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- For youth under 21, the Junior American Boer Goat Association (JABGA) is devoted to helping the youth reach their desired potential through education, leadership, scholarship programs, and exhibition opportunities at National, Regional, and Junior Sanctioned Shows. No bio here... < Back JABGA Email All work orders must be submitted to mail@abga.org , or through our Contact page .

Back to All Ambassadors 2019 Coni Ross Fred Homeyer Joe Tipton Coni Ross, Fred Homeyer (right), Joe Tipton (not pictured)

JABGA Board of Director Applications Now Open! Apply Now!

Check out the results and pics from the Area 2 JABGA Regional Show: Little Sioux Showdown in Spencer, Iowa Area 2 JABGA Regional Show: Little Sioux Showdown Check out the results and pics from the Area 2 JABGA Regional Show: Little Sioux Showdown in Spencer, Iowa Check out these photos from the Area 2 Regional Show: Little Sioux Showdown! Related Posts

Learn about the traits and anatomy of Boer goats and how it contributes to their unique characteristics and abilities. Characteristics and Anatomy of the Boer Goat Learn about the traits and anatomy of Boer goats and how it contributes to their unique characteristics and abilities. Here are some of its most significant features: Exceptional hardiness allows for high resistance to disease, making it one of the hardiest livestock breeds. The Boer goat is adaptable to a wide range of climates and grazing conditions, thriving in challenging environments. They can survive in arid regions where other small stock cannot, even with limited access to drinking water. With their strong legs, they are efficient walkers that can navigate mountainous areas and dense shrubbery with ease. Boers consume browse that other livestock overlook, clearing undergrowth and maintaining vegetation balance, even in difficult terrain. They have a long lifespan and maintain fertility up to 10 years or more. Boer meat is in high demand in the US due to its low-fat content and healthful properties. It is equivalent to chicken in caloric value. The Boer goat has the highest dressed weight percentage of any mutton breed. Young Boer meat is tender and flavorful, with sufficient marbling and a pleasing texture. Boers are bred for dominance and carry superior genetic traits for goat ranching. The breed is also used internationally and in the US to improve other goat breeds through aggressive crossbreeding programs. Boer skin produces high-quality leather that is in high demand and can be sold at a premium price for use in shoes, gloves, and books. The Boer goat is commonly a goat with a white body and a red head. Docile, high fertility and a fast growth rate are some of the traits that set the Boer goat apart in the purebred and commercial segments of the American meat goat industry. Mature Does can weigh between 190- 230 pounds and mature Boer bucks can weigh between 200 and 340 pounds. The demand for high quality, lean, healthy red meat is the one of the underlining forces behind the development of the American meat goat industry. With an eager base of ethnic consumers, the demand for goat meat continues to grow in the United States each year. The importation of goat meat into the United States is estimated over 30 million dollars annually. View the Anatomy of the Boer goat below. Anatomy of a Boer goat buck. Anatomy of a Boer goat doe. Characteristics and Anatomy of the Boer Goat The Boer goat is a standout breed with many characteristics that contribute to its profitability and value in agriculture. Registration and Standards Related Posts & Updates Jun 11, 2026 Judges Educational Clinic Provides Hands-On Learning Opportunity at National Show Members attending the 2026 National Show had the opportunity to attend an educational clinic led by ABGA Certified Judges Olivia Rush, Patrick Aliff, and Corey Billups. Throughout the session, participants worked directly with live animals while engaging in discussions on breed standards, structure, and cull faults. The judges walked attendees through the ABGA breed standards and how the decision-making process used when evaluating animals. The interactive format allowed members to ask... Read More Apr 8, 2026 Fullblood Herd Book Modernization Proposal This proposal modernizes the Fullblood Herd Book by establishing automatic Fullblood recognition for any ABGA registered Boer goat with documented genetics of 99.5% or higher. Read More Mar 31, 2025 Native on Appearance Program: Expanding Opportunity for ABGA Members Register Boer does with no pedigree through ABGA’s new Native on Appearance program. Read More May 19, 2023 How to Tattoo Your Goat ABGA Member Dawn Foster of No Step Ranch in Sterling City, Texas takes us through the steps on how to tattoo your goat. Read More Mar 17, 2023 ABGA Broadens Horizons with Wether Incentive Program Ahead of National Show Discover the Boer Goat Advantage (BGA) program by the American Boer Goat Association, offering cash prizes and incentives for wether goat breeders at national and regional shows! Read More

​Goat meat has grown in popularity in the US thanks to ethnic markets which center their goat consumption around religious holidays. Holiday Goat Meat Marketing Calendar Goat meat has grown in popularity in the US thanks to ethnic markets which center their goat consumption around religious holidays. Holiday Religion 2025 2026 2027 Chinese New Year Jan 29 Feb 17 Feb 6 Eid ul-Adha - Festival of the Sacrifice Muslim June 6 - 7 May 27 - 30 May 16 - 19 Muharramm/Hajra - Islamic New Year Muslim June 26 - 27 June 16 June 5 Mawlid al-Nabi - Prophet's Birthday Muslim Sept 4 - 5 Aug 25 Aug 14 Ramadan - Month of Fasting Muslim Feb 28 - Mar 29 Feb 17 - Mar 18 Feb 7 - Mar 8 Eid ul-Fitr - Festival of Fast Breaking Muslim Mar 30 - 31 March 19 - 20 March 9 - 10 Pesch (Passover) Jewish April 12 - 20 April 1 - 9 April 21 - 29 Rosh Hashanah Jewish Sept 22 - 24 Sep 11 - 13 Oct 1 - 3 Chanukkah Jewish Dec 14 - 22 Dec 4 - 12 Dec 24 - Jan1 Western (Roman) Easter Christian April 4 April 5 March 28 Easter Orthodox (Greek) Easter Christian April 20 April 12 May 2 Christmas (Western) Christian Dec 25 Dec 25 Dec 25 Epiphany, Feast of the Nativity Christian Jan 6 Jan 6 Jan 6 Many goat producers have succeeded in targeting various ethnic markets by planning their production and breeding schedules around specific religious holidays. The traditions of these holidays vary widely between different religious belief systems and can affect the preferred size, weight, sex, and harvesting method of the animals usually consumed. The holiday calendar below is a great resource for producers to plan the breeding and sale of specific animal groups for slaughter at auction or directly to the consumer. Dependent on the number of days within each religious year, the actual timing of these holidays may shift from year to year. Here’s a guide to the preferred size, weight, sexes, and animals preferred at each holiday (courtesy of Ohio State University and Cornell University ). Christian Holidays Western/Roman Easter: Preferred: Milk-fed goat kids weighing 20-40 lbs Acceptable: Milk-fed goat kids weighing 40-50 lbs Less Acceptable: Milk-fed kids weighing less than 20 lbs Eastern/Greek (Orthodox) Easter: Preferred: Milk-fed goat kids weighing 25-50 lbs Christmas: Preferred: Milk-fed goat kids weighing 50 lbs and under Islamic Holidays Eid ul Adha – The Festival of Sacrifice: Preferred: Unblemished yearling goat kids weighing 60-80 lbs Acceptable: Unblemished yearling goat kids weighing 60-100 lbs Muharram – Islamic New Year: Preferred: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 60 lbs Acceptable: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 40-120 lbs Acceptable: unblemished older animals No preference is given to intact or castrated male kids Ramadan: Preferred: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 60 lbs Acceptable: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 40-120 lbs Acceptable: unblemished older animals No preference is given to intact or castrated male kids Eid al Fitr – The Breaking of the Ramadan Fast: Preferred: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 60 lbs Acceptable: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 40-120 lbs Acceptable: unblemished older animals No preference is given to intact or castrated male kids Jewish Holidays Chanukah: Preferred: Young milk-fed goat kids Strategic Goat Production: Aligning Breeding with Ethnic Market Demands and Religious Holidays Optimize goat production for ethnic markets by aligning breeding with religious holidays for better sales and consumer targeting. Meat and Marketing Related Posts & Updates Jun 11, 2026 Japanese Delegation Visits the 2026 ABGA National Show The 2026 ABGA National Show welcomed a distinguished international delegation from Japan, highlighting growing interest in American Boer Goat genetics and the potential for future export opportunities between the United States and Japan. The five-member delegation traveled to Grand Island, Nebraska, to learn more about the American Boer Goat industry, meet with breeders and industry leaders, and evaluate the quality of genetics currently being produced in the United States. The delegation... Read More Oct 4, 2025 USDA Quarterly Grass Fed Lamb and Goat Report View the USDA National Quarterly Grass Fed Lamb and Goat Report. Read More Sep 2, 2022 Goat From Farm to Table With the growing popularity of Caribbean and Indian cuisine in America, goat meat is finding its way into many more recipes. Read More May 13, 2022 Nutrition of Meat Goats Nutrition of Meat Goats. A study by Dr. David Fernandez and Dr. Chelsey Ann Ahrens of University of Arkansas. Read More

Find Your People. Make Life Elyte. There are a few memories in a person’s life that never fade. Moments are fleeting and feelings can dull with time, but I know I will never forget sitting ringside at the 2025 National Show next to all of my friends, in a room so quiet I could literally hear my own heartbeat, as the numbers in the Senior Showmanship class slowly dwindled. The judges had worked their way to the top five. They motioned for fifth and fourth to fall into line. Then they made their third-place decision and turned their attention to the final two showmen. What felt like an hour passed as they studied, talked, and compared. Finally, one of the judges stepped toward the two girls, held up a number two… and then held up a number one in the direction of my friend Olivia, a number one. And we absolutely lost our minds. Our group of friends was screaming with pure glee. Some of us were jumping up and down. A few of us were crying real, happy tears. It wasn’t just excitement, it was pride. It was watching someone we love accomplish a goal she had been working toward for a very long time. It was seeing late nights, early mornings, setbacks, and perseverance all come together in one unforgettable moment. That moment of pure joy and love, all for our friend, reminded me of something so important: success may look individual, but it is almost always built by a community. That is why one of the most important choices you will ever make, in the show ring, in JABGA, and in life, is choosing who you surround yourself with. Finding your people. The ones who stand by you, believe in you, and inspire you to be better. Those people can truly make you unstoppable. Finding your people doesn’t mean finding the biggest, coolest group or the loudest crowd (although if you’ve met my sister, you may not think that’s entirely true). It doesn’t mean surrounding yourself with people just because they are popular or successful. Finding your people means finding the ones who genuinely want to see you grow and succeed. The ones who tell you the truth, even when it’s hard. The ones who celebrate your wins like they are their own and sit beside you when things get tough. Your people are the ones who remind you who you are when you start to forget. They see potential in you before you see it in yourself. They push you to raise your standards higher and higher. Sometimes growth feels uncomfortable. Sometimes being pushed feels frustrating. But the right people don’t push you to tear you down–they push you because they believe in what you are capable of becoming. The people around you have an incredible amount of influence over your mindset, your attitude, and your confidence. When you surround yourself with people who work hard, set goals, show up even on the tough days, smile in the small moments, and laugh every chance they get, that energy becomes contagious. In the livestock industry, it is easy to think of showing as an individual sport. You walk into the ring alone. But anyone who has ever been part of this industry knows that nothing about it is truly individual. It takes families who sacrifice time and money. It takes friends who wash goats in fifteen-degree weather at 4:30 in the morning. It takes friends who answer late-night phone calls, early-morning texts, and way too many FaceTime calls. It takes barn families who celebrate your wins and remind you that you’re still capable after a loss. Behind every exhibitor is a team. That team is what makes this industry special. It is what makes JABGA special. We compete against each other, but we also cheer for each other. We want to win, but we also want our friends to win. We understand the work it takes to get there, and because of that, we respect each other’s journeys. Being unstoppable doesn’t mean you never struggle. It doesn’t mean you never fail. It doesn’t mean everything always goes your way. Being unstoppable means that when you fall, you have people who help you get back up. It means that when you feel discouraged, someone reminds you why you started. It means that when you start to doubt yourself, someone else believes enough for both of you. I know I wouldn’t be half the person I am without my friends and show family. They make the hard days easier, in and out of the barn. They make the wins sweeter and the losses easier to handle. They push me to be better, and they never — and I mean never — fail to put a smile on my face or laughter in my heart. So to my people: Brian, Addy, Lyndsay, Jason, Handley, Haelynn, Mandy, Nathan, Addie, Debbie, Missy, Matt, Olivia, and so many more to count, thank you. I am forever grateful to call you my friends. Thank you for being my biggest supporters, my loudest cheerleaders, and my constant reminders of what is possible. Find your people. Hold onto them. Be there for them. Grow with them. Because when you do, your life becomes elyte . Related Posts

The JABGA Junior Ambassador Program empowers members ages 10–15 to build leadership, confidence, and networking skills through mentorship, event involvement, and peer collaboration. Apply between April 17–May 15 to be one of 10 selected youth leaders! Junior Ambassador Program Launch The JABGA Junior Ambassador Program empowers members ages 10–15 to build leadership, confidence, and networking skills through mentorship, event involvement, and peer collaboration. Apply between April 17–May 15 to be one of 10 selected youth leaders! Purpose: The Junior Ambassador Program is designed to empower young JABGA members by fostering leadership development and enhancing networking skills. This program aims to provide a supportive environment where participants can build confidence, collaborate with peers, and engage with mentors to grow both personally and professionally. Through hands-on experiences, association involvement, and guided mentorship, the Junior Ambassador Program seeks to inspire the next generation of JABGA leaders to take initiative, communicate effectively, and cultivate meaningful connections that will benefit them throughout their lives. Age Requirement: JABGA members ages 10 -15 as of January 1st of the current year Application and selection process: The application process will open April 17 and close May 15 Applications will be evaluated in a blind selection by the JABGA Board of Directors. 10 Junior Ambassadors will be selected, 2 per JABGA area. In the case that 2 applications are not submitted in a specific area, a third applicant may be selected from the remaining areas. Selected applicants will be announced at the JABGA Awards Ceremony during the National Show. Guidelines for the program: Junior ambassadors will assist in the organization of activities at Regional and National Shows, as well as additional educational events. Junior Ambassadors will also aid in developing JABGA Social Media content. Tele-meetings will be held monthly with two JABGA Board of Directors presiding. Write an essay no less than 300 words. Essay question: You're sitting with a group of your friends telling them how you're gone most weekends with your goats. What do you tell them to help them understand how important it is to you and possibly motivate them to join the JABGA? Apply now! Related Posts

Finding a mentor in a new program, like JABGA, provides guidance, builds experience, and fosters shared passion to achieve your goals. Being a Mentor by Logan Hollen Finding a mentor in a new program, like JABGA, provides guidance, builds experience, and fosters shared passion to achieve your goals. When joining any program or association it can be easy to feel as though you are always one step behind. Everyone already has a routine and a set way of doing their selected tasks. How can you find yourself within a new program or association? From my own experience I would say that finding a mentor can be very beneficial. I have had the pleasure of growing up in the Junior American Boer Goat Association atmosphere and while growing up in this association I have met so many people who have kept me focused and on track to meet my goals. By having these teachers in my life, I have reached many of my set goals but more importantly I have created a strong and set path that helped me reach those goals. With a mentor you are not only learning but experiencing what they have gone through in the past and present. This alone gives you more experience to then build a stronger program of your own. I have had the opportunity to be a mentor myself while working on the JABGA board of directors. It has been a wonderful experience getting to meet so many young individuals that have fallen in love with the same association that I fell in love with many years ago. At the end of the day, we all have the same goals and passion and by being a mentor you can give the experience to help others reach those goals pushed by their own passion. So, the next time you find yourself needing a guide or looking for a push in the right direction just remember that this association is filled with people who want to see you succeed! Logan Hollen JABGA Vice President Area 3 Related Posts Oct 18, 2024 Maintaining Breed Integrity The Reasons Behind the Breed Standards by Jada Young Apr 2, 2022 Confidence and Eye Contact "When going into any showmanship class the most important thing you want to do is have confidence," says JABGA Vice President Logan Hollen. Mar 30, 2022 What is Agriculture? Read what JABGA Vice President, Logan Hollen, wrote about agriculture for National Agriculture Week.

Back to All Ambassadors 2022 Don Smith

Back to All Ambassadors 2015 John & Jackie Edwards Preston Faris

Lexi Bingham Hi, my name is Lexi Bingham, and I am a 16-year-old from Collbran, Colorado. I am currently serving as your Treasurer for the Junior American Boer Goat Association (JABGA). I have been showing and raising Boer goats for nine years and have been actively involved in JABGA for the past eight years. I currently attend Plateau Valley High School, where I plan to graduate early during my junior year in 2027. After graduation, I plan to continue growing my graphic design business while expanding my Boer goat breeding program. I am actively involved in both 4-H and FFA. Through 4-H, I show market goats and, in previous years, showed my service dog, Chief. Throughout my years in 4-H, I have held several leadership positions, including club Treasurer and President, where I developed valuable leadership, communication, and organizational skills. In FFA, my Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) focuses on my goat breeding operation. I raise both registered Boer goats and wetherbred goats that I market to 4-H and FFA exhibitors across the region. My goal is to provide high-quality livestock while helping younger exhibitors succeed in the show ring. Through my SAE, I have learned the importance of animal husbandry, genetics, record keeping, marketing, and customer service. Outside of agriculture, I enjoy creating graphics and promotional materials through my graphic design business, quilting for friends and family, reading, and spending time with my family and friends. Whether I'm in the barn, designing for clients, or volunteering through agricultural organizations, I strive to make a positive impact and continue learning every day.