Alaminos Goat Farm: “There’s no show like the Agrilink
August8, 2010
Agrilink is set to feature good farm practices and small ruminants in its show this October 7 to 9, 2010 in the World Trade Center in Manila. This year’s theme of the Agrilink could not have been more in sync with Alaminos Goat Farm’s (AGF) advocacy of promoting their own good husbandry practices in dairy goat farming.
From the time AGF started its goat operations in 2005, AGF has always believed in the importance of both GOOD NUTRITION and GOOD GENETICS towards successful goat dairying. Good farm practices are necessary in nurturing healthy small ruminants such as the goats in Alaminos Goat Farm.
A
s a Magsasaka Siyentista of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), AGF owner Art Almeda is actively involved in a couple of initiatives driven towards the development of goat dairying in the Philippines such as the small farm research giving focus to nutrition in the care of its Saanen Dairy Goats and the on-going Science and Technology Based Farm (STBF) Milk Recording Project which began in September 2009.
Experience gained in AGF Salad garden small farm research indicates that feeding legumes and forage grass such as indigofera, centrosema, and 45-day napier grass, in addition to concentrate feeds increase milk production of its Saanen Goats. This is reflected in the daily milk records from the STBF project which showthat AGF's milking line has produced an average of 2.42 Liters of milk per day for the past 270 days. Moreover through the same daily milk records, AGF foresees the potential of its top performing milking goats to produce 3.7 Liters of milk per day. Alaminos Got Farm has set a 305-day lactation period and 2 Liters per day as a benchmark for a successful dairy goat farm here in tropical Philippines. Past experiences of AGF show that the 305-day lactation period is feasible with good husbandry practices.
Seeing the number of agriculture enthusiasts who visit the Agrilink Show every year, AGF is looking forward to sharing its experiences to those interested in this exciting and profitable business. The Agrilink Show is the most cost effective trade show that AGF has joined in the past three years in creating awareness for the goats and value added products produced by AGF.
In its 4th year participating in the Agrilink, AGF plans to showcase the outcome of their good farm practices through its Saanen Dairy Goats, Mitra Line, Alaminos Mitra Saanen Line to Boer Bucks to its Quality Products such as Goats meat, sausages, Milk Star Goats Milk, Goats Cheese and the famous Goat’s Milk Ice Cream.
AgriLink Show 2010 Alaminos Milk Star Seminar Schedule
October 7, 2010 Thursday3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
KambingSAGOaT sa Kahirapan, the Milk Star Experience 3:30 to 3:50
First part will be about genetics; Second will be about nutrition; And the third part will be about marketing to sum up the formula of a profitable goat dairy enterprise. Focus on Indigofera as main legume in the SALAD GARDEN developed at AGF will be presented. The line breeding program for AGF Mitra Line will also be discussed.
Rene Almeda, Consultant, Alaminos Goat Farm
Magsasaka Siyentista, Science Technology based Farm (STBF) of PCARRD
Making The Goats RED 3:50 to 4:20 pm
A pilot project of PCARRD in Region 1, 2, 3, 8 in goat raising called Rural Enterprise Development (RED)Project.The progress of the Upscaling Red Project in Region 1, 2, 3 and 8 will be presented. The implementation of the Rural Enterprise Development project for goats is a bold move to develop the entrepreneurial capabilities of our farmers in the countryside.
Learning about the livelihood opportunities which the RED projects give to make the farmers self reliant. This is the way to go for government and NGO’s implementing corporate social responsibility projects for farmers in the countryside.
The PCARRDRED projectcan be a good blue print for goat development in the Philippines with the farmers in countryside in mind.
Dr. Edwin Villar, Livestock Research Division, Director , Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Developmet, PCARRD
Goat Nutrition , The Central Luzon State University SRC Experience 4:20 to 4:50 pm
The role of nutrition specifically the use of low cost forage grass and legume combination in feeding goats will be presented. The different modules tested at Small Ruminants Center at CLSU with the farmers in mind to be profitable and sustainable in their goat enterprise.
Dr Emilio Cruz, Central Luzon State University, Small Ruminant Center, Director
Artificial Insemination in Goats 4:50 to 5:20 pm
Isabela State Univeristy AI research project in semen collection and preservation sponsored by PCARRD . The success in the use of extenders will be presented by Dr. Jonathan Nayga.
Dr. Jonathan Nayga, Isabela State University
Agnes at WOFEX 2010
THE WOFEX EXPERIENCE
August 7, 2010
Last August 4-7, 2010 Milk Star joined the World Food Expo (WOFEX) at the World Trade Center which featured different food equipment, technology and freebies.Milk Star was one of the dairy products featured in the booth of the National Dairy Authority.
The prospect of joining the WOFEX was great – it was in a known venue; we had four days to promote Goats Milk and dairy goat farming but unfortunately, the outcome of the show was dismal for those traders who were placed outside the main exhibit area. What we learned from joining WOFEX 2010 is that even the right amount of planning and visual presentation becomes insignificant if people do not visit your booth. Location within the event itself is of vital importance especially because there were about a hundred more traders all striving towards the same purpose of catching the attention of the visitors.
Nevertheless, we are grateful to those who stopped by our booth and bought our goats milk as well as goats milk ice cream & goats milk soap. The World Food Expo was definitely a learning experience we will not forget especially the people we met and we talked to. We promise that the next show will even be better and livelier than this!
Don’t forget to visit us in the AgriLink Show in October, okay?In the meantime, drink healthy and love goats milk!
Sizing UP , Future Herdsire ML 22 ( meat type), ML 23 (dairy type,tall and long)
Sizing Up, Future Herdsire Mitra Line Breeding Program
August 8, 2010
To keep our Mitra Line breeding program going, we have selected two outstanding bucklings produced this year. ML22 Clinton and ML 23 Mac will keep the original Mitra Line blood in the line breeding program. They share the same sire AGF Louca Darwyn which makes them perfect candidate as herdsire for our Mitra line breeding program in 2011.
We aim to maintain the outstanding attributes and features of our original Mitra line which ML 23 Mac mirrors. The outstanding weight gain that ML 22 Clinton will bring to the line breeding program is something we are looking forward in his progenies in the future.
Last August 8, ML Clinton weighed 15.9 kilos from a kidding weight of 4.9 kilos on June 30. Its a remarkable 2.82 kilos average daily gain which is exceptional by any standard. ML Clinton would bring a lot of meatiness and fast growth rate to our Mitra Line breeding program.
The infusion of AGF Louca Darwyn in 2007 have added a new dimension to our Mitra Line. It had added showtype features to the line. AGF Louca Darwyn comes from the stud of Louise Chandler. The original bloodline is traced from Killara Ram Stud of Sandy Green, one of the winningest Anglo Nubian stud breeder in Australia.
Reviewing the progress of our Mitra line breeding program, we realized we have the breeding material to bring the program to its successful conclusion. How we blend the meat and dairy characteristics of the Mitra Line would determine how far we will go with our line breeding program. We need time to document the results, to confirm all our observation in the coming years.
Being adapted to the tropical environment and being prolific is something we are proud of with our Mitra Line. We continue to work harder in our Mitra Line breeding program and we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
In two to three years time watch us reach higher heights with the quality of the Mitra Line we will be producing. We start commercial selling by that time, watch for it.
Art Almeda with Monica Verallo, Live on Camera at GMA 7 Unang Hirit
Art Almeda Live on Camera at GMA 7 Unang Hirit
June 19, 2010
GMA 7 Unang Hirit featured Alaminos Goat Farm live early Monday morning. When we granted permission to GMA 7 to do live footages and interview from Alaminos Goat Farm we were in for a surprise.
Counting the trucks and vans no less than 17 vehicles were parked inside the farm when we came at 5:00 AM. The production crew, on camera hosts and their staff were all over the place. All in all we have counted more than 50 persons preparing for the shoot. Never did we imagine that it requires a lot of logistics to do a live coverage on the field.
Art was interviewed by Monica Verallo about milking goats and the pasteurization process. Goat products were also shown.
It was a good day to promote goat dairying and Milk Star live on nationwide TV. When we delivered goat’s milk to our dealer in Los Banos, Laguna I heard an old lady calling Art on first name basis and she said “Art, saw you on Unang Hirit this morning, are you selling yoghurt? “
To GMA Channel 7, Thank You for featuring Alaminos Goat Farm on your Unang Hirit Show it created a lot of awareness and interest in dairy goat farming.
Zac Sarian Introducing AGF Rene Almeda to DA Secretary Procy Alcala at AANI Harvest Festival
An Afternoon with DA Secretary Procy Alcala at AANI Harvest Festival 2010
July 16,2010
Toti and Agnes Almeda led the Milk Star team at the Harvest Festival of AANI at the Quezon Memorial Circle. They were joined by their father Rene Almeda who represented Alaminos Goat Farm.
Farm produce of friends of AANI was displayed. AGF friend and frequent partner in trade shows - Sunshine Chicken owners Dr. Rey and Sandy Itchon were there. They displayed fresh frozen chicken, fresh eggs, day old chicks and chicken sausages.
Secretary of Agriculture Procy Alcala was the guest of honor of the Harvest Festival. It was nice to see Secretary Procy taking time from his very busy schedule to visit the booths at the show to see their display.
Zac Sarian, the famous agricultural editor of the Manila Bulletin introduced Rene Almeda to Secretary Procy Alcala. Rene Almeda made a push for goat dairying in his conversation with Secretary Procy when he visited the Milk Star booth.
Rene invited Secretary Procy Alcala to visit Alaminos Goat Farm to personally witness the successful dairy goat operation in AGF and he promised to visit AGF in the future.
To DA Secretary Procy Alcala, maraming maraming salamat po for tolerating us and listening as we tried to promote goat dairying in your presence. To our friend Zac Sarian, thank you for the very nice introduction to Secretary Procy Alcala and for all the help you have done in helping us promote goat dairying in your column at the Manila Bulletin.
Sa inyong lahat na aming mga kaibigan sa goat dairying, Maraming, Maraming Salamat po.
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Alaminos Goat Farm
Art Almeda Along Maharlika Highway Alaminos, Laguna, PH
0917 500 4294 - 0917 500 1982
