Spreading the Word on Goat Meat

  • Print
Details
Created on Tuesday, 04 December 2012 15:27
Written by Sean Siciliano

goat meatDANVILLE - A local woman is trying to spread a message to farmers and Vermont communities that has taken her from her Danville farm all the way to Montpelier. 

 

Shirdley Richardson's message is that 80 percent of goats aren't utilized enough on dairy farms and that is a loss of profit for farmers.

She and a friend Jan Westervelt started Vermont Chevon last year with a mission to grow the dairy goat industry in Vermont and educate others as goats as a meat option. "they are beautiful, fun and are a very popular meat in other countries." 

Just under 70 percent of red meat eaten world wide is goat where here in Vermont, it's not very common. 

Richardson was able to host a symposium called "No Child Left Behind" was held at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier which included people from chefs to animal scientists. "we had probably 40 people which is a great beginning and talking about goat meat. We had excellent discussion where leaders provided a lot of information."

 

On her 16 acre goat farm in Danville, Richardson buys meat goats from local farmers and raises them so they can be sold to local restaurants. Without her she says the goats are purchased cheap and taken to a slaughterhouse out of the area. "People are looking for the meat," she says, "so why not Vermont?" 

 

For more information on Vermont Chevon you can check out their website at VermontChevon.com