S. Schoenian1 and C. Fritz
1Area Agent, Sheep and Goats, University of Maryland Cooperative Extension, Western Maryland Research & Education Center, Keedysville, MD 21756
According to the UCLA Internet Project, 71 percent of Americans used the Internet in 2002. Seventy percent ranked the Internet as their most important Goat Species: Educational Resources and Field Experiences to Enhance and Promote Goat Production and Management J. Anim. Sci. Vol. 83, Suppl. 1/J. Dairy Sci. Vol. 88, Suppl. 1 361 source of information. The 2002 Census of Agriculture showed that 50 percent of farmers have Internet access. The Maryland Small Ruminant Page (sheepandgoat.com) was created in 1998 as an information portal for sheep and goat producers. In addition to containing a comprehensive library of links organized by subject matter, the web site highlights Maryland Extension programs and contains original newsletters, fact sheets, and images. One hundred percent of the respondents to a 2003 online survey (n=35) indicated that they found information on the Maryland Small Ruminant Page that helped them manage their sheep and goat enterprises; 95 percent of respondents credited the web page with saving them money or increasing their profits. The Maryland Sheep & Goat Directory (www.smallfarmsuccess.info/sheepandgoat.cfm) was created in 2003 to help sheep and goat producers sell their breeding and slaughter stock and other products and to help buyers locate the same. Many producers have credited the directory for helping them to make sales. Sheepgoatmarketing.info is being developed as a national resource for sheep and goat marketing. It replaces sheepgoatmarketing.org created by the Northeast Sheep & Goat Marketing program at Cornell University. The new site will maintain its focus on the ethnic/religious markets for sheep and goats. The Maryland Sheep & Goat Directory will be merged with the producer directory of sheepgoatmarketing.info to create a national database of sheep and goat producers. Sheep101.info debuted in 2004 as a user-friendly resource for 4-H and FFA members, students, teachers, and beginning shepherds. The site uses simple language and images to illustrate the various topics and is updated regularly with new information and pages. Information contained on the sheep101 web site has been used by 4-H clubs and in classes for beginning shepherds. These four web sites serve different needs and target audiences, but share a common goal of expanding the reach of the Maryland Small Ruminant Extension Program.
This abstract was presented at the Joint
Annual meeting of the American Societies of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Cincinatti,
Ohio, July 2005.
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