Contact Us

About

Who are we?

Mission

The Canadian Meat Goat Association supports the development of a profitable meat goat industry in Canada by providing animal registration, industry promotion and education for the membership.

Vision

A long term profitable Canadian meat goat industry where meat, dairy, and fibre interests work together locally, provincially, and nationally for the growth and development of the meat goat industry.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Association is the establishment of Breeding standards, the keeping of pedigree records and the carrying out of a credible system of registration for Boer and Kiko goats in Canada.

Further purposes of the Association shall be:

  • to improve Boer and Kiko goat genetics by identifying superior performance
  • to promote Boer and Kiko goats as a long term, stable source of income in a diversified farming and ranching economy
  • to encourage the improvement of meat goats in general
  • to enhance consumer demand for chevon (goat meat) at the retail level

Team

The CMGA Board of Directors is made up of seven individuals, all CMGA members, elected by all the members of the association via mail ballot, to represent the entire membership.

The CMGA can also count on a General Manager (GM) to see to the current affairs of the organization. The GM acts under the control and with the approval of the Board of Directors.

General Manager

Catherine Michaud, agr.

Board of Directors

President

Becky Vissers

2460, Conc. Rd 7

Bowmanville, ON L1C 5V9

Tel (905) 260-1776
dozenrosesfarm@yahoo.com

Vice-President

Sarah James

12501 Hwy 7
Carleton Place, ON K7C 0C5

Tel (613) 451-2042
jamesboergoats@live.ca

Treasurer

Jasmin Bautz

PO Box 54
Middle Lake, SK S0K 2X0

Tel (306) 231-4728
countrylogranch@gmail.com

Secretary

Ruth Ryckman

3599 Siberia Rd

Combermere, ON K0J 1L0

Tel (705) 653-2478

ryckman19@gmail.com

Brianna Miller

1816, Morrison Rd
Cambridge, ON N1R 5S2

Tel (226) 600-9644
pendragonkikos@gmail.com

Ashley Priest

2944, Hwy 26

Minesing, ON L9X 0B4

Tel (705) 321-2397
priestboergoats@gmail.com

Rick Pattrerson

6564, Olde Dr.

Appin, ON N0L 1A0

Tel (519) 777-1281

clearview.boer.goats@gmail.com

Bylaws

The Bylaws of the Canadian Meat Goat Association are establishing the association’s management structure, procedures, and dispute resolution processes. It serves as an operating manual for the organisation and is developed by its board of directors and members.

Strategic planning

Strategic planning helps organisations set goals for the future and determine how best to achieve them. It is necessary to determine the direction of an organisation. It focuses efforts and ensures that everyone is working towards a common goal.

Annual reports

Consult annual reports and conference proceedings.

How it all started

In 1992, an enterprising group of Canadian entrepreneurs was instrumental in the importation of Boer goat embryos into Canada from New Zealand and France, and later directly from South Africa. On November 27, 1993, the Canadian Boer Goat Association was formed through an ad hoc process involving 7 charter members. On October 10, 1995, this Association was officially incorporated by Agriculture Canada under the Animal Pedigree Act, with official by-law approval coming on January 3, 1996. This approval provided sole authority as the only association approved to register Boer and Boer cross goats in Canada.

The newly incorporated association, which had begun its registration process under the Canadian Livestock Records Corporation (CLRC), moved to Canadian Beef Improvement Inc., and eventually began self-registry out of the Association office in Glenwood, AB, Canada. From the very incorporation of the Association, the requirement was put in place for mandatory DNA sampling on every purebred registration. The purpose of this was to build a data bank of DNA from which a program of random parentage verification testing could be based. Presently, random testing is done on 1% of all purebred Boer registrations submitted and on 10% of Kiko purebred females registered. 100% of all purebred Kiko bucks registered are tested for parentage. At that time, the Canadian Boer Goat Association was the only Boer goat association in the world to have such a program. This program was designed to maintain the integrity of Canadian Boer and Kiko goat pedigrees.

The first CBGA-sponsored Boer Goat Sale was held in November of 1998 in connection with the Boer Goat Show at the Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, SK. Sanctioned shows with Canadian Boer Goat approved judges were started in 1999 with the first in July 1999 at Yorkton, SK. The Association has a judges training program to develop Canadian judges across the country.
In 2001, the Association office was relocated to eastern Ontario, and bilingual services became available to Francophone producers. Since then, the Association has been working hard to offer all of its written materials, including the quarterly Canadian Meat Goat Journal and the web site, in both official languages.

In 2004, the membership of the CBGA voted to change its name to the Canadian Meat Goat Association (CMGA) and to expand its mandate to the broader meat goat industry in Canada. Since then, the Association has been developing educational and marketing tools for both commercial meat goat and purebred seed stock producers. Other CMGA activities are: a youth program, a goat herd improvement program, a type evaluation (classification) program, and representation at agricultural events across the country. The Association’s Annual General Meeting is held early in the calendar year.

In 2009, the Association office was relocated to Saskatchewan, and the Canadian Livestock Records Corporation (CLRC) in Ottawa was contracted to process registrations and memberships. In February 2016, CMGA joined the Livestock Alliance and the office was relocated to Guelph, Ontario. Veal Farmers of Ontario, Ontario Goat and the Canadian Goat Society were the other partners in the Alliance. At the end of 2017, the CMGA and the Alliance decided to separate by mutual agreement. The office was relocated to Quebec.

The Association owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the early pioneers of the Boer goat industry in Canada. Untold hours of volunteer labor and expense were donated to establish an organization and structure upon which to build the future industry. To this day, the Association depends on the commitment of its volunteer Board and committee members, who keep its many programs running.

Become a CMGA member

Join the Canadian Meat Goat Association and be involved in paving the way for the future of the Meat Goat Industry.