AUSTIN, Texas — Before he settled down five years ago to raise goats on his 69-acre Happy Goat Ranch near Alice, David Norman worked in oil fields, ran an Internet company and was a marine mechanic.
Lee County attorney Doran Williams said he raised goats in the 1970s, but eventually his practice and his "human kids" prompted him to get rid of them. Now semiretired, Williams is back to his roots.
 ANDY SHARP/Cox Newspapers Agriculture extension agent Bob Whitney said interest in farming seminars, such as this one on sheep and goat ranching, has increased. For a larger, high resolution image, click HERE |
"I don't know if it's a genetic thing, but I feel like I have this need to produce the food I consume," he said.
Williams and Norman are among small-acreage ranchers cropping up around Texas, and agriculture officials are recommending that newbies try raising hardy, low-maintenance goats.
County officials do not document the number of small-acreage ranchers, but Bob Whitney, agriculture extension agent for Williamson County, said he has seen increased farmers market participation and greater attendance at education events.
"We're seeing more people come out in the middle of the week, in the middle of the day," Whitney said. A recent seminar had 53 participants. "Before, we couldn't get 10 to come out."
Whitney said the increase is due to a desire to escape the pace of urban life. "This is not their main source of income," he said. "People want to get out in the country, and then once they're there they start hunting around for things to do."
Frank Craddock, a San Angelo-based Texas A&M University professor, said goats are the best option for these people. Craddock spoke to a crowd of about 40 farmers and ranchers from across the state at a goat management seminar recently in Georgetown's San Gabriel Park. The flier advertised the seminar to landowners wondering, "What type of livestock will work for me?"
Small-acreage goat ranchers come from a variety of backgrounds. Dan Hicks of Bastrop County is an engineer and rare-book seller, but he recently bought goats to use for their inexpensive labor.
"I've got 70 acres of grazing land and about 30 (acres) of brush I'd like to reclaim," he said. "Goats are a lot cheaper than bringing in someone with a bulldozer."
Craddock suggests that small-acreage ranchers start with meat goats, which are fertile and prolific and don't require shearing.
This year, the state produced 1 million non-Angora goats, most of which were raised for meat, Craddock said. Goats have very lean meat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with 25 percent fewer calories than chicken and one-third the fat of beef.
Raising dairy goats is more labor-intensive than raising meat goats, but a market exists for those as well. Goat's milk cheeses, such as chevre, are staples in many area restaurants and markets. Many health and beauty retailers sell goat's milk soap. And more goat's milk is consumed worldwide than cow's milk.
It's turned out be a serendipitous set of circumstances: As more choose to escape the stress of city life to try their hands at ranching, they also increasingly find themselves linked to new immigrants trying to stay in touch with their own cultures. Norman said Hispanics buy much of the meat he sells.
Some Texans have an affinity for barbecued goat, or cabrito, but goat consumption in the United States remains concentrated among certain ethnic and religious groups, including Caribbean islanders, Jews and Muslims.
Eating goat is permitted by Jewish and Muslim dietary laws, and special demands are made for religious holidays, such as Eid al-Adha, the Islamic day of sacrifice. Some buyers wish to butcher the animal themselves, and Craddock said Central Texas ranchers make themselves more attractive to buyers by setting aside special places on their properties for blessing and slaughter.
Imam Islam Mossaad, leader of the North Austin Muslim Community Center, said goat and lamb consumption is largely a matter of habit. "I grew up in Austin, so I got used to chicken and beef," he said. "But in other countries, Muslims eat goat or lamb several times a week, kind of like beef in America."
Families pay $100 to $150 for a healthy goat and, according to custom, eat some of the meat and distribute the rest to the poor.
Agriculture officials say the tax benefits of ranching have also helped make raising goats attractive. Those who qualify for a "productivity valuation" can save thousands of dollars on annual tax bills. But Whitney warned, "A few pet goats won't cut it." Tax assessors "want to see that you're in business. You don't have to actually make money, but you have to show that you're trying."
Travis Central Appraisal District officials couldn't say how much money those with agricultural exemptions saved on their tax bills, but they said the overall value of those properties was reduced by more than $2 billion.
Williams currently has nine goats on his Lee County spread, and he's planning to add a few sheep. He plans to eat some of it himself and try to sell the rest to individual buyers. He said he's not making money yet, but he didn't get into goat ranching to get rich.
"I heard a great joke," he said. "About someone who made a million dollars and ranched it all away."
Nathan Adkisson writes for the Austin American-Statesman. E-mail: nadkisson(at)statesman.com.
