January 2005 --
Guest Column
By David Greene
Region II Representative
American Sheep Industry Association
I plan to vote in the upcoming American Lamb referendum and I intend to vote ?yes.? I am asking my fellow sheep producers, whether here in my community or a reader of Sheep Industry News, to do the same. I appreciate the men and women, all volunteers, who drafted the American lamb checkoff in 1999, and saw it through to implementation, and those who have been appointed directors and developed the American lamb programs.
They have done a great job using a modest amount of industry funds to fight for American lamb. I like the ?American Lamb - 10,000 Miles Fresher? advertising campaign. The ?American Lamb from American Land? is another good campaign, and it is only through the American Lamb Board and your funding that this type of work can be done.
The meat managers, retailers and chefs need to hear and see more about American lamb, not just imported lamb product. Let?s give the American Lamb Board a chance to do just that by voting to continue the program.
I urge you to take pride in producing American lamb and to go to your FSA office and vote, and for heavens sake, vote ?yes!?