California Ag Network

Category: Non-Video

  • New Olive Oil Commission of California Chairman

    Brady Whitlow of Corto Olive Company was elected by the OOCC Board to serve as its new Chairman. Whitlow formerly served as the OOCC’s Secretary/Treasurer and he replaces Jeff Colombini, Lodi Farming Company, who has served as Chairman since the OOCC’s inception in 2014. Colombini will continue to serve on the Board and Executive Committee as the Board’s Treasurer/Secretary. Meanwhile, Adam Englehardt, of Boundary Bend Olives/Cobram Estate, will serve as the Board’s Vice Chairman.

    Remaining open seats on the OOCC Board were also filled with Joe Kidd, Executive Vice President of Operations at California Olive Ranch appointed to serve as the District 1 Handler representative and Deborah Rogers, McEvoy Ranch, appointed as the alternate Producer member in District 2.

    Handler representatives in District 2 were also appointed with Ciriaco Chavez, Boundary Bend Olives/Cobram Estates serving as the member and Jim Etters, Seka Hills Olive Mill, as the alternate member.

  • Master Milling Certificate Course September 23-25, 2019

    The Master Milling Certificate Course has helped hundreds of olive oil processors produce better oil more efficiently. A survey of attendees’ found that 90 percent of respondents believed that the course material would boost their quality or efficiency by more than five percent, and 72 percent said that the course was “very likely” to lead to higher profitability.

    The course will be led by Leandro Ravetti, among the world’s top experts in olive oil processing, growing, and standards. As executive director of Australia’s Boundary Bend Limited, Leandro has helped guide the company to rapid growth, optimum efficiency, and top awards at international olive oil competitions. The company’s success is guided by innovation, data, and analysis to maximize oil production efficiency and quality.

    The course will also include a field trip to three olive oil processors.

    This course is a small investment that will pay off in more efficiency, better quality, and higher profits.

    What’s included

    • Three days of expert instruction

    • Field-trip transportation.

    • Breakfast pastries, lunch, and beverages featuring local and seasonal ingredients from one of the region’s best caterers.

    • Booklet with presentation slides in note-taking format.

    • Flash drive with presentation slides and supplemental materials.

    Reviews

    “Overall I found the course to be absolutely wonderful. All of the presenters were knowledgeable, shared information freely and were good presenters. Leandro was especially fantastic. His knowledge on the subject matter is staggering and he is a pleasure to listen to.”

    “Great course! I really liked the detailed look from start to finish in the processing. I also liked the hands-on look at the processing and the first-hand view of different processors during the field trip. This trip was invaluable to me – I learned so much!”

    “This was a wonderful experience, our minds are full of new ideas, tips to apply, errors not to make!”

    “One value of the course is the peer-to-peer networking!”

    Registration

    The three-day course will be held on the UC Davis campus in the Silverado Vineyard Sensory Theater at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.

    $875 until July 15, 2019

    $1,075 after July 15, 2019

    Cancellations: 100% credit for future course if cancelled prior to June 15, 2019; 50% credit if cancelled prior to July 15, 2019; no credit after July 15, 2019.

    IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE THE USA: Please enter CA in the State Field. 95616 in the Zip Code Field and 555-555-5555 in the Telephone Field. You can enter your state/province, country, postal code and phone number in the supplemental fields provided. Once you submit the registration information  you will be redirected to a secure credit card site where you will be able to enter your credit card information with the correct address.

    Instructors

    Leandro Ravettigraduated as an Agricultural Engineer in Argentina. He worked for the National Institute of Agricultural Technology in olive production research and advised many of the country’s largest olive developments from 1995 until he moved to Australia in 2001. Leandro has also studied and worked as an invited researcher at the Olive Growing Research Institute of Perugia, Italy and at different Governmental Olive Institutes in Andalusia, Spain where he completed a postgraduate degree on olive growing. In Australia, Leandro leads the Modern Olives technical team, which provides horticultural and olive specific technical advice to most of the largest olive groves and olive oil processing plants in the country. Leandro has also been involved as adviser, researcher and invited speaker in most other new olive industries such as New Zealand, Japan, Peru, South Africa, Chile and USA. Leandro has been Executive Director of Boundary Bend Limited, Australia’s leading fully integrated olive company since 2005. As part of his role with Boundary Bend, Leandro has overseen the production of multi award winning oils for the company’s flagship brand, Cobram Estate, including a large number of gold medals, best in class and best in show trophies in national and international competitions such as New York, Los Angeles, Olive Japan, Australian Olive Association, etc.

    Dan Flynnis executive director of the UC Davis Olive Center, which he has guided to international leadership in olive research and education. Dan also oversees the production of UC Davis Olive Oil and other olive products that help support the center. He served 16 years as a legislative and policy consultant in the California State Legislature and also managed a small farm prior to coming to UC Davis. He has a M.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University. Based on his achievements with the Olive Center, Dan has received top staff awards from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the chancellor of the university.

    Selina Wang, PhD, is an extension specialist in the Department of Food Science and Technology and research director of the UC Davis Olive Center. Dr. Wang also is the leader of the UC Davis Olive Oil Laboratory, which provides research and analysis of olive oil and table olives. As research director, Dr. Wang has developed more than 60 research projects in table olives and olive oil. Dr. Wang is pursuing additional innovative research that seeks to deliver faster, better and cheaper methods for analyzing olive oil quality and authenticity.

    Hotel Reservation

    Hyatt Place UC Davis

    173 Old Davis Rd, Davis, CA 95616

    (530) 756-9500

    Booking link: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/california/hyatt-place-uc-davis/smfzu?corp_id=G-U271

     

    Hallmark Inn at UC Davis

    110 F Street, Davis, CA 95616

    Booking link: https://www.myhotelreservation.net/b/hasmfinn/HASMFINN/?i=WHPROMO5A&rac=*NP05$

  • J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines Winemaker Kristen Barnhisel Confirmed as ASEV President for 2019-2020

    Kristen Barnhisel, winemaker for white wines at J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, has been named 2019-2020 president of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV). She succeeds John Thorngate, vice president of operations technical services at Constellation Brands. In her new role, Barnhisel will lead ASEV’s 12-member board.  “I am pleased to serve with leaders in viticulture and enology as president of the ASEV board.  My goals are to continue to elevate ASEV as the leading organization promoting research and technical advances in enology and viticulture.  I look forward to guiding the exchange of technical information at our conferences to improve grape-growing and winemaking quality and production, as well as mentoring the next generation,” says Barnhisel.

    The daughter of a microbiologist mother, who worked for Simi Winery, and a father who was a home winemaker, Barnhisel has over two decades of viticulture and winemaking experience on three continents-Italy, South Africa and the United States. After earning her master’s degree in enology from UC Davis, Barnhisel worked at Columbia Crest in Washington. After two years, she moved back to California to hold positions as assistant winemaker at Jordan Vineyard & Winery and at Belvedere Winery, and later at Handley Cellars, where she was co-winemaker with founder Milla Handley. She then took a position as the quality control manager with Inglenook, where she oversaw quality control for Rubicon, Inglenook’s flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as the winery’s top white wine.

    Barnhisel joined J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines as winemaker, white wines in 2015, where she has earned a reputation for her commitment to research and experimentation, and for the exceptional quality of her wines. She has been an ASEV member since 2005 and has been an active participant with ASEV since 2012, serving as chair for the scholarship and best student presentation committees, member of the membership committee, industry seminars organizing committee, and co-organizer for the ASEV Annual Meeting Fun Run (2001 -2006).  She’s currently a member of the American Vineyard Foundation Enology Proposal Review Committee and Women for WineSense. She also served as a member of the Napa Valley Wine Technical Group and Sonoma County Wine Technical Group. She has served as a moderator for the Pinot Noir session at the 2012 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium and presented her research at a smoke taint seminar at the University of California, Davis in 2009.

    ASEV also confirmed Anna Katharine Mansfield, associate professor of enology at Cornell’s NYSAES in Geneva, NY, and James Osborne, associate professor, enology extension specialist at Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR, as new board directors.

    In addition to Kristen Barnhisel, the board’s Executive Committee for 2019-2020 includes: Patty Skinkis, associate professor at Oregon State University, Corvallis, first vice president; Tom Collins, assistant professor at the Wine Science Center, Washington State University, Tri-Cities, second vice president; and Merilark Padgett-Johnson of the Natural Resources Department at Santa Rosa Junior College, California, secretary-treasurer. Continuing on with their board positions are Markus Keller, professor and Chateau Ste. Michelle distinguished professor in viticulture at Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Prosser, WA, continues as the ASEV science editor and James Harbertson, associate professor of enology at the Wine Science Center, Washington State University, Tri-Cities, as the technical program director. Additional ASEV directors include: Torey Arvik, chief science officer of Sonomaceuticals/Whole Vine Products, St. Helena, CA; Michelle Moyer, associate professor, extension viticulturist, Washington State University, Prosser, WA; Anita Oberholster, assistant cooperative extension specialist, from the University of California, Davis; and R. Keith Striegler, grower outreach specialist of E. & J. Gallo Winery, California. For a full board list, go to http://asev.org/board-directors-staff.

    Formed in 1950 as a professional society dedicated to the interests of enologists, viticulturists and others in the fields of wine and grape research and production, ASEV’s membership of approximately 2,000 includes professionals from wineries, vineyards and academic institutions and organizations from around the world. In addition to publishing the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture (AJEV) and the Catalyst: Discovery into Practice, the Society also hosts its National Conference, which will be a joint 71st ASEV National Conference and 45th ASEV Eastern Section Annual Meeting, scheduled for June 15-18, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. ASEV co-hosts the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium with the California Association for Winegrape Growers(CAWG), which will be held at Cal Expo on February 4-6, 2020. For more information, visit www.asev.org>.

     

  • Ryan Junio Receives 2019 Young Jersey Breeder Award

    Ryan Junio, Pixley, Calif., received one of six Young Jersey Breeder Awards given by the American Jersey Cattle Association in ceremonies June 28, 2019, during the association’s 151st Annual Meeting in Canton, Ohio.

    The Young Jersey Breeder Award is presented to individuals or couples who are at least 28 years old and under the age of 40 on January 1 of the year nominated, who merit recognition for their expertise in dairy farming, breeding Jersey cattle, participation in programs of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc., and leadership in Jersey and other dairy and agriculture organizations.

    Junio has been involved with Jerseys since he was 13 years old. Today he manages Four J Jerseys with his family. They own over 6,000 Registered Jersey cows and heifers and have an actual 2018 rolling herd average of 18,819 lbs. milk, 919 lbs. fat and 700 lbs. protein.

    Genomic testing has been a key tool in helping Junio reach his goals as a breeder. In 2018, a homebred Four J heifer was the high seller at the Arethusa Avonlea Summer Splash II sale at $92,000. Other accomplishments include having had 135 Hall of Fame lactations and over 124 of the animals currently ranked among the top 1.5% for GJPI. Over 1,900 cows in the herd are scored Excellent or Very Good.

    In 2017 Junio received the California Young Jersey Breeder Award. He also served as a delegate for Select Sires last year.

     

  • Brent Wickstrom Receives 2019 Young Jersey Breeder Award

    Brent Wickstrom, Hilmar, California, received one of six Young Jersey Breeder Awards given by the American Jersey Cattle Association in ceremonies June 28, 2019, during the association’s 151st Annual Meeting in Canton, Ohio.

    The Young Jersey Breeder Award is presented to individuals or couples who are at least 28 years old and under the age of 40 on January 1 of the year nominated, who merit recognition for their expertise in dairy farming, breeding Jersey cattle, participation in programs of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc., and leadership in Jersey and other dairy and agriculture organizations.

    Wickstrom is the third generation to operate Wickstrom Dairy Farm alongside his father and grandfather. He manages the reproductive and mating decisions with an emphasis on high production and components with a long productive life and high reproductive efficiency. They have a current actual rolling herd average of 19,043 lbs. milk, 939 lbs. fat and 729 lbs. protein on 2,403 milking cows.

    Under Wickstrom’s guidance, the herd began an IVF program in 2014 with the goal to improve GJPI using embryos from the highest genetic value animals based on genomic merit. Since then they’ve done about 1,000 embryo transfers each year. They have also established an IVF collection center on-site at the dairy and hold oocyte collections every other week. The animals created via IVF average +250PTAM, +12PTAF and +10PTAP higher than their natural conception herdmates.

    A graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Wickstrom earned his degree in dairy science with a minor in ag business and crop science. During his college career, he was active with Los Lecheros Dairy Club and Dairy Challenge. He is a sire committee member of Jerseyland Sires and in 2018 received the California Jersey Association Young Jersey Breeder Award.

    The American Jersey Cattle Association was organized in 1868 to improve and promote the Jersey breed. Since 1957, National All-Jersey Inc. has served Jersey owners by promoting the increased production and sale of Jersey milk and milk products.

     

  • 2019 California Almond Forecast Down 3.5 Percent

    The California Almond Objective Measurement Report, published today by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service – Pacific Regional Office (NASS/PRO), estimates that the 2019 crop will be 2.20 billion pounds, down 3.5% from the 2018 crop production of 2.28 billion pounds. The California Almond Objective Measurement Report is the official industry crop estimate.

    This year’s Objective Report projects an almond crop down 12% from the May 2019 California Almond Subjective Forecast of 2.5 billion pounds. The Objective Report collects data later in the growing season, closer to harvest, and is based on an actual count of nuts on the trees versus phone interviews with farmers, the method used for the Subjective Forecast.

    According to the Objective Report, the average nut set per tree is 4,667, down 17.8% from the 2018 almond crop. The Nonpareil average nut set per tree is 4,429, down 10.1% from last year’s set. The average kernel weight for all varieties sampled was 1.54 grams, unchanged from the 2018 average weight.

    “While the industry experienced less than ideal weather conditions this spring, California remains the best place in the world to grow almonds,” said Holly A. King, Kern County almond farmer and Chair of the Almond Board of California (ABC) Board of Directors. “As leaders in California agriculture and producers of 82 percent of the world’s almonds, we have made a public commitment to grow almonds in better, safer and healthier ways, protecting our communities and the environment. We feel a great sense of obligation to responsibly produce a healthy food accessible to people around the world.”

    Last year, the Almond Board of California’s Board of Directors announced the Almond Orchard 2025 Goals to focus on areas that define the California almond industry’s journey towards continuous improvement and commitment to sustainability.

    The amount of almond coproducts – hulls, shells and woody biomass – correlates with crop size, and the California almond industry is more committed than ever to finding new uses for these valuable products. In fact, achieving zero waste in California almond orchards by putting everything the industry grows to optimal use is one of the four goals established by the Board of Directors. The Almond Board is committed to finding high-value uses for almond coproducts that support California by creating a genuine bioeconomy where every coproduct is an input for another valuable product. ABC will continue to fund research to investigate how components of almond hulls and shells can be transformed to provide increased value for farmers as well as other industries such as food, pharmaceuticals and automotive.

    “California almond farmers produce the vast majority of the world’s almonds, and for every pound of kernels there are nearly three pounds of hulls and shells. With size comes great responsibility and the resources to continue to meet steadily growing demand for almonds and fund research into ways to grow almonds more sustainably,” said Richard Waycott, ABC president and CEO. “Our vision is to make life better by what we grow and how we grow.”

    Since 1973, almond farmers and processors have invested $80 million in research through the Almond Board. These funds have propelled the industry to make significant advancements in the areas of water, nutrient management, air quality, honey bee health and more, increasing farming efficiencies while minimizing environmental impacts.

     

     

     

    SAMPLING PROCEDURES

    To determine tree set, nuts are counted along a path within a randomly selected tree. Work begins at the trunk and progresses to the end of the terminal branch. Using a random number table, one branch is selected at each forking to continue the path. A branch’s probability of selection is directly proportional to its cross-sectional area. This methodology is used because of its statistical efficiency. The method also makes it possible to end up at any one of the tree’s numerous terminal branches.

    Since the selected path has a probability of selection associated with it, this probability is used to expand nut counts arriving at an estimated set for the entire tree.

    Along intermediate stages (i.e., the bearing surface between forkings), every fifth nut is picked. All nuts on the terminal branch are picked. These nuts are used to determine size and weight measurements.

    FIELD SAMPLING ACTIVITIES

    The survey began May 30 and sampling was completed by June 27. There were 1,634 trees sampled for the 2019 survey in 817 orchards. Additional orchards were not sampled for one of the following reasons:

    1) Orchard had been sprayed.

    2) Orchard had been recently irrigated and was wet.

    3) Orchard had been pulled.

    4) Grower would not grant permission or could not be contacted.

    The Objective Measurement Survey is funded by the Almond Board of California.

    DATA RELIABILITY

    The 80 percent confidence interval is from 2,050 million meat pounds to 2,350 million meat pounds. This means that the results of our sampling procedures will encompass the true mean 80 percent of the time.

     

  • California Crop Weather Report (WEEK ENDING: June 30, 2019)

    WEATHER

    Temperature highs ranged from the high 50s to mid 80s in the mountains, mid 60s to mid 90s along the coast, mid 70s to high 90s in the valley, and mid 80s to low 110s in the desert.  Temperature lows ranged from the mid 30s to high 50s in the mountains, mid 40s to high 50s along the coast, mid 40s to mid 80s in the desert, and mid low 50s to high 70s in the valley.

     

    FIELD CROPS

    In the Sacramento Valley, winter wheat harvest continued and rice continued to progress well. Safflower started to bloom and sunflowers continued to be planted. Safflower progressed well and sorghum was planted in Kings County. Cutting of alfalfa continued. In Tulare County, corn, cotton, and safflower progressed well. Wheat and oats continued to be harvested. Silage crops were being cut. Blackeye peas progressed well in Kings County.

     

    FRUIT CROPS

    Nutrient sprays and pesticides, herbicides and fungicides were applied to orchards and vineyards. Stone fruit orchards were irrigated. Apricots, peaches, plums, pluots, and nectarines were harvested.Cherry harvest drew to a close. Late season stone fruit were hand thinned. Reflective sheets were laid between rows to promote color development. Olives continued to mature. Grapes were growing well as fruit thinning activities continued. Mechanical vineyard maintenance continued. Mandarins, lemons, grapefruit and Valencia and Navel oranges were packed for export and domestic markets. Citrus groves were thinned, topped and skirted. Some citrus groves were pushed out in preparation for new plantings.

     

    NUT CROPS

    Orchards continued to be irrigated. Almonds, walnuts, and pistachios were developing well. Sunburn protective sprays were applied to some walnut groves. Young nut orchard floors were mowed.

     

    VEGETABLE CROPS

    In Tulare County, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes continued to be harvested andeggplant progressed well. Tomato, cucumber, and zucchini harvests continued in the Sacramento Valley. Cherry tomatoes progressed well and will be harvested soon.

    LIVESTOCK

    Foothill rangeland and non-irrigated pasture remained in fair to good condition. Sheep grazed in fallow fields. Some cattle were moved to better range as lower elevation grasses and watering holes dried. Bees were active in melon and sunflower fields.

  • Sonoma County Winegrowers Share Early Outlook on 2019 Harvest Crop Expected

    SANTA ROSA, Calif. (July 2, 2019) – As Sonoma County Winegrape Growers close in on its goal of reaching 100% sustainability this year, there is an awful lot to celebrate.

    Foremost, despite record rainfall amounts, early reports indicate the fruit set was good throughout Sonoma County though harvest will be running two to three weeks later than last year. Next, Sonoma County Winegrowers is closing in on its sustainability goal. And, just in time to celebrate, wine consumers can begin purchasing the first wines bearing the new Sonoma County sustainably grown logos.

    “Mother Nature again showed us this winter she can be large and in charge,” said Karissa Kruse, president of Sonoma County Winegrowers. She added, “After last year’s big crop, it now looks like we will experience average yields, but it is still too early to be sure.”

    The grapes appear to be taking their time to develop and ripen following a cool, wet spring. Late rains brought some initial worry about the impact on bloom, but early reports indicate the crop is in good shape though harvest is likely to be pushed back later.

    Russian River Valley

    Sonoma County’s commitment to sustainability marks another huge milestone this summer as the Francis Ford Coppola Winery is releasing some of their Director’s Cut wines with the new Sonoma County sustainably grown labels. This follows the recent release of sustainable wines from Cline Cellar’s and Ferrari-Carano which also bear the new sustainability label. The label went through extensive consumer testing and proprietary research to measure effectiveness. After several revisions, the brand was finalized. Brand guidelines were developed and adopted before the TTB-approved label was made available to qualified Sonoma County growers and winemakers.

    “This is such an exciting time for our growers, for lovers of Sonoma County wines and for our community,” said Kruse. She added, “As we near becoming the nation’s first 100% sustainable wine region, consumers now have a chance to show their support for sustainability and purchase Sonoma County sustainable grown wine. It is pretty amazing to think how far we have come in just the last five years!”

    Here is an early look at the various regions in Sonoma County:

    Russian River Valley:

    Despite floods throughout the Russian River Valley, quality looks to be good. Though still too early to fully assess, it does appear that the size of the crop will be close to average. The late spring and early summer temperatures have warmed but have not been overly hot. Harvest is expected to be delayed at least two weeks than last year and it is expected to last until Thanksgiving.

    Sonoma Valley:

    Rain, rain, rain was the common theme in Sonoma Valley. While it is still too early to determine crop size, one current challenge is large canopy growth and vine vigor which has resulted in crews having to re-sucker the vines in some places. Harvest may not begin until after Labor Day.

    Dry Creek Valley:

    The cold spring delayed development in the Dry Creek Valley. On average, the bud break for Chardonnay was about two weeks later than last year and the bud break for reds was about a week behind 2018. All signs indicate a late August start of harvest in Dry Creek Valley.

    Alexander Valley:

    Much the same as elsewhere in the County: late rains, condensed growing season and late bud break. Heat has yet to be a problem. Harvest likely not to start until September 1.

    Throughout Sonoma County:

    Fortunately, most everywhere the record rains came right when the flowers showed up and not later which has helped minimize any shatter issues. Given the wet spring and cool weather during bloom, the fruit set is varied but looks good throughout the County with average numbers of clusters per vine.

  • CAWG Seeks State Support for Wine & Viticulture Research at Legislative Hearing

    The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) requested state support for critical wine and viticulture research during today’s joint hearing of the Senate Select Committee on California’s Wine Industry and the Assembly Select Committee on Wine. The hearing – titled “Cultivating the Next Generation of Wine Industry Leaders and Emerging Markets in California” – covered the state of wine education and research, as well as emerging markets and appellations.

    Tony Stephen, chief sales officer for Scheid Family Wines in Monterey County, testified on behalf of CAWG about the value of and need for wine and viticulture research. Stephen is chair of the board of directors for the American Vineyard Foundation and the National Grape Research Alliance.

    “We must step up our investment in research if we want to secure the future of California winegrowing and the communities that depend upon our industry,” Stephen stated in his testimony. “For this reason, CAWG is proposing a public investment in a wine industry research endowment to ensure the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of California’s winegrape growers and wineries. Prudent investments in vineyard and wine research will deliver significant benefits to all Californians.”

    CAWG Director of Government Relations Michael Miller said, “With threats from climate change, increased wildfires, a declining workforce, global trade tensions and new invasive pests, the need for increased research is tremendous. A public-private research endowment will greatly augment the millions of dollars that are already invested by the industry.”

  • USDA Study on Goats in California

    SACRAMENTO – Starting in July, USDA will be asking goat producers to participate in the 2019 National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Study. Throughout California and the U.S., goat producers that take part in the study will identify practices and health measures that promote efficient production and improve product quality. Gary Keough, USDA NASS Director for the Pacific Region, explained, “The Goat 2019 Study will gather health and management data on America’s goat farms, providing critical information for the advancement of the industry. The results will impact all aspects of
    the goat industry, including meat, dairy, and fiber.”

    In cooperation with NAHMS, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) representatives will meet with a sample of goat operations in 24 states, including California, from July through mid- August. Goat producers will have the opportunity to receive free biological testing for up to 15 of their goats when they fully participate in the study.

    Summary results will be published on the NAHMS website in informational sheets and in-depth reports on important goat health and management practices available to producers. By law, individual responses are kept strictly confidential and published as aggregated totals for regional and national estimates. This year’s study marks the second time NAHMS has focused on goat operations.