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Top speakers to speak at goat conferenceArkansas If you've got a hankering to raise goats for their meat and milk, you can learn how to raise them successfully at the 2009 Arkansas Goat Conference Jan. 31, at the Natural Resources Building in Conway. Goats are the fastest-growing livestock enterprise in the United States, according to Dr. Jodie Pennington, Extension professor-dairy and goats with the University of Arkansas Division Of Agriculture. "The conference will provide participants with the basic information they need on topics such as commercial meat goat production, internal parasite control, health management, forage and pasture management, how hair sheep fit in Arkansas, where to market goats and showing small ruminants at county fairs," said Pennington. Speakers include Dr. Ann Wells, sheep and goat breeder and veterinarian from Spring Pond Holistic Animal Health, who will talk about diseases of goats and how to maintain a healthy herd. She will moderate a discussion on commercial sheep and goat production in the afternoon. Extension speakers include Pennington, Newton County Agent Jack Boles and Boone County Agent Mike McClintock. Their talks also will cover reasons to raise goats, feeding goats and showing goats. 4-Hers will be on hand to show how they exhibit meat goats, lambs and dairy goats at county, district and state fairs. A panel discussion will relate to commercial goat production and the use of hair sheep in Arkansas. The Natural Resources Building is at 110 S. Amity Rd. (the access road east of Interstate 40) between exits 127 and 129. The conference begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Registration, at 8:15 a.m., is $10 (including lunch), if you pre-register by Jan. 26. It's $15 at the door, including lunch. You may pre-register with your county Extension office or send your registration to Dr. Jodie Pennington at the U of a Cooperative Extension Service, P.O. Box 391, Little Rock, AR 72203. His e-mail is jpennington@uaex.edu. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of a Division of Agriculture. 1/26/09 Date: 1/20/09
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