Friday, August 8, 2014

Missouri State Fair Show

It is with great disappointment that I announce that there will not be a sanctioned Kinder Goat show at the Missouri State Fair this year.
 

Lack of interest, exhibitors and volunteer help make it impossible to continue the long tradition of showing Kinders at this fair. Past breeders and show-goers worked very hard to make the show possible and to keep it going for years... with so many Kinder owner and breeders still in the area, it is incredibly disheartening to see that come to an end.

If we want the Kinder breed to continue to grow, we all need to take part in its success. It is my sincere hope that new owners and breeders will start to consider ways to promote their goats and farms in their own communities. Don't know where to start? Here are a few ideas:

Begin the process of creating sanctioned Kinder Goat shows in your own community. Putting on a show takes hard work and dedication, but they are great fun and a wonderful way to meet other Kinder owners in your area! This year, Kinders are showing in at least three county fairs in two different states (Montana and Wisconsin). By next year we plan to have three new sanctioned shows in the Midwest, and there are talks of having another on the west coast.  

Volunteer at local events! For the last two years, there has been a Kinder booth at the west coast Mother Earth News Fair that garners a great deal of attention including articles and photos in newspapers and magazines. Having a booth at this fair is a great deal of work for those that do it, but the exposure has been priceless for all of us.

Create a local Kinder/ goat group - work with your neighbors to create buck shares, herd health days, milk test groups, etc. Community members are a great resource, and shared knowledge and experience can be invaluable!  

Write articles! Submitting articles and photos for publication in magazines is a great way for our Kinders to gain exposure. Just make sure that the information you include is correct and factual, so that we don't accidentally misrepresent ourselves.

Finally.... volunteer!!! The Association is ALWAYS in need of volunteers and fresh ideas. I'll be posting a "help wanted" list separately... please consider volunteering - the success of our Association depends on it.


Friday, August 1, 2014

Join the KGBA Board!

Do you love Kinders and have time and passion to invest in our association? If so, we want you!!!

The KGBA nominating committee is currently accepting volunteers and recommendations for the annual September election.  Any person holding an individual membership effective as of March 1st is eligible to be a candidate or recommend another for a position.

Thinking about running? Please consider your decision carefully - becoming a board member is a wonderful way to help our Association grow and improve and we want all the help we can get, but it takes time and commitment to make things happen! Directors serve without compensation. The elected term is 1-3 years, with directors spending an average of 5-10 hours a month managing the affairs of the association.

Board members attend monthly board meetings via conference call, take part in various committees and work to promote the Kinder goat in accordance to our bylaws. Specific descriptions of each position can be found at www.kindergoatbreeders.com/bylaws.html

If you would like to volunteer or nominate someone else for a position, please contact a member of the nominating committee via email prior to August 8th. Please consider submitting a half-page bio (to included with ballots) when you express your interest in becoming a candidate. The 2014 Nominating Committee is comprised of the following people:

Sue Beck – sue@jabeck.com

Carla Durham - carlacoxdurham@gmail.com

Janet Rekow - JanRekow@gmail.com



We look forward to hearing from you!