If you need one more reason to come to the 2025 Affiliate Training & Conference next week, here it is: door prizes!
That’s right. In addition to all the fun, learning, and networking, you’ll have multiple chances to win Goats On The Go® gear. Here’s some of what we’ll be giving away.
Of course, if you want to make it a sure thing, just order what you want directly from the affiliate store.
We’re so excited that Jared Epp will be traveling all the way from Saskatchewan to speak to Goats On The Go® on March 8! Jared takes a unique approach to targeted grazing in Canada, incorporating dogs, horses, insightful rumen management, and thoughtful public engagement into his projects. Here’s his bio:
Jared Epp lives in central Saskatchewan, Canada where he, along with his wife raise a small flock of border cheviot sheep as well as raise and train border collies for stock work. Since 2004, Jared has been shepherding for conservational vegetation management with sheep, goats, and stock dogs in Saskatchewan. As the majority of these projects have been either in urban or rural type settings with public access, an educational interpretive component has been added to the jobs. People of all ages and backgrounds have been eager to observe and learn about the relationship between grasslands, grazing animals, guardian dogs, and stockdogs. During this period of time Jared has had many experiences which have shaped his approach to managing these grazing projects.
Have you registered for the conference yet? You won’t want to miss it!
If you read your GOTG affiliate contract carefully, you know that you are required to attend a separate training for large grazing projects before tackling any that are 10 acres or larger. This is because big projects require a significantly different approach to pricing and logistics, and we want you to be successful!
We make it extremely easy to complete the free 90 minute (give or take) training. You have two options:
Attend the live training by Zoom on March 19 at 7 p.m. Central; or,
Watch the recording of the training any time.
Attending live is obviously the best way to get your questions answered in real time. If you can’t make it you can watch the recorded version any time after it is posted. You’ll need to register to view it, but it’s free.
Put the training on your calendar, and watch for registration details to come.
As always, our annual Affiliate Training & Conference will be the first full weekend of March. Basic Training will be on Friday the 7th, and the Conference will be on Saturday the 8th.
We’re looking for two or three affiliates to present project case studies at the conference on March 8. If you completed an interesting grazing project in 2024, we’d love to hear about it! You’ll have 30 - 40 minutes to tell us the details, including the good and the bad parts. We can all learn from hearing the following:
How did you get the project? What were the initial customer interactions like?
What kind of customer was it?
What unique challenges did the project present? How did you overcome them?
What went well? What went poorly?
What would you change if you could do it all over again?
How much did you charge for the project? Was it profitable?
Affiliates who are selected to present will have their registration fee for the Conference waived, and they’ll have the respect and admiration of their peers!
Interested? Send a description of your project to Margaret (support@GoatsOnTheGo.com) no later than January 31.
Goats On The Go® founder, Aaron Steele, has released a new book!
Goats for Good: Making Goats Profitable for Your Farm, Your Community, and the World is about staying in the goat game for the long term, capitalizing on as many of goats’ unique characteristics and benefits as possible. As an owner of a targeted grazing business, you’re already capturing far more benefit than most goat producers, but you might still feel like your operation is struggling. This book will make you see your operation in a different light, helping you lower costs and increase rewards to make your operation successful.
Goats for Good is currently only available in audio format and you can listen to it in your favorite podcast app. To get a 25% discount exclusively for GOTG affiliates, click the button below or use the code GOTG.
Look at all that vegetation that needs your goats!
A critical date for your Goats On The Go® targeted grazing business is fast approaching! January 15 is important for two reasons:
If you are in the midst of a current contract term, your annual affiliate fee is due by the 15th;
If your affiliate contract ended in 2024, January 15 ends the “in-between period” during which we hold your territory open for you should you want to renew your affiliate contract.
If number 1, above, applies to you, you should have an invoice for the 2025 fee in your email inbox. Please pay it by January 15 to avoid late fees. Remember, even if you choose not to operate your business in 2025, you are still obligated by the contract you signed to pay the 2025 fee.
If number 2 applies to you, you should have an email with a link to a new contract. If you plan to continue with GOTG in 2025, please sign the contract ASAP. We’ll then send you an invoice for your affiliate fee. If you don’t plan to continue in 2025, we’d appreciate a heads-up. Just send Aaron Steele an email (aaron@GoatsOnTheGo.com).
If you’d like more time to think about renewing your contract, please contact Aaron. He would also be happy to talk through the decision with you. Without communication, however, your business may be removed from the Goats On The Go® website and your access to Goats On The Go® resources removed after January 15.
Note that while the Annual Affiliate Training & Conference in early March may feel like the unofficial kick-off to the grazing season, it is NOT the deadline for action on your affiliate fee or contract renewal. Please act by January 15!
Next spring’s Affiliate Training & Conference is set for March 7 and 8 in West Des Moines, Iowa!
More info is to come, of course, but here are a few details to whet your appetite:
Affiliates are required to attend two training events during the term their first affiliate agreement, and every other year thereafter. Attending either or both days of this event will satisfy the requirement.
Friday, March 7 is “Basic Training” that most of you attended when you became an affiliate. It is 100% classroom, and it’s free to attend for any affiliate.
Saturday, March 8 is the Annual Conference which includes case study presentations by fellow affiliates, company news, networking, and presentations by a guest speaker. This year’s speaker is Jerod Epp, a previous guest on the Farm Dog podcast and a large scale targeted grazier from central Saskatchewan, Canada. There will be a registration fee for the conference, but your entire team can attend under one registration.
We’d love for you to put the training and conference on your calendar, and plan to join us in March. Also, we’re on the lookout for affiliates who completed interesting projects in 2024 that they would like to present to their goat grazing colleagues. If you have one in mind, let Aaron know at Aaron@GoatsOnTheGo.com. Presenting affiliates get their registration fee waived!
Most Goats On The Go® affiliates (or their farms) are either limited liability companies (LLCs) or sole proprietorships. A few may be S-Corporations or some other type of business entity.
Generally, it’s a great idea to separate your personal finances from your business finances by registering as an LLC or corporation with your state. LLCs in particular have lots of advantages for small businesses, and they’re easy to set up. Sole proprietorships typically don’t require any registration with your state, but they also don’t provide that separation of business and personal finances.
The Federal Government believes its’ too easy, in fact, to set up LLCs which can be used as shell companies for all sorts of illegal stuff. So, the U.S. Department of the Treasury under the authority of the 2021 Corporate Transparency Act, is now requiring LLCs and corporations to register with the Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Registry. All companies formed after January 1, 2024 must register within 90 days of their formation. All companies formed before January 1, 2024 have until the end of this year to register.
The penalties for not registering on time are stiff, so you’ll want to get on it ASAP. There are rumblings of legal challenges to the new requirement, but most of us can’t afford to wait around to see what happens.
If you have questions, contact your accountant or attorney. Other than calling it to your attention, this is not something that the GOTG staff can provide much help with. If any of you have completed your registration, share your experience on the Affiliate Facebook Group.
We’re so excited to announce Goats On The Go®’s new partnership with Lakeland Farm and Ranch! Lakeland is a manufacturer of livestock handling systems, feeders, gates, and a gazillion other cool things for your farm. They’re famous for their quality and for shipping even the biggest pieces of equipment directly to your door.
Affiliates can now get 5% off all purchases from Lakeland Farm and Ranch! All you have to do is enter GOATSONTHEGO5 when you check out online, or mention that you are a Goats On The Go® affiliate if you order by phone.
We’ve been asked to design a goat/sheep handling system that fits the portable nature of our work, so you’ll see that presented on Lakeland’s website in the near future. In the meantime, we can highly recommend Lakeland’s Aluminum Easy Panels in both 5’ and 8’ lengths. They are so versatile and easy to use. So far, on the Steele farm, they’ve been used to create a creep feeding pen in the shed, load numerous trailers, sort over 500 ewes and lambs, and create a makeshift truck bed hauler for livestock guardian dogs. We’ve also been pleased with the Single Square Bale Feeder for feeding small groups of goats/sheep without much hassle or waste.
If you buy Lakeland equipment, or if you’ve used it in the past, we’d love to hear your feedback!
Some of you are probably just wrapping up your 2024 grazing seasons by now, and others are still going strong. Business details for 2025 are probably the last thing you want to think about right now, so we’ll make this quick.
By November 1 we’ll start rolling out the digital “paperwork” you’ll need to complete in order to continue being a Goats On The Go® affiliate in 2025. Here’s what you can expect:
If 2024 was your first year as an affiliate, all you need to do is pay the invoice we will email to you for the 2nd annual installment of your initial two-year term. Invoices will be due no later than January 15, 2025.
If your current affiliate agreement expires at the end of 2024, we’ll be sending you an email with a link to a renewal agreement. Renewals are for one year at a time by default, but if you’d like to commit to a longer term to lock in today’s pricing for future years, please contact Aaron@GoatsOnTheGo.com. If you choose to renew with Goats On The Go®, we will email you an invoice once you e-sign the new agreement.
If your agreement is up after 2024, and you don’t plan to continue next year, we would appreciate a heads-up. If you’re uncertain and you’d like to talk through it with someone, feel free to reach out to Margaret Chamas (support@GoatsOnTheGo.com) or Peg and Tim Harbaugh (goats@CoxSpringsFarm.com). We’re here to help, and you’ll get no pressure or sales pitch. We promise.
If you’re considering adding an additional territory to operate in next year, contact Aaron@GoatsOnTheGo.com. Remember, affiliates can operate multiple territories with a 10% discount on each additional territory after the first one. And, affiliates only need to commit to additional territories one year at a time.
Thank you for being a GOTG affiliate in 2024. We’ve some great stuff up our sleeves for 2025, and we’d love to have you along for the ride!
We’re always trying to keep the affiliate store full of fresh branded apparel. The most recent additions are sun shirts, both long and short-sleeved, with women’s cuts available. Sun hats, caps, and other lightweight gear abound! Check it out at FarmLaunch.me or by clicking the button.
Usually the “Check this out…” portion of the quarterly Affiliate Notes newsletter is something positive to get excited about. Unfortunately that’s not the case this time.
This study from a grad student at the University of Minnesota is being used by the University in advisory publications to pan the practice of goat grazing for invasive plant management. We’re currently digesting the study, but it appears that the study itself is not so much the problem. The biggest issue seems to be the big leaps taken by “A guide to forest understory revegetation” in referencing the study to justify recommendations against the use of goats that the study doesn’t really support.
We’ve already been contacted by a scientist who is critical of the study, and we may compose a response to address some of the study’s weaknesses. If you’d like to be involved, read the study and the guide and send your feedback to Aaron Steele at aaron@goatsonthego.com.
We’re trying something new! Goats On The Go® will be offering a fresh version of Basic Training for affiliates on September 13-14. Even though all current affiliates have already attended Basic Training, you should think about attending this one. To explain why, check out Aaron Steele’s favorite article format, the FAQ.
Q: Why is GOTG holding a training in the fall?
A: Every summer we hear from lots of people who want to become affiliates, but we tend to lose them when they find out they have to wait until the following March to begin. A fall training gives them the opportunity to get started during the current growing season. An additional training option also gives those affiliates who are behind on their training requirement an opportunity to catch up.
Q: How is the fall training different than the spring training?
A: Because we won’t have to work around Iowa’s unpredictable March weather or our annual one-day conference, the fall training will include a half-day of classroom training and a half-day of hands-on training. That means we’ll be outside actually practicing with portable fencing, and we’ll be working with real, live goats!
Q: What kinds of things will be covered in the hands-on session?
A. We’re planning to practice fence setups in both open and rough terrain, do some electric fence troubleshooting, and address low-stress goat handling, trailer loading, hoof trimming, and a basic introduction to FAMACHA evaluation, plus more!
Q: Why would I want to attend if I’ve already been to the Basic Training?
A: Your affiliate agreement requires you to attend a training event twice during your first two-year term and every-other year thereafter. You can always satisfy that requirement at no cost simply by re-taking the spring Basic Training, but much of it will be a rerun for you. The new format of the fall training should give you a fresh experience and teach you new things. Plus, if Basic Training or the Annual Conference the first weekend of March 2025 comes at a bad time for you, this would be a great substitute.
A final note for those of you who attended your first training in March 2024: many second year affiliates have reported to us that the training had its greatest impact the second time around, after they had a season of business under their belts. You could have that same experience and satisfy the training requirement for the entirety of your first contract term by joining us this fall!
Q: What are the dates of the fall training, and where is it?
A: The fall training is September 13 - 14 in West Des Moines, Iowa. The classroom portion will be on the afternoon of September 13 at West48 (our usual spot). The hands-on session will be held the morning of September 14 at River Heights Ranch in nearby Dallas Center, Iowa (about a 30 minute drive from West48).
Q: Is there a cost to attend?
A: Yes. As you can imagine it’s not cheap to secure two different locations and manage all the logistics of something like this. For existing affiliates the registration fee will be $300. As always, you can bring as many members of your family or team as you like for one registration fee.
Q: How do I register and get more information?
A: Everything you need is on FarmLaunch.me. Please register no later than September 1 if you plan to attend. A special rate has been secured for GOTG affiliates at the nearby Sheraton West Des Moines. Use the link on FarmLaunch.me to make your reservation.
We’re passing the midpoint of the grazing season for many affiliates, so it’s a great time to get together virtually to compare notes. Join us by Zoom at 7 p.m. CST on August 6 for this optional, completely casual meet-up.
We may have a few announcements, but beyond that the direction of the discussion is completely up to you. Bring your questions, observations, and advice for your fellow GOTG affiliates.
Please register for this meetup so we know how many people to expect. Registering will also put the connection information in your email inbox.
See you there!
Are you due to attend a training in 2024, but you missed the annual Affiliate Training & Conference on March 1-2? You’re in luck! We have a couple of brand spankin’ new affiliates who need the Basic Training so we’re going to be holding an additional session on May 6 at West48 in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Even if you’re not required to attend another training, any affiliate is welcome to participate. We have space for about six to eight more attendees. In addition to getting a second shot at stuff you might have missed on the first go ‘round, this training comes with the opportunity to get outside and actually look at some vegetation and practice installing fencing (weather permitting).
If you’re interested, drop Aaron an email at aaron@goatsonthego.com for more details.
Get your summer goat gear!
The affiliate store has new items available as we head into the grazing season. New hats and sun shirts will keep you from burning without greasy sunscreen, and I (Aaron) am particularly excited about the logo sling pack. I’ve taken to using something like it for holding my wallet, keys, phone, ear buds, and a small first aid kit while I move fence and handle goats. All of the these important items are kept close at hand without weighing down my pockets or getting soaked with sweat.
Does it look a little like a purse? Yes. Do I care? I’m a goat guy. I’m immune to ridicule.
Goats On The Go® was recently asked to offer opinions about virtual fencing for some academic research. Said research became a part of an article on Modern Farmer, a well known online publication.
In an effort to clarify the Goats On The Go® brand message and make our affiliate structure less confusing to customers, your listings on GoatsOnTheGo.com and your profile pages will be soon be seeing some changes. These changes will be rolling out over the next several weeks. Here’s what you can expect.
The goal: Help customers find “their affiliate” first by state and then by place. We do this by grouping affiliates together by state, and by listing several recognizable communities that are scattered across each territory to serve as geographic “anchors.” We want customers scrolling through all the affiliates in their state to say, “Oh, that city is near where I live. That must be the affiliate I need to contact.” Then, the customer can click the live-linked name of the people operating the territory to be taken to the affiliate’s profile page for more information.
The change: The anchor community names will remain, but they will be listed below the name of the affiliate territory, which contains the affiliate’s local descriptor. The territory name will now be the thing customers click to link to the affiliate’s profile page. This change emphasizes the GOTG-branded territory and makes it clearer where users should click to take the next step. The names of the people operating each territory will no longer be listed in the state-by-state directory since that information is not helpful to most customers during the early stages of their search. The graphics below to show how the Dubuque Iowa territory operated by Cox Springs Farm (Peg and Tim Harbaugh) looks in the directory before and after the change.
Before
After
Keep in mind: The places listed in the directory listings are not intended to be a comprehensive list of all communities each affiliate serves, but only to provide a quick reference point for the breadth of each territory. We took our best guess at what community names would serve as landmarks in your area, but we don’t have your local knowledge. If you would like different communities listed (usually three and no more than four), contact Olivia at olivia@goatsonthego.com.
The goal: Introduce customers to “their affiliate” and make it convenient for customers to contact them. This is intended to be a more personal step in the process of matching customers to affiliates. The profile page is also an opportunity to help people understand they will be working with a local service provider operating under the GOTG brand, not with an anonymous national company. Finally, the profile page displays a more comprehensive — but still brief — description of the affiliate’s service area, a link to a map showing the boundaries of the service area, and potentially a link to the affiliate’s outside website.
The change: The headline of the profile page will continue to be the GOTG territory name (which includes the local affiliate descriptor). Now, however, the line below the territory name will begin with “Operated by…” Each affiliate may now choose to insert their own name OR the name of their business entity. For example, “Operated by Peg and Tim Harbaugh” or “Operated by Cox Springs Farm, LLC.”
Before
After
Keep in mind: By default we will show your personal name as the operator of your territory. If you would like to use a farm name or business entity name, please contact olivia@goatsonthego.com. However, if you choose to put a snazzy company or farm name on your profile page, that does not mean you can offer your grazing service under that brand instead of GOTG. Your affiliate agreement requires you to only offer targeted grazing services as Goats On The Go®. For the purposes of legal contracts, invoices, and bank accounts Peg and Tim can be “Goats On The Go® Dubuque operated by Cox Springs Farm, LLC,” or “Cox Springs Farm, LLC doing business as Goats On The Go® Dubuque.” But for all marketing, promotions, and public relations related to targeted grazing, affiliates must present themselves as Goats On The Go® followed by their local descriptor (e.g. Goats On The Go® Dubuque). Same goes for links from profile pages to social media accounts or outside websites. If you have a company/farm name or brand, it must ALWAYS be subordinate to the Goats On The Go® brand when targeted grazing services are being offered!!! If you need advice on how and where to draw the line, contact Aaron at aaron@goatsonthego.com.
The goal: Create a website address that helps us organize affiliate profile pages efficiently. You know that extension that hangs off the end of a website address, like, “GoatsOnTheGo.com/harbaugh”? That is a URL slug. In the past we’ve always used the last names of affiliates as the URL slug.
The change: URL slugs will now be individual territory descriptors. So, Peg and Tim Harbaugh’s profile page will no longer be found at GoatsOnTheGo.com/harbaugh. Instead it will be GoatsOnTheGo.com/dubuque. If your territory descriptor is more than one word, it will be compressed with no spaces, dashes, or underscores. For example, Goats On The Go® Cedar Valley’s URL will become GoatsOnTheGo.com/cedarvalley.
Keep in mind: We’re making this change to be territory specific rather than person specific. That way if an affiliate withdraws from GOTG and a new one takes over the territory, there will be some continuity both internally and for our customers. This is also why we don’t allow business or farm names to be the URL slug. It’s worth noting that potential customers are unlikely to type in an entire URL into their internet search engines to find you anyway. Rather, they will simply type “Goats On The Go” or “goats go dubuque” or “go goats iowa,” all of produce search results with GOTG at the top of the list! Therefore, we recommend against trying to get your customers to memorize your URL and slug. It’s a losing battle. Instead, rely on the search engine optimization (SEO) we’re doing for you in the background!
We’re working to reformat and standardize a few other things on the website as well. In several places on the website customers will now be presented with the statement, “Service may be extended to other locations in the region on a case-by-case basis.” This will encourage customers to reach out to nearby affiliates even if their properties fall outside the boundaries of every affiliate territory on the map (remember, affiliates must get authorization from Aaron before pursuing out-of-territory leads).
We’re also working hard to update our SEO settings, which will impact how each affiliates’ listings appear to customers in Internet search results. This should help more customers find their particular affiliate without necessarily landing on the GoatsOnTheGo.com home page first.
Questions? Some of this is pretty technical, so don’t hesitate to reach out to aaron@goatsonthego.com with questions. If you’d rather just ignore these details, you can rest assured that everything we do is intended to make you more recognizable and findable as a Goats On The Go@ targeted grazing operator!
If you’ve never taken large project training before, and you’d like to be eligible to do projects that are 10 acres in size or larger, plan to tune in to one of our upcoming Zoom calls on April 10 or April 29 at 7 p.m. Central.
Attendance is optional, but it is required before pursuing large targeted grazing projects. The training will take no more than 90 minutes. There is no charge to attend, but please register for either of the sessions using the following buttons.
Large projects logistics and pricing are quite different than projects under 10 acres. Here’s what the training will cover:
Herd size and grazing speed;
Risks unique to large projects;
Pricing and profitability considerations unique to large projects;
Labor inputs;
Paddock planning;
Loading and transportation with a large herd.
And more! See you there!
Did you know that Bill Costanzo, livestock guardian dog researcher at Texas A&M, is the guest speaker at the Goats On The Go® Affiliate Conference on Saturday, March 2? Did you also know that Bill has been featured several times on Farm Dog, a podcast hosted by GOTG’s Aaron Steele?
If you’d like a primer on the kind of research Bill has been doing, check out episodes 8, 37, 60, and 61 of the podcast by clicking the button below (or by searching “Farm Dog” on your favorite podcast app). Take notes and jot down your questions so you can get them answered, live and in person, on Saturday!
