LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — The Wisconsin Dairy Goat Association rolled out the red carpet for goat breeders from across the U.S. and beyond when it hosted the 2024 American Dairy Goat Association Annual Convention Oct. 19-25. Held in Lake Geneva, the week was filled with education, networking, socializing and more.
“The convention offers something for everyone — from the home hobbyist to the commercial producer and everyone in between, including those trying to produce cheese on a farmstead creamery or those trying to do agritourism,” said Heidi Vanderloop, communications and marketing specialist for the ADGA.
Approximately 400 adults and youth attended the event held in Wisconsin for the first time since 2006. Dairy goat farmers from Germany, Australia, Canada, Mexico and the Netherlands were also in attendance. The convention is open to all, not just members of ADGA.
“The convention brings together a wide array of people from across our industry, including farmers, producers, veterinarians, industry leaders and experts, and perhaps most significantly, youth, for educational opportunities, knowledge sharing and networking,” said Anna Thompson Hajdik, local host chair and vice president of the Wisconsin Dairy Goat Association.
More than 70 seminars, including hands-on workshops and roundtables, took place throughout the week on a variety of topics — from ultrasounds and artificial insemination to linear appraisal and mastitis. During the “Veteran Breeder’s Panel,” longtime breeders from Maine, Michigan, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota and Washington shared decades of experience raising high-quality dairy goats.
“The local host did a fantastic job of finding speakers to appeal to all audiences within the dairy goat community,” Vanderloop said.
The type conference, held from 8 a.m. to noon on the last day of the convention, was the highlight of the week for Vanderloop and her husband, she said.
“My husband said it changed his life,” Vanderloop said. “He said anyone who wants to improve their herd should attend the type conference. To hear him get so excited about this was great. No matter how experienced you are as a breeder, everyone can learn something at this conference. Even breeders with multiple national champions were there learning new things.”
The convention’s week-long tradeshow featured 30 exhibitors representing a variety of product categories, including milking equipment, collection and semen sales, nutrition and supplies. Three farm tours were also offered with stops at Loudenbeck Farms Dairy Goats LLC, Misty Meadows and Sunshine Genetics.
During the products reception Oct. 24, a showcase of products made from goat milk, such as lotions, soaps, powdered goat milk face masks, cheese, yogurt, gelato, goat milk pops and wrapped caramels, as well as a collection of goat-themed artwork, was on display.
Products were judged in competitions for amateurs and professionals, and top products and art pieces were sold in a live auction, while the remaining art was sold in a silent auction. All funds raised are used to support youth scholarships, which help young people cover the expenses of attending the convention.
The evening also included visits from Alice in Dairyland Halei Heinzel and Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Randy Romanski. During the reception, attendees could try a variety of products made from goat milk, including many kinds of cheeses, most of which were donated.
The culminating event of the week was the Spotlight Sale held the evening of Oct. 25. Fourteen virgin bucks and does were up for bid with the highest selling lot to walk under the spotlight being a Nigerian Dwarf buck.
“The Spotlight Sale is an opportunity for a breeder to accentuate the accomplishments of their herd, and animals selected for the sale are expected to be of the highest quality available,” Vanderloop said.
Using official Dairy Herd Improvement Registry, linear appraisal, show records and DNA parent-verified pedigrees, the committee looks for dairy goats that excel in all categories.
Yalonda Burton, DVM, is the committee chair for the annual meeting long range committee that helps select locations for the convention each year.
“I started as an outsider looking in and am now an insider trying to encourage more participation and cooperation in all avenues of ADGA,” she said. “The importance of bringing together both youth and adults to work together to build our industry and move forward with new ideas and technologies is a major component of why it is necessary to continue to host conventions.”
Burton and her family own a herd of 80 goats that include Nubians, Alpines, Lamanchas, Saanens and Experimentals near Stilwell, Oklahoma.
“Watching my kids form lifelong friendships with like-minded youth from across the nation, and watching those friendships grow and change over the years, has been inspiring,” Burton said. “I’ve had the privilege of forming my own friendships that have become an integral part of my agricultural journey in dairy goats.”
ADGA, which has approximately 15,000 members, is in its 120th year of existence and has been holding an annual convention consistently since 1938.
“The remarkable growth in membership of the American Dairy Goat Association in recent years is evidence of a robust agricultural sector that deserves to be taken seriously by policy makers everywhere,” Hajdik said.
Making connections and building knowledge of the industry go hand in hand at the convention. Vanderloop said the relationships made through the national convention are one of the greatest reasons for attending.
“Our world is small in the scheme of things, and convention shows the power of those relationships,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to meet like-minded individuals who have similar successes, struggles and a connection to this animal we love.”
Next year’s convention will be held near Boston in Danvers, Massachusetts.
“We are only going to see this industry grow in the next 10 years,” Vanderloop said. “It’s grown in the last 10 and continues to grow.”
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