Goat was never a meat to me. I grew up with "Julius" and "Billy", two pet goats that I adored. I can't say my mom liked them all that much when they pranced on the roof and hood of the car, and ate everything in sight -- all of our trees and shrubs were neatly "trimmed" as far up as the goats could reach. When I search for local foods, a goat farm only 3 miles from home keeps popping up, Max Boer Goats. Their goats are beautiful, and I always get a kick out of watching the herd run when I ride by on my bike. It never occurred to me, that these goats are raised for meat. It saddens me to know where they go (like many other animals produced soley for meat), but its comforting knowing these field-raised goats lead good, happy, free lives up until slaughter. Goat Meat? Well, apparently its a growing commodity in the United States. Used for years by other ethnic groups worldwide, Americans are finding goat an alternative to lamb and beef and are jumping on the goat wagon. Part of the reason is the ease in raising goats and the healthy meat produced as a result of low maintenance. Goats are pasture-raised and very popular in the sustainable farming community. And because the goats are field raised, the meat is less-fatty and comparable to veal in flavor and texture, say the experts. Like the chickens, to me, a goat or two would make wonderful pets. Actually, a goat has another extremely useful purpose as I've seen by the Amish -- grass cutting! Los Angeles would agree. So get your goats, for whatever reason!
2 comments:
Goats also give great milk, which might be an option for you given what I remember about your feelings on drinking cows milk. It also has a great nutritional profile.
I think goat cheese is the best, it's hard to look at a goats face and think of them as 'meat'. Since most of us do eat meat, the best thing we can do is raise them as you described and come to terms with being omnivores - even though sometimes I want to be vegetarian.
Thank you for the post, love your goats!
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