Spring MMGGA Graded Sale: April 3rd at Manchester Livestock Market Please call in the numbers and weights of your goats in to
Doug Brooks at 734-428-8352 by Friday March 31, 2006.

Association Up Date

To bring everyone up to date, the SARE's grant went in on time and looked good. I need to thank every one who read, edited, and reread the grant proposal. We should hear something late March early April (hopefully by the meeting). I have placed the SARE grant proposal in the website so everyone can check it out. Note that there is a request for two van trips, one to the Detroit area to look at retail markets and one to the Kentucky/Tennessee to look at the marketing going on down there.

I have been working with the MSU Product Center, and have been working on some other grant proposals for MMGGA. The MSU Product Center has come up with a few interesting options and some things we should to be thinking about for the future. We will discuss these options at the April meeting.

I'm getting a lot of interest to list our members, so if you would like to be listed on the MMGGA web site, free for members, please e-mail me your:

PLEASE HELP: In April we will need to choose Board members, please sent in nominations, and we will also take names from the floor. There will be 3 -2year terms and 2-3year terms. So we will need 5 people willing to help out. Board members need to paid up on their dues, be willing to met 4 times a year (a couple of those meetings can be by e-mail or conference calls) and help out at one or two functions. We have a lot of potential in this association and with the grant possibilities this should be a really great next year or two!

MMGGA members were interested in a Spring Project Kid Sale, having some sort of event/auction for 4-H and other youth to pick out fair kids to show. Unfortunately MMGGA did not have the funds to host an event like this in 2006. I would like to keep this idea cooking and see if we couldn't plan it for 2007. In order for this to be a success every member will need to do a little leg work. I would like to ask everyone to compile a list of 4-H and FFA club/ leaders in your county or area that show goats. Then we can send a survey to the leaders to share with their clubs to see what their needs are, and we would have a very good mailing list to work off from.

I urge everyone to get their 2006 MMGGA Dues in. I am working on a CD full of Farm Business plans, forms, articles, and work shop information to be free with 2006 MMGGA membership, they can be picked up at the meeting in April. Web site has been updated check it out. http://web1.msue.msu.edu/eaton/michiganmeatgoatassociation.htm

Take Care and good luck with those babies!!!

Kim

Calendar of Events

March 11- Goat Day during ANR week at Michigan State. www.canr.msu.edu/anrweek/ This will be held in Anthony Hall (Shaw Lane and Farm Lane). The MMGGA will have a table.

March 17 - 18- 2006 Michigan Family Farms Conference at the McCamly Plaza Hotel in Battle Creek on. www.miffs.org I will be talking about meat goats

March 25- State 4-H Goat Expo at Anthony Hall MSU. For more information contact your MSU Extension office or call 517-432-7604.

April 3rd -MMGGA Grade Goat Sale, Manchester Livestock Market call Doug Brooks at 734-428-8352

April 8- MMGGA Meeting & Workshop, 1:30 pm at the MSU Pavilion, East Lansing MI., call/email to register

July 17-26 Ag Expo, Need people to help with the booth, MSU E. Lansing

Membership form. Dues: $25.00 per family 
2006 Dues 
MMGGA C/O Kim Walton
4303 E Center Road
Hastings, MI. 49058

Name (s):_______________________________________________________
Address:________________________________________________________
City/State:__________________________________________Zip:_________
Phone:	_______________________e-mail:**________________________
Membership dues:                  $25.00 Family
April 8th Meeting $5.00  x ______ =____________                                                                  
                   Total enclosed $____________
Date received:_________ Check # ________   
** Please write your e-mail address very clearly        
 
MMGGA C/O
Kim Walton
4303 E. Center Rd
Hastings, MI 49058