2006 - Volume #30, Issue #4, Page #24
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His "Retirement Plan" Tastes Good
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In his 70's, Duvall has 170 acres near Pana, Ill., 104 of which is in pasture and hay. He has 64 acres in CRP. He has a herd of 212 Boer goats which he says are easy to take care of and sell like hotcakes.
Duvall retired from a large glass company and set up a small farm and butchering business in Maryland. He did a land swap to end up in Illinois and started building his herd of goats after realizing there was a strong market for them. Meat goats, especially the Boer breed, have been catching on across the country, with strong demand from immigrants, Muslims, and Jews. Young goats bring in $70 to $90 a head and he sells about 100 head a year. He holds back breeding animals to keep building up his herd.
Duvall says the goats are easy to care for, and easier to handle than cattle. And the income is steady, a nice bonus during his retirement years. He protects the flock with three Great Pyrenees dogs that run with the goats and keep away predators.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Arthur Duvall, 700 North 400 East, Pana, Ill. 62557 (ph 217 539-4516).
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