Langston Goat Field Day April 29

The annual Goat Field Day will be held on Saturday, April 29 at the Langston University Goat Farm, Langston, Okla., with registration beginning at 8:00 a.m. This year's theme will be Selection: from Eyeball to Genomics.

Adult Activity (morning session): This year’s featured speakers will be Dr. Ken Andries, Dr. Brian Sayre, and Ms. Lisa Shepard.

Ken Andries was raised on a livestock and crop farm in Louisiana. He did his graduate work at Louisiana and Kansas State universities, majoring in animal genetics. Dr. Andries has worked in extension since graduation from Kansas State University in 1996. He is currently an Animal Science Specialist and Assistant Professor at Kentucky State University where he is responsible for small ruminant extension programming, goat production research,and teaching undergraduate classes. He is a member of the national eXtension Goat Community of Practice, the American Goat Federation, goat representative on the National Sheep Improvement Program board and has conducted many workshops and programs on goat production since starting at KSU. His extension programs have focused on improved production, health and genetics for a more sustainable goat industry. He started the Kentucky Goat Herd Improvement Program (KyGHIP), and the program is gaining acceptance by producers around the country as a way to improve animal performance.

Brian Sayre is a Professor in the Department of Biology at Virginia State University. Dr. Sayre's research program revolves around utilizing a systems genetics and genomics approach to identify candidate genes associated with production characteristics or diseases. Recent research is to identify genes in sheep and goats associated with resistance to internal parasite infections and humans for diabetes and obesity. Additionally, Dr. Sayre is a founding member of the International Goat Genome Consortium (IGGC), African Goat Improvement Network (AGIN) and ADAPTmap project. His research program has been involved in the development of the goat radiation hybrid (RH) panel, Illumina Goat 60K SNP panel and multiple sequencing projects for creation of a high quality reference genome sequence for the goat. Partnering with international collaborators for application of these tools to a goat, current applications include the ADAPTmap project to associate genotypes with GPS and environmental data, development of low-density SNP panels for selection in goat improvement projects in Africa, and partnering with the US goat industry for development of genomic selection tools. Dr. Sayre is a member of a national Critical Thinking Fellows Institute to promote implementation of critical thinking skills into the classroom. The research is focused on the development and identification of the non-cognitive aspects of student learning for improved outcomes in biology courses.

Lisa Shepard currently works for the American Dairy Goat Association as the Performance Programs Manager. This involves efforts with the DHI Production Testing, Linear Appraisal, Sire Development, DNA Typing, Artificial Insemination, and Type programs. Prior to this, she was employed in the laboratory genetics field for 30 years with her work evolving into the areas of quality assurance and regulatory affairs. Ms. Shepard is also a representative to the California Dairy Goat Advisory committee, on the Board of New Mexico's caprine DHIA, and on the local water commission. Lisa and her husband raise a small seedstock herd of Saanens in northern New Mexico. They keep it small so that they can enjoy their other interests in traveling and hiking.

Adult Activities (afternoon session): In the afternoon session, participants will break into small-group workshops. There will be a total of 18 workshops; however, participants will only have time to attend three.

Goat Field Day Program for Kids (Old Fashioned Fun): The Goat Field Day for Kids provides the opportunity for kids to explore and enjoy “old-fashioned fun activities” while their parent(s) participate in the Goat Field Day Program. With all of today’s technological gizmos from the iPod to high-end smart phones and handheld games, most kids are no longer exposed to the old-fashioned games and activities that shaped the imaginations and innate creativity of their parents and grandparents. The Goat Field Day for Kids Program is intended to challenge and enhance cognitive and social skills. The development of intellectual and socialization practices have been determined as prerequisites for helping children to learn more complex concepts, thereby enhancing their personal capabilities.

Cheesemaking Workshop: The ever-popular goat milk cheesemaking workshop has been scheduled on Friday April 28 (the day before our annual goat field day on April 29. Dr. Steve Zeng, Dairy Product Specialist at Langston University, will be the host/instructor for this workshop. He has instructed cheese workshops in many states as well as internationally. He has also judged cheeses for the World, the United States, the American Cheese Society and the American Dairy Goat Association cheese championships/contests in the last decade. He will share his rich background, personal experience and masterful skills in small-scale cheese manufacture, particularly goat milk cheeses. He plans to demonstrate basic principles and practical skills of making hard cheeses using Langston’s own Grade “A” goat milk. Milk quality, cheesemaking facility and federal safety requirements will also be discussed. This one-day hands-on workshop will be held in the pilot creamery at Langston University. There is a registration fee of $60/person, which includes continental breakfast, break snacks, and lunch consisting of goat BBQ, sausages, goat milk ice cream and cheeses, etc. Only the first 15 registrants will be admitted. To reserve a seat, please send your check of $60 to LU Ag Res. Sales (Attn: Dr. Steve Zeng, P.O. Box 1730, Langston, OK 73050).

Map of LU campus

For information regarding the cheesemaking workshop, please contact Dr. Steve Zeng at 405-466-6145 (O), 405-404-5171 (M), or szeng@langston.edu.
For information regarding the 2017 Goat Field Day, please contact Dr. Terry Gipson at 405-466-6126 or tgipson@langston.edu.

Registration for the Goat Field Day is FREE but there is a $10 per person charge for the optional lunch of barbecued goat and goat milk ice cream. You can bring your own lunch, if you desire. Regardless of lunch preferences, we ask everyone to pre-register. Please make checks payable to "Langston University/Research Sales".