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If you give a man a goat…
Posted By katie allison granju
I’ve goven money to the very worthwhile Heifer International in the past, but I had no idea they were helping folks right here in Southern Appalachia.
Christy Smith’s family land in Southeast Kentucky supports chickens and goats they got for free. The family has named the animals, but they are not really pets.
Christy Smith explained they, “use them as meat so we don’t have to buy the high meat right now, and they help us with gas prices because they eat the grass so we don’t have to cut as much.”
The community is more than 20 miles of curvy mountain roads from the closest town. There are some small convenience stores between towns, but customers pay a premium for food there.
So the Red Bird Farmers Project provides free livestock, garden seeds, and training for families like the Smiths. It encourages sustainable farming in rural Bell, Leslie, and Clay counties.
A key part of the program is called Pass It On. Families give away some of their goats’ offspring and also pass on their knowledge.
“You get to share your information and what you’ve learned with other families and help them learn and grow,” said Smith.
Expanding the resources of the project beyond the initial family participants is important to the growth of the project.
“Families can come to their farm that’s already established and they can show them the pitfalls, what not to do, how to approach things and how to get off on the right foot so it’s really a community network, ” said Tracy Nolan with Red Bird Mission.
She said a grant from Heifer International will support the program for three-and-a-half years.
“It’s going to provide money for experts to come talk about goats and cattle and greenhouses and farmers’ markets,” said Nolan.
Selling extra eggs, meat, and vegetables at farmers’ markets is a possibility for project participants. So is getting milk, cheese, and wool from the goats.
Jul 4th, 2008
