These dang websites tied to the goat industry are amazing. It astounds me how many people read this blog that is packed full of so much worthwhile information. I commonly get asked how we came up with this idea. Here’s your answer.
In the early 2000s, an ag teacher named Tommy Milligan, started a website called oklahomashowpigs.com. With some promotion and the addition of a message board to stir up conversation, this site quickly grew into a staple of the okie show pig industry and then expanded to all show pig enthusiasts. Tommy and his lovely bride Julie, were both very technology savvy.
In 2004, another ex-ag teacher named Barclay Holt, was sitting on the sidelines, watching this goat deal take off in Oklahoma. He had a brilliant idea (for once). He contacted Milligan and found out how to buy a domain and build a website. This would be his best move since conning his lovely bride, Camille, into marrying him. Barclay hired a kid to build the site and thus the birth of oklahomashowgoats.com. He got the site up and running and was adding some breeders pages, etc.
In the fall of 2005, a guy contacted me about oklahomashowgoats.com. He wanted to buy a website that was related to this goat explosion. I said, “Yep. I know the owner. I’ll call him.” I called Barclay and asked if he wanted to sell it. He said he would have to think about it. A few hours later, he called me back and asked if it was for Kela? I said “No, but why?” He said, “If it’s for Kela, with your contacts in the goat world, that would be a cool project for a kid. I would sell it to her.” I told him that I would ask Kela and get back with him. He said, “Let me know by this weekend.” Okie dokie!
Later that night, I told Kela about it. She was a freshman in high school. We discussed it. I told her she had the money and it could be a good learning experience. She wanted to think about it. I told her Barclay needed to know by this weekend. As it is common in an ag teacher’s schedule, my week was busy. I took kids to the State OFU speech contest that Saturday. I got home and was sitting on the couch with Tammy and Kela. Duke was probably somewhere nearby eating a crayon. It suddenly hit me that it was the weekend and we hadn’t done anything with Barclay. I looked at Kela and said, “We need to decide about that website deal with Barclay and let him know.” She looked at me and said, “I did.” I asked, “What did you decide?” She said, “I bought it.” “Really? Hhmm. When are you paying him?” I already wrote the check and Mom’s mailing it to him on Monday.” Well, I guess that takes care of that.
Barclay brought all of the software, passwords and other crap that goes along with a website. She contacted the Milligan’s and asked for help. Of course, they were willing to help a kid. They became her mentors and helped her over the next few years. Kela contacted a few feed companies and immediately recouped her investment. Breeders were contacted and the site began to grow. But then, a new updated message board was added. This was when the site exploded. Between Fred Slater, Milligan and myself, there was always some kind of crap to read. Throw in some Brett from Tibet, Ishmael from Israel and of course, BOB and there was some fodder. Unfortunately, I was the contact for people pissed about something somebody else wrote on the message board. It always seemed like it was purebred people fighting amongst each other.
As Barclay had predicted, it was an excellent project for a student (dang, that hurts admitting that he was right). Kela won two state FFA proficiency awards and was a national finalist one year. She won the National FFA Entrepreneur award for her goats and oklahomashowgoats.com. With the Milligan’s help, this site hosted the first online goat sale. She built a nice bank account, learned new things and met new people.
In 2009, as she prepared for college, she mulled over the idea of whether to sell the website or keep it. Numerous people had inquired about buying it. Several had made offers. On one hand, it would be an easy job for a college kid to maintain this site. On the other, she could help pay for college and open a new chapter other than goats and FFA. I contemplated taking it over, but it was evident that I didn’t have the time, desire, personality and I was starting my new career with Western Equipment. She decided to sell it. Her first call was to the Milligans. She could have gotten more money for it, but their help and friendship was more valuable. They made a fair offer and she took it. They have taken it and grown it way past the point of it being an “Oklahoma” site. It is the place for all of the cool kids in the show goat industry, nationwide. How many of you people start or end your day by clicking on oklahomashowgoats.com to see what new sales are advertised and then, most importantly, to see if there is a new “Word of the Day”? I do.
Now, to finally answer the question of how did we come up with the idea for this blog. Once Milligan’s took over, I told Julie that I wanted to update the Kelln Livestock site. I bought the domain and she designed the site. I wanted it to be basic, but different. She said, “You know Kelln, you are an opinionated person that has some knowledge. How about we add a blog and that way I won’t have to keep censoring you on the message board?” I thought, “She’s right! I do have a lot of worthless crap to share with the world. I like it!”
The hard part of this blog is not coming up with info. I’ve got years of stories, BS and opinions. And people routinely bring up topics. The hard part is censoring myself. Anybody that has ever sat in a barn with me or been in a pickup for several hours is well aware that I am NOT opinionated. I’m just always right. I love to discuss a wide variety of topics, most are clean, some are not. I’ve been known to use an array of 4 letter words when discussing animals, politics, sports, education, weather, etc. etc. I’ll tell anybody to stick it right up their donkey to their face. This isn’t the place. Sometimes, people read this blog and think that I’m talking about them. Normally, nothing is aimed at anybody, but….if the shoe fits…..
On here, I try to be careful, as my mother and my daughter read this to see what’s up in my world and just how deranged I am. Those that know me, can add the color and flair to the stories. Those that don’t might even think that I’m a nice person. However, some that haven’t yet met me in person, and I quote “wouldn’t want to be trapped in an elevator with me.”
This wraps up today’s lesson in the Oklahoma show goat industry. Now you know just how all of this came to be.
