Building capacity of small ruminant producers in underserved communities of the Southeastern United States

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama Extension) at Alabama A&M University (AAMU) was awarded a USDA NIFA 1890 Capacity Building Grant, No 2022-38821-37257. This project will establish an Extension and research demonstration study at AAMU’s Winfield Thomas Agricultural Research Station (WTARS). Breeding for Sustainable Control of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Meat Goats will build capacity among small ruminant producers in underserved communities in the Southeast.

Project Goals

The three-year demonstration project will run from 2022 to 2025 and the goals are to:

• Establish three demonstration sites in Alabama to educate small ruminant producers—mostly from underserved communities—about integrated parasite control and breeding management.
• Introduce a new improved genetic breeding program at Alabama A&M University of Kiko and Boer goats, which will serve as sources of healthy breeding stock for meat goat producers in the Southeastern region of the United States.
• Demonstrate the benefits of using selection and breeding management as a viable method for parasite management.
• Train minority animal science students at AAMU and producers about basic techniques for parasite testing (FAMACHA, fecal egg count) and breeding management (animal selection, culling, and record-keeping).

The demonstration project will use three demonstration sites: WTARS, Union Springs in Western Alabama, and Cuba in Eastern Alabama. The Union Springs and Cuba sites will be established in the Blackbelt region of Alabama through collaboration with two farmers’ cooperatives: the Southeastern Goat Cooperative of Alabama, and the East Alabama Black Belt Farmers’ Cooperative.

Project Team

The implementation of this project is being led by Alabama Extension and AAMU staff consisting of:

• Valens Niyigena, Extension animal science specialist, Alabama Extension at AAMU
• Kimberly Sinclair Holmes, assistant director, Alabama Extension at AAMU
• Rudy Pacumbaba, Extension horticulture specialist, Alabama Extension at AAMU
• Ernst Cebert, associate professor, Department of Plant and Soil Science, and the manager of the WTARS

For More Information

Contact Extension Specialist Valens Niyigena at (256) 583-1811 for additional project information.