The Boer Goat: Magazine of the American Boer Goat Association
Profile updated November 2026
The Boer Goat magazine is the breed publication of the American Boer Goat Association (ABGA), the San Angelo, Texas, registry founded in 1993 for the South African meat goat breed that transformed American goat production. Published in print and digital editions, it reaches more than 7,000 readers each issue.
| Publisher | American Boer Goat Association |
|---|---|
| Association founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Norman Kohls, first elected president |
| Address | 4258 S. Jackson St., San Angelo, Texas 76903 |
| Readership | More than 7,000 readers per issue |
| Format | Seasonal print and digital issues, plus an e-newsletter |
| Official website | ABGA.org |
History of The Boer Goat
The American Boer Goat Association was formed in 1993, when a group of Boer goat importers decided the fast-growing breed needed a registry. Norman Kohls was chosen to lead it and became its first elected president. Boer goats, developed in South Africa for meat production, quickly became the dominant meat goat breed in the United States.
The association grew rapidly, reporting more than 9,000 members in 2021, and its magazine grew with it. Issues archived online show The Boer Goat appearing in bimonthly editions in the mid-2010s, such as May/June 2014, before settling into seasonal issues such as Fall 2019, Winter 2020, Summer 2023 and Winter 2023-24.
The magazine has long been paired with an e-newsletter that handles fast-moving association business, from herd book rules and fee changes to board meetings and show sanctioning.
The Boer Goat Today
The Boer Goat is published in print and digital form, with back issues on Issuu and aFlip. ABGA's public relations manager, Allison Moore, is the contact for both advertising and editorial questions, and advertisers work from an editorial calendar available from the office.
The association's e-newsletter covers herd book categories (Fullblood, American Purebred and American Percentage), judges certification courses at Tarleton State University, ennoblements and Doe of Excellence awards, and the ABGA and Junior ABGA National Shows, such as the 2023 nationals at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.
What The Boer Goat Is Publishing Now
Breed and registry
Herd book rules, percentage calculations, registrations and ennoblements.
Shows and youth
National and sanctioned show results, JABGA junior programs and judges certification.
Production
Goat care and management, meat goat marketing and commercial production workshops.
The Boer Goat Editors and Staff
ABGA staff and leaders connected with the magazine include:
- Allison Moore - Public Relations Manager, advertising and editorial contact
- Norman Kohls - Founder and first elected president
- Ken Baty - Board President (2022-2023)
ABGA lists editor@abga.org as the address for magazine advertising and editorial questions.
Who Reads The Boer Goat
Readers are registered Boer goat breeders, commercial meat goat producers, 4-H and FFA exhibitors and their families, and show judges. Meat goats are a growing niche in U.S. livestock, and USDA NASS Quick Stats and the Census of Agriculture publish state-level goat inventories for producers tracking the sector.
The Boer Goat magazine readers spend weekends at shows calculating percentages and keeping show wethers from eating the trailer. For a break, farm.FM offers farm satire and farm humor in a deadpan rural voice, plus ranch humor for the Texas Hill Country crowd. Its farm jokes are one of the few things a goat has not yet tried to eat.
For context, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site and the home of Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Its contributors each keep an archive, and this one is a good sampler of ranch humor and farm jokes.
The Boer Goat Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- ABGA: Magazine and media - The Boer Goat magazine and e-newsletter.
- ABGA: What agriculture and ABGA mean to our founder - Norman Kohls and the 1993 founding.
- ABGA: The Boer Goat August 2022 newsletter - an example of association news.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - goat inventory statistics by state.
- USDA NASS: Census of Agriculture - national farm and livestock data.
The Boer Goat FAQ
Who publishes The Boer Goat magazine?
The American Boer Goat Association, based in San Angelo, Texas.
When was ABGA founded?
In 1993, with Norman Kohls as its first elected president.
How many people read The Boer Goat?
ABGA says the magazine reaches more than 7,000 readers each issue.
How do I advertise in The Boer Goat?
Contact ABGA's public relations manager, Allison Moore, at editor@abga.org.
For the breeders and youth exhibitors behind America's meat goat herd, The Boer Goat magazine is the association's showcase.