Get Goating! Youth Dairy Goat Club

The Dairy Goat Club and Project offers a unique opportunity for youth to learn essential life skills, gain hands-on agricultural knowledge, and develop valuable personal qualities like responsibility, teamwork, and confidence.
Working with and showcasing dairy goats offers a host of valuable life lessons and skills that benefit youth beyond the club. Caring for dairy goats teaches responsibility and empathy as they become responsible for the well-being of their animals. They learn about feeding, grooming, and tending to the needs of their goats, which instills a sense of duty and compassion. The club also provides a platform for teamwork and cooperation as youth collaborate with peers on tasks and projects related to goat management and showing, helping them develop essential communication and teamwork skills that will serve them well in the future. They discover how genetics, nutrition, breeding, and health management play a crucial role in raising healthy goats. This knowledge promotes an appreciation for sustainable food production and the importance of agriculture in our lives.
We can tell you firsthand that working with dairy goats encourages patience and problem-solving. Youth learn to handle challenges and setbacks, developing resilience and resourcefulness in the process. These experiences will shape their work ethic and problem-solving abilities. Showing their goat boosts self-confidence and communication skills. They learn to present themselves and their animals with pride, helping them become more self-assured and adept at public speaking.

The Youth Dairy Goat Club meets monthly. The Dairy Goat Project camp runs for four weeks each month. Youth who do not own goats are able to lease a goat at no charge for the project year. They commit to working with their goat each month and then are able to show their goat at local and regional Dairy Goat Shows.