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Vermont producers push small-ruminant growth but warn of processing and market bottlenecks
Summary
Representatives of the Vermont Sheep and Goat Association told the Senate Agriculture Committee that goat and sheep dairies and meat producers are growing in Vermont but face limited slaughter, hide and wool processing capacity and tight margins.
Mark Rogers, owner of MKVT Farm in Glover and president of the Vermont Sheep and Goat Association, told the Senate Committee on Agriculture that small ruminant dairies and meat operations are expanding in the Northeast Kingdom but face processing and market constraints.
Rogers said the state’s shrinking bovine dairy sector creates openings for goats and sheep to “backfill some of the small farms and homesteads vacated by dairy cattle,” noting demand for sheep milk and goat milk and milk products. “Small ruminants will help us meet Vermont goals for food production,” he said, adding that grazing by sheep and goats provides environmental benefits including carbon sequestration.
The Vermont producer warned the committee that processing capacity is a critical bottleneck. He said his local processor in Glover will not process lambs and that a regional processor announced it would not take lambs in October and November. Rogers said current costs run about $175 to process a lamb, while the total value of some animals is under $500, making margins thin. He also said hides and wool require out‑of‑state processing and that wool currently has “little value.”
Rogers described his background as a retired dairy farmer, a contract auditor for a certification group called A Greener World, and a certified animal welfare officer; he said those roles inform his emphasis on animal welfare, farm economics and environmental practices. He told senators some farms have successfully built markets for artisan and specialty milks and cited a long‑running sheep‑milk dairy in the southern part of the state as an example.
Committee members and Rogers discussed whether former bovine dairymen can transition to goat or sheep dairying; Rogers said many skills are transferable but cautioned that “not everybody is cut out to be a sheep or goat farmer.” He urged the legislature and industry partners to work on processing capacity, market development for wool and hides, and other steps to increase value capture for producers.
The presentation was given during the Northeast Kingdom (NEK) Day testimony before the Senate Agriculture Committee; no formal votes or actions were taken during this segment.
