The Wisconsin Sheep
Breeders Cooperative presented its Wisconsin Master Shepherd Awards to
producers from RichlandCenter,
Taylor and Cambridge
during its annual meeting in Reedsburg on October 21.
Mary Wallace of Cambridge
was the recipient of the first-ever Wisconsin Wool
Master Shepherd Award.Werner and Diane
Haas, Taylor, were honored as
Commercial Master Shepherds, and Kevin and Sara Kuykendall, RichlandCenter, were named Wisconsin’s
Purebred Master Shepherds.
Mary Wallace and
her husband, Peter, have raised sheep for 20 years on their White Dove Farm
near Cambridge. She sells the wool of their Natural Colored Corriedales to handspinners, weavers and felters.Wallace is
a wool judge, teaches fiber classes and workshops and is superintendent for the
Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival’s wool show.She was a long-term student in the MadisonAreaTechnicalCollege
sheep-production program, and she helped established WSBC’s
Wisconsin Wool Works! program.
“I don’t think you
can find a more conscientious person, whether it’s in producing wool, judging
wool, teaching workshops or running a fleece show,” says Bob Black, Wisconsin
Sheep & Wool Festival chairman.“Mary
is a person who has taken ‘value-added’ another step for the sheep industry.It would be hard to find anybody in the fiber
business who is as respected as Mary.”
Werner and Diane Haas of Taylor
are known to many as the hosts of WSBC’s
2002 Sheep Production Field Day.The
Haas family has been in the sheep industry for 27 years.They typically raise 280 commercial ewes in
an intensive grazing system, and the majority of their lambs are sold as
feeders.
“They have a real
commitment to the sheep industry, and they’re true believers in grazing
management and raising sheep on grass,” Dave Thomas, UW-Madison sheep
professor, says of the Haases.“. . . If Werner’s got something that’s
working on his farm, he’s willing to share that with other people in the
business.They’re passionate about the
sheep industry, and they’re open to learning new things and applying them on
their farm.”
Kevin and Sara Kuykendall and their daughter,
Katherine, raise 60 Montadale and Cheviot ewes with the goal of selling
breeding sheep and show sheep.From
March through November, they fit and show their own sheep and those of others
for shows and sales throughout the country.
“The Kuykendalls make their living entirely from sheep,” notes WSBC’s
Executive Secretary Jill Alf.“They
raise sheep, they sell breeding and show sheep, they
fit sheep and show sheep for other people.They’re a one-of-a-kind couple, and they’re nationally known for what
they do.”
WSBC
also presented three other awards at its annual meeting.
David Kier, a
shepherd and sheep shearer from Eleva, received the Agri-Communicator Award. He learned the shearing trade over a four-year
period while in New Zealand
and spent eighteen years shearing in California.Now, he regularly travels throughout Wisconsin
shearing both large and small flocks, plus he maintains his own commercial flock
on his farm near Eleva.Since it’s
inception, Kier has presented shearing demonstrations and workshops at the
Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival.
“David is an
educator with a craft,” says Black.“He
does a wonderful job of educating the people he comes in contact with. He’s very knowledgeable of the sheep industry,
and he imparts that to the benefit of both large and small flock owners.”
Randy Gottfredson, Evansville,
was presented the Art Pope Award.Gottfredson is both a shepherd and University
of Wisconsin – Extension sheep
specialist and research program manager.
“Randy Gottfredson fills a need in artificial insemination and
embryo transfer in sheep,” says Art Pope, UW-Madison sheep professor
emeritus.“He goes the last mile in
staying abreast of techniques in this fast-changing field.He has traveled to Israel
to study the latest in A.I. and Australia
to study embryo transfers.Randy is
always anxious to accommodate producers who request this service.”
Kelli
Gunderson, a Shannon, Ill., sheep
producer who recently stepped down as livestock reporter for Agri-View, was presented with the Wisconsin Sheep Industry
Award.
“Kelli is a respected ag writer who
is an advocate for agriculture and who has worked hard at keeping sheep on the
front burner of the state’s livestock industry,” says Jane Metcalf, editor for The
Wisconsin Shepherd.“She
consistently worked to ensure Agri-View carried
feature stories or news of value to sheep producers.”
Breeding better sheep,
whether it’s for improved wool, more muscle, increased fertility or a better
ability to cope with parasites, has been one of the sheep industry’s greatest
challenges.With the November release of
a physical DNA map of more than 98 percent
of the sheep genome, scientists will be better able to pinpoint the genetic
controls for these economically important production traits, reports the
American Sheep Industry Association (ASI). The International Sheep Genomics
Consortium, a partnership of scientists and funding agencies from the United
States, Australia,
United Kingdom,
New Zealand, France
and Kenya, has
been formally working on this endeavor since 2002.The result of this multi-country
collaboration has resulted in a ‘virtual’ map of the sheep genome with the aid
of data from cows, dogs and humans.This
map will be made public to allow for more rapid DNA
marker tests, which will accelerate and improve the efficiency of sheep
research in genetics. The goal of this project is to
determine gene function from genomic information in sheep
and utilize that information to address specific industry needs.The information could assist producers in
developing products that better meets customers’ demands in meat and wool
production, and genes that control gastrointestinal diseases and reproduction
traits could be identified. “This map is a tool that increases our
efficiency in searching for those genetic components that are so valuable to
the sheep producer,” explains Noelle Cockett, Ph.D., College
of Agriculture dean and vice
president for Extension and Agriculture at UtahStateUniversity
and the sheep genome coordinator for the United
States.“This is an incredible resource for researchers working with sheep and
is a several-fold increase improvement over what we’ve had in the past. . . We
hope to carry forward the initiative and obtain the entire sheep genome sequence.” Already-completed genomic maps of
other species, such as the cow, aided the sheep genome mapping.The bovine genome sequence was recently
completed by the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center in Houston,
Texas. “Due to the similarity of the bovine
and ovine genome sequences, scientists were able to build a ‘virtual’ picture
of the sheep genome by combining the information developed with the bovine
genome sequencing project,” says USDA’s Ronnie Green, who is the executive
secretary of the National Science and Technology Council’s interagency working
group on animal genomics. “Scientists in all fields of genomics
research are excited about this organized map for sheep. Our next goal will be
to verify the orientation of the sequences and eventually have the entire sheep
genome sequence completed,” says Cockett.
“The release of
this map is a huge milestone in the world-wide sheep industry,” says Lyndon
Irwin, Ph.D., chair of ASI’s Production, Education and Research Council.“A map of the sheep genome will offer
enormous possibilities that many of us could never had imagined.It will be particularly valuable for producers
who want genetic control of economically important production traits, as well
as for disease issues.”
Scrapie
is a fatal, degenerative disease impacting the central nervous system of sheep
and goats.Infected flocks that contain
a high percentage of susceptible animals can experience significant production
losses, and animals sold from infected flocks spread scrapie to other
flocks.The presence of scrapie in the
U.S. prevents the export of breeding stock, semen and embryos to many other
counties.
To learn more about
scrapie and what you can do to help eradicate scrapie, visit the WSBC
website, www.wisbc.com.
The Northeast Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Association is encouraging youth
who are interested in raising sheep by offering five individual grants of $100
toward the purchase of a breeding ewe.Applicants or their family must be or become a member of Northeastern
Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Association. Applications will be accepted until
January 15, with all recipients being notified by February 1. For more information or to receive an
application, call 920-864-7732.
As
part of the Wisconsin Premises Registration Act, livestock owners are required
to renew their premises information annually with the Wisconsin Department of
Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP).
“It is important to keep your information
accurate to ensure animal health officials have the most up-to-date information
in the event of an animal disease outbreak,” explains Paul McGraw, assistant
state veterinarian.
Livestock owners may renew online by going
to www.wiid.org, clicking on the premises
registration box and logging into their account, or by completing a paper form
and mailing it back to DATCP. Renewal notices and forms have been mailed to
premises not otherwise requiring a DATCP license, and renewals are due December
31.
Once a premises registration has been
renewed, a 2007 premises ID card will be mailed to
registrants. DATCP reminds livestock owners to keep their cards for future
reference.Some organizations or events,
such as fairs, may ask for a premises ID number in order to participate in
their activities.
DATCP notes registration
applies to livestock housed for hobby purposes. Premises registration applies
not only to large farms but also to any rural or city residence housing any
type of livestock species, regardless of number.
Premises registration is mandatory through
the Wisconsin Premises Registration Act, which requires anyone who keeps, houses or co-mingles livestock to register with the
DATCP.The Wisconsin Livestock
Identification Consortium (WLIC) has been designated as DATCP’s agent for
premises registration.This includes
collecting the premises address, the species of livestock housed at that
address and contact information for the livestock caretakers; it does not
include the number of animals, their identification or other information.
For
assistance in registering or renewing a premises,call WLIC at 1-888-808-1910 or email helpdesk@wiid.org.
Wisconsin youth made a mark at the North American International
Livestock Exposition, held November ___ - ____ in Louisville
Wisconsin junior
sheep exhibitors made their mark on the North American International Livestock
Exposition in Louisville.The sheep
shows were held November 10 – 17.
In the Hampshire
Show, Lynn Klug-Blank of Port Washington took her early yearling ewe on to
grand champion ewe honors.In the
Natural Colored Show, Katherine Kuykendall, Richland Center, earned grand
champion ram honors with her senior ram lamb.In the Border Cheviot Show, Kuykendall’s two junior ram lambs took grand
champion and reserve grand champion ram awards, and her yearling ewe was named
grand champion ewe.
In the Tunis Show,
Tom and Rachel Schambow of Janesville earned double reserve
grand champion honors with their junior ram lamb and junior ewe lamb.In the Suffolk Show, the Schambow’s
early yearling ewe was named reserve senior champion ewe and reserve grand
champion ewe, and their junior ewe lamb was named reserve junior champion ewe.
In the Junior Sheep
Showmanship classes, Jessica Alf of Edgerton topped the Hampshire Show’s
intermediate division.John Jones of Rio
earned second place in the Southdown intermediate division, Tom Schambow earned third place in the Tunis senior division,
Elizabeth Jennings of Milton earned fourth place in the Border Cheviot senior
division, and Lynn Klug-Blank took second place in the Hampshire senior
division.In the Junior Market Wether
Showmanship classes, Brianna Berget of Mineral Point
earned ninth place among 13 year olds.
Exhibitors with
top-ten placings in the junior shows were:
Hampshire
– John, Jordan & Jessica Alf, Edgerton, 3rd February ram
lamb, 3rd & 4th late yearling ewe, 8th
& 9th January ewe lamb, 5th February ewe lamb, 2nd
March and after ewe lamb, 3rd pair of ewes; Lynn Klug-Blank, 5th
January ram lamb, 1st early yearling ewe, 9th February
ewe lamb, 3rd March and after ewe lamb, grand champion ewe.
Other Wisconsin
youth exhibiting at NAILE included Austin Domanski,
Shawano; Mitchell Green, Greenleaf; Michael Houfe,
Milton; Jon Jennings, Milton; and Cynthia Voelz, Tilleda.
The long-running
annual Sheep Management WisLine teleconference series
will be held on three Thursday evenings—on January 4, February 1 and March
1—from 7:30 to 9 p.m at WisLine
sites in many countyExtension
offices throughout Wisconsin.Producers, scientists and Extension staff
will present information on important sheep-production issues and topics for
the benefit of Wisconsin sheep producers and youth
sheep-project members.
Dave Thomas,
UW-Extension sheep specialist, will present the January 4 program, entitled
“Available Tools for Genetic Improvement.”While proper nutrition, health care and management are very important to
flock productivity, the limit to performance is set by the genetic makeup of
each animal.Most livestock industries
have readily adopted tools available to them to make large gains in genetic
improvement.The sheep industry,
however, lags behind other livestock industries in the use of such tools.This program will discuss genetic improvement
tools currently available to both commercial and purebred flocks and how they
can be used to improve the genetic merit of flocks.
Topics and speakers
for the February and March Sheep Management WisLine
programs will be announced at a later date.
Sheep Management WisLine programs are provided as a service of UW
Cooperative Extension and the UW-Madison Department of Animal Sciences.The WisLinesystem provides two-way voice communications between the speakers
and listeners from participating countyExtension
offices in Wisconsin and are free to the public.Program information, including handouts, will be available at Extension
offices and at www.uwex.edu/ces/animalscience/sheep/
in late December.
These programs may
not be offered in all counties.Contact
your countyExtension
office for availability.Participants
must call their Extension office prior to each session to
register.For more information, contact
the local countyExtension
office or program host Dave Thomas at 608/263-4306 or dlthomas@wisc.edu.
The sale average for the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative’s
Wisconsin Bred Ewe and Ewe Lamb Sale was $333
The sale average
for the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative’s Wisconsin Bred Ewe and Ewe Lamb
Sale was $333.09, virtually the same as in 2005 and $50 over the average of the
2004 sale.
The sale, conducted
by Bob Johnson of Badger Auction Service, was held in Janesville
on November 4.A morning show determined
the sale order.
The 2006 overall
sale average on 34 head was just $.73 below that of the $333.82 sale
average—also on 34 head—in 2005.The
sale average for 2004 was $282.22 on 54 head.
Two sheep brought
the top sale price of $550.The champion
Suffolk, a yearling ewe consigned
by Dick and Grace Piechowski of Waupaca, was
purchased by Chris Veith of Porterfield.A Wether-Type spring ewe lamb consigned by
Across the Border Club Lambs, Mabel, Minn.,
was purchased by Kirsten, Trent and Isaac Kohlman of Plymouth,
also for $550.
Four other
sheep—three of them being Wether-type sheep—sold for $500 each.Hannah and Emily Marzahl
of Oxford bought the Wether-Type
champion, a winter ewe lamb, from Across the Border Club Lambs, as well as the
Wether-Type reserve champion, a spring ewe lamb consigned by Aceline Club Lambs of Brooklyn.The Marzahls also
bought a second Wether-Type sheep, a yearling ewe, from Aceline
Club Lambs.Deanna Zernicke
of Bonduel purchased a Hampshire mature ewe for $500 that was consigned by Alf
Hampshires of Edgerton.
Two ewes brought
the sale price of $475 each.The Kohlmans bought a Hampshire yearling ewe consigned by
Highland Hampshires of Denmark, and Allen Fehrman of Tilleda purchased a mature Wether-Type mature ewe consigned
by Across the Border Club Lambs.
Another
high-selling sheep was a Wether-Type yearling ewe consigned by Meudt Show Lambs
of Delavan and purchased by Tjark Sattler of Chilton
for $450.
In the Suffolk
show, the reserve champion ewe was consigned by the Piechowskis,
and that yearling ewe was purchased by Susan and Sara Bieneman
of Monroe for $400.The Suffolk
sale average was $475 on two head.
Carol Falk of
Waupaca exhibited both the champion and reserve champion Columbia
ewes, both winter ewe lambs.Lloyd Vroman of Madison
purchased the champion for $275, and Yahara J Farm of
Edgerton bought the reserve champion for $200.The Columbia sale average
was $237.50 on two head.
Susan Willis of South
Beloit, Ill., consigned both
the champion and reserve champion Rambouillet, a fall ewe lamb and yearling ewe
respectively.Chris Veith
purchased both for $200.The Rambouillet
sale average was $200 on two head.
Keith Schultz of FortAtkinson exhibited both the
champion and reserve champion Southdowns.The champion, a spring ewe lamb, was
purchased by K.A.P. Farms of Poplar for $225, plus K.A.P. Farms bought the
reserve champion, a yearling ewe, for $375.The sale average for Southdowns was $291.67 on
three head.
Alf Hampshires
exhibited the champion Hampshire, a yearling ewe, and it was purchased by Tim,
Neil and Kaylynn Dickson of Suring for $350.The reserve champion was consigned by Birschbach Hampshires of Lomira
and purchased by Suehs Hillside Hamps
of Manawa for $225.The Hampshire sale
average was $321.88 on eight head.
The champion Oxford
was a spring ewe lamb consigned by Weber Livestock Company.It was purchased by Ryan Bingen
of West Bend.The Oxford
sale average was $150 on one head.
As noted above, the
Marzahls purchased the champion and reserve champion
Wether-Type ewes, both for $500.The
sale average for Wether-Type sheep was $368.75 on 16 head.
Jodi Marshall’s experience with sheep began with bottle lambs and
went from there
Jodi Marshall’s
experience with sheep began with bottle lambs and went from there.When she joined 4-H, she purchased a couple
of registered Suffolks to start her own flock,
intending to produce frame sheep.
“When I was in
seventh or eighth grade, I realized there was a demand for market lambs, so I
switched to Wether-Type rams.I changed
over to more of the market-type rams and ewes so I could sell market lambs to
people.”
Marshall,
19, recently won Wisconsin FFA’s Proficiency Award in Sheep Production, and was
named one of four finalists for the same award on the national level.She is the daughter of Paul and Gail
Marshall, 13032 County Highway
I, Viola.A member of the Kickapoo FFA Chapter, Brian Kast
is her FFA advisor.WSBC
is a sponsor of the state Proficiency Award in Sheep Production.
Before leaving for
college, Marshall’s flock had grown
to close to 60 ewes, most of them Suffolks, with a
handful Hampshires.She focuses her
breeding program on producing longer, leaner lambs with heavily muscled
hindquarters, but she also keeps her eye on what she calls “prevention
management”, culling ewes that were not good mothers and haven’t performed
well.
Marshall
prefers to keep a close eye on her sheep, especially during lambing.She even arranged her high-school study halls
so she could go home in the middle of the day to check her ewes.
She has shown at
the Richland County Fair, Wisconsin State Fair and a couple of local shows each
year.At her county fair, she’s won
grand champion market lamb and grand champion overall ewe honors multiple
times, plus she’s won overall showmanship honors twice.At State Fair, she has often placed fourth or
fifth in her classes.
“Everything I show
is something I raised myself,” she notes.“It’s a pride factor there.”
Her visibility at
those shows has been instrumental in marketing her lambs.
“I usually sell to
a few families involved in our county fair, and to families in Vernon,
Sauk and JuneauCounties,”
she explains.“Word-of-mouth
(advertising) is very important.”
“When I was
younger, my goal was to keep the flock healthy and have a 200 percent lambing
rate.I achieved both of those goals,”
she says.“Now, my goal is more about
producing what there is a demand for—something that will do well in the show
ring plus something with a high carcass score.”
Under the family’s
farm name, Blackhawk Suffolks, Marshall
is now selling 30 to 40 club lambs via private treaty a year, plus she keeps
about five lambs as flock replacements.The remaining lambs are sold at Equity.
In addition to her
FFA involvement—through which she was ranked third for Wisconsin Star Farmer
honors in 2006—Marshall has served
as a junior leader in her 4-H sheep project.Marshall is a freshman at
the University of Wisconsin
– Platteville, and is active in Collegiate FFA, Ag Council and the National Agri-Marketing Association.
She is majoring in
agriculture education and she expects to obtain dual certification in both
agriculture and science education.The
career she has chosen is a familiar one.Her dad teaches ag at HillsboroHigh School, and her sister, Becky,
teaches ag at RichlandCenterHigh School.
“My experience in
agriculture has been beneficial and, if I can help others get some of the same
experiences I’ve had, it would be very rewarding for me.”
Marshall
has no intentions of losing ground with her flock while in college.While she bought her sister’s flock when
Becky left for college six years ago, Marshall
turned to her younger brother, Billy, 12, to care for and maintain her flock
while she is in college.
Marshall
is an advocate for the FFA’s supervised agricultural experience (SAE) program.
“It helps your
recordkeeping skills,” she says.“You
not only keep track of your sheep identification, but also profit and loss, and
it helps you pick the direction you want to go.”
As for advice to
young shepherds, Marshal suggests taking a long-term view in planning.
“Set your goals
before you start out,” she says.“You
can always change them, but if you set your goals, you can reach stepping
stones along the way and move up from there.And what you put into it is what you’re going to get out of it.”
Meat
Animal Quality Assurance (MAQA) Train-the-Trainer sessions are planned for
February.The Train-the-Trainer sessions
are designed for people interested in teaching or facilitating the Meat Animal
Quality Assurance program to help youth livestock exhibitors in sheep, beef and
swine learn how to produce a safe and wholesome product.Past sessions have attracted UW-Extension
faculty, agri-science and vo-tech
instructors, veterinarians, youth project leaders,
parents and other interested volunteers.
This
year’s topic is care and management.All
training sessions begin at 7 p.m.
Dates, locations and contact information for
the sessions are:
Organizers encourage county leaders to form a team of educators to
conduct this program in their counties.The MAQA curriculum meets the Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) program
requirements and is the only accepted material to teach PQA in Wisconsin.The
Train-the-Trainer program is not certification for youth, but youth can attend
if they would like to help teach the program.
To
register for these events, contact the Extension office at the location desired.For further information, contact Bernie
O’Rourke, UW youth livestock specialist, at 608/263-4304 or borourke2@ansci.wisc.edu,
or visit the UW-Madison Department of Animal Sciences website, www.uwex.edu/ces/animalscience/youthlivestock/quality.cfm.
With shearing on
the “to do” list for many producers, now is the time to select fleeces and plan
to enter them in the wool show of the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival.The wool show will include classes for all
types of fleeces—from commercial to double-coated and natural colored to white.
The Wisconsin Sheep
& Wool Festival is slated for September 7 through 9 at the Jefferson Fair
Park.
For more
information about the wool show, contact Mary Wallace, 608/884-4301 or whitedove@jvlnet.com.
At its December 6
meeting, the WSBC board re-elected Gary Klug
of Denmark to
serve as president, and it elected Eric Meudt of Delavan as vice
president.Meudt replaces Dawn Kundert of Mt. Horeb.
At the WSBC
annual meeting in October, three directors—Ray Antoniewicz
of Oregon, Wes Jennings of Milton, and Paul Wagner of Valders—were
re-elected to the WSBC board of
directors.Romaine Ace of Brooklyn was
elected to represent WSBC on the Wisconsin
Livestock Breeders Association board, and Klug was
selected to serve on the Wisconsin State Fair Governor’s Blue Ribbon Auction
Committee.
For me, it gives an unbiased idea of the growth gentics of our rams,
where there being compared to rams with other genetics
Todd Taylor, the University
of Wisconsin – Madison
shepherd, views the Wisconsin Ram Test as a tool through which he can gain
valuable information about the genetic progress of the flocks he manages.
“The Ram Test gives
me a measure of our genetics. . . It’s a comparison of our genetics to other
genetics throughout the region in an unbiased situation,” he says.
The Wisconsin Ram
Test is designed to provide a sound testing program for both large and small
producers, to promote performance testing and to provide a common environment
in which to compare the growth rates and carcass-merit genetics of rams in
different flocks.It is sponsored by WSBC
in cooperation with the University of
Wisconsin – Madison Department of
Animal Sciences and University of Wisconsin
– Cooperative Extension.
While some
producers utilize the test to determine which of their own rams they will put
into service in their own flocks, others view it as a marketing tool.When selling rams to others, they can
document the proven performance of rams in the Wisconsin Ram Test, providing
prospective buyers a level of assurance about the quality of genetics offered.
The Test consists
of a one-week “warm-up” period during which the lambs adjust to their surroundings,
plus an eight-week test period.Rams are
weighed every 14 days, and loin-eye area and back-fat ultrasound measurements
are taken at the end of the test and adjusted to 135 pounds.Scrotal circumference of each ram is taken at
the end of the test.In addition, during
the test, blood is drawn and sent to GenAlysis
Laboratory Inc. and tested for genetic resistance to scrapie at Codons 171 and
136.This service is donated by GenAlysis.
January-born lambs
should be delivered April 7, while February lambs should be delivered on May
5.March-born lambs should be delivered
to the Test station on June 2.
The Wisconsin Ram
Test program has taken place at Nelson Crest Farms, located west of Janesville,
since 1991, and farm owner, Nils Nelson, serves as
station manager.
Ram owners must be WSBC
members to enter rams in the Wisconsin Ram Test, and consignors/WSBC
members can be from any state.WSBC
membership can be paid at the time rams are consigned.The cost of submitting a ram for testing is
$110 per ram.
For complete
details on the testing procedure and guidelines for entering rams, contact Nils Nelson, station manager, 608/876-6928 or Dave Thomas,
UW-Madison sheep professor, at 608/263-4306 or dlthomas@wisc.edu.Information also is available on WSBC’s
website, www.wisbc.com.
The
21st Annual Southeastern Wisconsin Sheep Producers Clinic is slated
for Saturday, January 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Michael Field Agricultural Institute in East Troy.The program is designed for youth and
beginning shepherds as well as veteran producers.
At a
9 a.m. youth session, Barbara Bishop, a Rio sheep producer,
will give a hands-on demonstration on how to select, care for and show a
lamb.UW-Madison’s Dr. Dave Thomas will
talk about “Finishing Commercial Lambs”, followed by Don North, who will talk
about pasture development and maintenance, and Gerry Glade of CPI who will discuss
lamb nutrition.
At 11 a.m., shepherds will gather for a shearing demonstration
by professional shearer David Kier.Following a barbecued-lamb luncheon, UW-Madison’s Randy Gottfredson will talk about “Parasites, Foot Rot and Other
Nasty Things”.The clinic will conclude
with a raffle and evaluation.Vendors—including Ewesful Gifts, Marilyn
Jacobsen Knitwear, Land O’Lakes and Needles ‘n Pins
Yarn Shop--will be on hand to showcase their products and services.
The
cost of the clinic is $12 per person or $25 per family if pre-registered by
January 2.At the door, attendance costs
$14 per person or $30 per family.The
fee includes instructional materials, refreshments and lunch.Send pre-registrations to Richard Rubach, SEWSP, 27141 Plank Road, Burlington, WI53105.For more information, contact Vivian George,
262/763-6125.
The
Southeast Wisconsin Sheep Breeders recently elected new officers for the
upcoming year.Aaron “Alex” McIlheran of Burlington was elected
president, Patricia Pidkenbaugh of Burlington was named
secretary, and Adeline Carney of Bristol was elected
treasurer.
The Indianhead Sheep Breeders
Association is presenting its 13th Annual Shepherd’s Clinic on Saturday,
February 10th, 2007 at the WisconsinIndianheadTechnicalCollegeConferenceCenter in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.The clinic
has been a highly successful educational, promotional and social event, with
over 200 in attendance last year.Registration is from 8:00 a.m. to 8:45
a.m. with continental
breakfast.
The all-day clinic features
concurrent educational sessions for beginning to experienced shepherds on a
wide variety of topics, a trade show, a silent auction, a hands-on youth
showmanship and judging clinic with prizes, and a roast lamb and chicken
luncheon with a live auction, awards and scholarship presentations.
Featured speakers include Dan Morrical of the
Iowa State University Animal Science Department; Joe Regenstein, Cornell
University Professor of Food Science; and Dave Thomas of the University of
Wisconsin-Madison Animal Science Department
Pre-registration fees are $12
for youth with a boxed lunch (or $24 max. for all youth per family), $16 for
youth with roast lamb luncheon, $16 for adult ISBA members, and $20 for adult
non-members.There is a $6 additional
charge for adult registration at the door or after January 31st.Fees include continental breakfast,
refreshments and lunch.Discounted rooms
are available at the Rice Lake Best Western for Friday night.
For more information,
pre-registration, sponsorship opportunities or trade show reservations, contact
Greg Glunz at 715-268-6286 or gsglunz@amerytel.net.
Plans are set for the 96th year for the Wisconsin Livestock
Breeders Association’s Annual Meeting, to be held at the WintergreenConferenceCenter in Wisconsin Dells
on March 31.
One
of the highlights of WLBA’s program is the selection
of the State Sheep Master Stockman.Four
youth were selected as finalists for this prestigious award through their
participation at WLBA’s district shows.They are Dane Christenson, Amery; Kate Lassa,
Wisconsin Rapids; Matthew Colle,
Luxemburg; and John Alf, Edgerton.
WLBA
also will recognize an as-yet-unnamed outstanding adult in the sheep industry.
The
annual meeting serves as a get-together for people from all species of the
livestock industry.Scholarship
interviews, the State Livestock Quiz and Skillathon and adult hospitality takes
place in the morning, followed by a noon banquet.
For
more information, contact WLBA’sMarvEspenscheid, 608/543-3778 or wlbaosf@mhtc.net.
The ColumbiaCounty 4-H Skillathon
Team placed third in the nation at the National Skillathon Contest, held in
conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE)
in Louisville in November.The contest tests participants’
animal-science knowledge in the areas of wool judging, hay judging, meat
judging and identification, equipment identification, feed identification,
breed identification, quality assurance, quiz, animal-breeding scenarios, and
livestock performance and marketing.
Members of the team included Devin Goehring,
Sheena Rhiner, Bailey Quam
and John Jones.Gail Goehring, with assistance from Bernie O’Rourke, University
of Wisconsin
– Extension youth livestock specialist, served as the team’s coach.
While the team placed just 13 points out of first place, it placed first
in identification and quality-assurance categories.Individually, Goehring
placed first in the nation overall, first in identification and second in
quality assurance.Overall, Jones placed
eighth individually, and Quam placed tenth.
The
team qualified to compete in the national contest by winning the state contest
at the Wisconsin Livestock Breeders Association’s annual meeting in April.
Wisconsin 4-H teams have
placed well in this contest over the past several years, having earned second
place four times since 2001.In 2001,
the team originated from GrantCounty, and in 2002, the ColumbiaCounty team represented
the state.In 2004, MarathonCounty’s team went to the
national contest, and in 2005, the GrantCounty 4-H team
represented Wisconsin.
The SheboyganCounty 4-H Livestock
Judging Team also competed at NAILE.Participating in the National 4-H Livestock Judging Contest, team
members judged classes of sheep, swine and beef and presented reasons.
Team
members included Tyler Kohlman, Katie Jeske, Walter Taylor and Jolene Kohlwey.Scott Kohlman
served as coach.The team placed eighth
in the contest.Individually, Kohlman placed eighth in sheep judging and twelfth
overall.
The
team qualified for the national contest by winning the state contest at the 4-H
Livestock Judging Contest in July.
The
Wisconsin Hampshire Sheep Association has awarded $100 “ewe scholarships” to
three young sheep producers--Kaylynn Dickson, Deanna Zernicke and Kirsten Kohlman.Dickson, 13, is the daughter of Tim Dickson
and Sandra Dickson, both of Suring.Zernicke, 10, is the daughter of Dan and Nancy Zernicke, Bonduel, and Kohlman,
14, is the daughter of Traci and Blake Kohlman, Plymouth.
Award recipients must use their ewe scholarships to purchase a Hampshire
ewe or ewe lamb at WSBC’s Bred Ewe and Ewe
Lamb Sale or at the Wisconsin Invitational Sale.Contest applicants wrote an essay describing
their interest in and experience with Hampshire sheep and how they would care
for a ewe.
Five Wisconsin youth received
$1500 scholarships from the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Auction at the Wisconsin
State Fair.Pictured are, left to right,
John Alf, Edgerton; Heather Duoss, Janesville; Brock Graber, Rio; Brittany Schmaling, Belleville; and AleciaTreml, Mauston.Scholarships of $750 went to Andy Bussian, Columbus; Dane Christensen, Amery ;Katelyn George, Evansville; Courtney Jentz,
Fennimore ; and Elizabeth Rettinger, Bryant; and $500
awards went to Jolene Kohlwey, Adell;
Katherine Kuykendall, Richland Center; and Emily Steck,
Holmen.
John Alf of RockCounty was chosen to
represent sheep youth on the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction
Committee.Valerie Ujazdowski
of Winneconne was selected to represent youth in the beef project, and Devin Goehring of Lowell was represent
youth exhibiting swine.
The
appointments mark the first time youth have been included on the committee.According to Brian Bolan,
Wisconsin State Fair agriculture director, the pilot program is designed to
provide the auction committee with the perspectives of youth exhibitors.
OnokaPufahl, 68, who worked as a
professional sheep shearer throughout Wisconsin for many years,
passed away on November 1.Pufahl, of Mauston, earned a bachelors degree in meat and
animal science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1960.He served as the 4-H/Extension agent in Jackson and DouglasCounties, then as a
federal loan officer for Farmer’s Home Administration.He raised sheep, beef and bees on his Country
Hearts Farm, and he continued to shear sheep until the week before he died.
Pufahl is served by his wife of 43 years, Sharon, and two
children, Christopher (Kim) Pufahl and Rebecca
(Brian) Colwell and six grandchildren.
Expanded to Wisconsin
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns
recently announced the expansion of the Adjusted Gross Revenue-Lite (AGR-Lite) plan of insurance into ten additional states,
including Wisconsin.States newly
eligible for the program include Arizona,
Colorado, Kansas,
Minnesota, Montana,
Nevade, New
Mexico, Utah,
Wisconsin and Wyoming.With the expansion, AGR-Lite is now available in 28 states for the 2007 insurance
year.
AGR-Lite
is a whole-farm revenue plan of insurance, developed by the Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture, that provides protection
against low revenue due to unavoidable natural disasters and revenue
fluctuations. Policies are limited in size to a maximum liability of $1 million
annually. Most farm-raised crops, animals and animal products are eligible for
protection.
More detailed information about AGR-Lite
is available on the Risk Management Agency Web site at www.rma.usda.gov.
The American Sheep Industry Association has scheduled an AGR-Lite
workshop at its 2007 annual convention in San Antonio, Texas, on January 25.
According to ASI Weekly, the online
publication of the American Sheep Industry Association, there has been a buzz
in the fashion world over the new men’s wolen suit
that is machine washable.Now, the
classic women’s suit also is washable.Quality women’s suiting traditionally have
require dry cleaning, but a new, patented fabric technology will save both men
and women time and money.