Welcome Goatober!

In order to make cheese, animals on the farm must be producing milk. And to make milk, mothers must be giving birth and having many babies, consistently.

In the case of goat dairies across America, the birth of a male goat creates a dilemma for the farmer: there is no established good market for goat, so male goats are usually sold at birth onto the commodity market where their quality of life significantly diminishes or they are disposed of before their time, thus the reason for No Goat Left Behind.

In 2010 Heritage Foods USA partnered with a dozen goat dairies around upstate New York and Vermont to purchase their unwanted males when they were ready for harvest. The confidence to commit to the purchases came thanks to handshake agreements with over 50 New York City chefs who agreed to feature goat on their menu for the full month of October. (See list below)

Goat is a seasonal meat with mothers giving birth mostly in the spring. Baby goats grow dining on plentiful spring and summer grasses. They are ready for market in the fall. This is why Heritage Foods USA is working to change the 10th month of the year from October to #Goatober!

The brainchild of Heritage Radio Network Executive Director, Erin Fairbanks, and renowned New York cheesemonger, Anne Saxelby, No Goat Left Behind was started to address the growing problem facing New England goat dairies. The project has since developed into a celebration of all goat breeds including meat breeds, with the goal of increasing overall goat consumption in the US. Today, Americans still import most of its goat (and lamb) from New Zealand and Australia.

Goats are environmentally low maintenance and easy to raise. They eat almost anything, are adaptable and smart and usually birth twins. They also make for delicious meat, the foundation for millions of recipes worldwide. As a result, goat is the most widely consumed livestock in the world.

The flavor of goat meat is bright, lean and floral, with a clean and grassy finish. Frozen goat is available year round and fresh goat in October.