Friends of the Herd

The San Clemente Island Goat Association Inc (SCIGBA) is a 501(c)3 whose mission is to promote the San Clemente Island Goat as a viable multipurpose goat while preserving the historical traits of the island goat and the unique genetic diversity.  This includes but is not limited to: 

• Guarding the purity of the San Clemente Goat breed

• Retaining pedigree records of all animals that qualify as San Clemente Island Goats under the Association’s set of guidelines 

• Providing technical support and opportunity for collaboration to San Clemente Island Goat growers and breeders to further the breed’s purity, conservation, and attract new breeders

• Exhibiting livestock and educating the public in order to promote interest in the San Clemente Island Goat

 Every contribution to the SCIGBA is an investment in creating a genetically diverse, sustainable population of San Clemente Island Goats in perpetuity.  Learn more about how we honor our donors below.

Current Fundraising: SCIGBA Genetic Strategic Plan

Mapping of the San Clemente Island Goat genome has shown it to be distinctly unique compared to other tested goat breeds.  Within any breed, genetic diversity represents the different building block templates available to grow the population and determines the combination in which goats can be “built.”  When a template is lost, those building blocks are lost to the population forever, and the genetic diversity decreases.  Preserving the genetic diversity within San Clemente Island Goats ensures the greatest number of combinations are available for the future and genetic bottlenecks are avoided.  In the big picture, preserving genetic diversity within the food system increases food security by saving genetics that may be needed to combat future pests, diseases, and environmental shifts.  

As a population, SCI Goats are homogeneous genetically.  This is due to the limited number of goats used to create the breed and their isolation for a hundred years on San Clemente Island.  In the early 1980’s, approximately 3,000 goats were removed from the island, and seventeen lines were created.  Over the next two decades, the population dwindled to around 200 goats within only seven lives.  From that low, the population has slowly risen to just over 2,000 SCI Goats, but the genetic diversity has continued to erode.  The San Clemente Island Goat Breeders Association (SCIGBA) was formed to halt further erosion of the breed’s genetic diversity.  

Since its formation in 2019, the SCIGBA has:

• Completed an analysis of the current state of the breed’s genetic diversity

• Started a registry to track all SCI Goats

• Funded the creation of an online registry database to assist breeders in tracking and locating stock for their breeding programs

• Created Line Preservation Projects in four of our seven lines

• Started a genetic bank to protect essential SCI Goat genetics

“The Felicity Project” and the SCIGBA’s Genetic Strategic Plan will ensure the breed’s genetic diversity is available in the future.

Phase 1: The Felicity Miracles Project

Next PHases: Creation of Genetic Breed Standard
Genetic Bank additions from Tepper & Plimoth Lines

Pine Cone Valley

Honors donors with gifts in one fiscal year totaling between $1,000 and more.

Blake

Honors donors with gifts in one fiscal year totaling between $500 and $999.

Warren

Honors donors with gifts in one fiscal year totaling between $250 and $499.

Honors donors with gifts in one fiscal year totaling between $150 and $249.