent information will be decided based on
member surveys, listening sessions and other appropriate means to provide the desired and
needed educational experiences. A key element in organization sustainability is the capacity to
respond to the needs and interests of the members in a timely and meaningful manner. It is
important to reach out to non-members in an effort to consolidate the industry and gather accurate
information across all segments. Learning the needs and interests of members requires
investments in time, travel cost, and the identification of multiple venues for listening.

The American Goat Federation requests a grant in the amount of $52,000 for building capacity to
respond to participants of the goat industry in a creative and effective manner . The scope of the
request includes four specific educational components:

1. AGF will schedule seminars and training sessions at various locales, as well as judiciously
selected listening sessions as a follow-up on previously conducted surveys of member
organizations and individual producers and farmers. AGF will seek leadership involvement in the
existing e-Xtension goat community of practice in order to enhance applied, field-tested, worthwhile
electronic information.

2. In conjunction with the education and training sessions and with the listening sessions, the AGF
will develop an informational video describing recommended goat handling practice. The video will
also include components relative to the focus and purpose of the Federation and how AGF is
working to meet the needs of the goat industry.

3. A separate yet integral part of the listening sessions will be a period of focus on the questions
required to determine the level of interest in a self-funded research and promotion initiative.
These sessions will gather the background data and information needed to make a determination
as to whether the industry desires and/or meets the basic components of such an initiative
Included in this proposal is coordination of information dissemination, in conjunction with a
contracted economic market analysis with Juniper Consulting.

4. AGF will expand and enhance the existing Website to provide interactive access to industry
information and include purchasing capabilities for members. The expanded and enhanced
interactive website will offer a variety of CREDIBLE educational and promotional materials,
videos and news articles.

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