Not sure what to make for dinner tonight? How about a delicious, tender slice of goat meat?

Officials at the Lake County Extension Office, near Orlando, have recently tossed around the idea of helping prospective farmers learn more about this increasingly popular alternative to beef and chicken.

This summer, a U.S. Department of Agriculture unit will conduct its first study on the United States goat industry, focusing on meat and dairy production. Florida is one of 21 states participating in the July and August study.

"It's a great escape from the real world," said Sorrento farmer John Van Horn, who raises about 20 goats. "It gives a chance to get back to nature."

On their 7 1/2-acre farm, Van Horn and his wife, Caroline, raise the goats.

About 13 years ago, the couple decided they wanted to raise livestock, but they didn't want to take on too much at one time.

They settled on a smaller animal -- goats -- and turned their livestock venture into a hobby.

"I gained interest and got more and more involved in the whole thing," said Van Horn, 58, an accountant for Leesburg.

Goat meat has been popular among a range of ethnic cultures for centuries as part of religious and cultural holidays, said Martha Thomas, Lake County Agricultural Center's livestock and natural-resources agent.

Greek, Latino, Jewish, Caribbean and Arab communities are most likely to enjoy goat-meat cuisine.

Goat meat is probably the most consumed meat worldwide, said Helen Hill, president of the Florida Meat Goat Association.

"In this country a lot of the market we have is from people in the Caribbean [and] Hispanics, especially," said Hill, 71. "The market is spreading."

The typical cost of the meat in Florida can range from $1.25 a pound if you purchase a live goat and go to a slaughterhouse to $14.95 at an upscale market where the meat is already packaged.

It's not common to find goat meat sold at supermarkets because sellers usually make their profits at farmers markets or high-end markets, said Hill.

The most convenient way to find goat meat is to buy animals from someone who raises them and arrange to have the goats harvested at a slaughterhouse, Hill said. People can buy a goat and take it to a slaughterhouse approved by the USDA.