More than 90 percent of Kentucky’s goat inventory in 2006 was made up of meat goats, with an increase of more than 6,000 meat goats since 2002, according to the latest Kentucky Agricultural Statistics report. An upcoming workshop series hosted by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service aims to inform Eastern Kentucky goat producers about industry advances and changes and also find ways to market their animals.Extension specialists and agents in the 35 counties that make up Extension Districts 1 and 2 are combining efforts to offer workshops on Feb. 13, March 10 and March 17.The Feb. 13 Laurel County workshop will begin with dinner at 6 p.m., followed by information about advances and changes in Kentucky meat goat production recommendations, including nutritional strategies and goat health issues. The location is the Laurel County Extension Office, 200 County Extension Road in London. Contact Laurel County Extension Agent Glenn Williams at 606-864-4167 or gwilliam@uky.edu to register or for more information.The March 10 Rowan County meeting at Morehead State University Farm will focus on methods of marketing meat goats to Kentucky’s Hispanic consumers. University of Kentucky Extension Associate for Goat Management Terry Hutchins said the topic is especially important because the 2000 census showed 10 percent of the U.S. population was born in a foreign country where goat meat commonly is consumed. Those foreign-born citizens are contributing to a huge demand for goat meat in the United States, and Kentucky is no exception. The workshop begins at 9 a.m., includes lunch and concludes after a final presentation at 3:30 p.m. The farm is located at 275 MSU Farm Dr. in, Morehead. For more information or to register, contact Rowan County Cooperative Extension Agent Robert Marsh at 606-784-5457 or e-mail rmarsh@uky.edu.The March 17 workshop at the Boyd County Extension office will focus on advances and changes in Kentucky meat goat economics, outlook and production. The meeting will convene at 9 a.m. and conclude after the 3 p.m. presentation. The office is located at 2420 Center St. in Catlettsburg. For more information or to register, contact Boyd County Extension Agent Lyndall Harned at 606-739-5184 or e-mail lharned@uky.edu.All three workshops are hosted by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and Kentucky State University and sponsored by Alltech Feed Additives in Nicholasville; Caudill Seed Company in Louisville and Morehead; and Community Trust Bank in Williamsburg.Participating meat goat associations include Buffalo Trace Meat Goat Association, South East Kentucky Goat Producers Association and the Eastern Kentucky Hills Goat Association.