Local 4-H'ers show off their meat goats which is one of the fastest growing livestock industries

The Pickens County 4-H Goat and Lamb Show was held on Saturday September 4, 2010 at the Ag facility at Jasper Middle School with near 50 goats and a handful of lambs. In separate competitions for goats and lambs, 4-H'ers competed in different age classes from Pee Wee to 12th grade in Showmanship and different weight classes for the Market Show. Chevon (goat meat) is low in fat, compared to chicken, the most popular red meat outside of the United States and is more in demand here with the increase in immigration.

Since Cherokee County doesn't offer a livestock program, the Pickens County 4-H Meat Goat Team consists of a mix of Cherokee and Pickens Counties youth. Members are responsible for providing and taking care of their own goats as well as training them. Boer Goats, the most common meat breed, usually with light colored bodies and distinctive red head, come from South Africa and grow more rapidly than other goat breeds. Goats must have their milk (baby) teeth to compete and most are slaughtered when less than a year in age.

Showman are judged on their ability to control and present the goat in the Showmanship competition. "Handled Fresh, Flawless Doe, Power and Product" were just some of the descriptions of the Market winners by Judge Will Cabe from Franklin County. He took the time to give feedback to the participants and gave some the opportunity to judge for themselves.

The demand for goat meat in the United States continues to increase with the different ethnic groups and is often used for many religious festivities. The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Science reported in 2009 that Georgia has the fourth largest goat population east of the Mississippi River with over 78,000 goats. Even with the increase of goat livestock, most consumer goat meat is imported from New Zealand and Australia. After several calls to local grocery stores and ethnic markets, there weren't any packaged goat meat for sale.