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Sheep Industry Travels
Susan Shultz, ASI President
Montrose, Colo., Spencer, Iowa, Columbus, Ohio, Cookeville, Tenn., and East Lansing, Mich., were all host towns to outstanding sheep educational or promotional events that I was able to participate in these last few months.
The information offered was current and informative and the speakers pushed the attendees to adopt new practices and new technologies to increase the quality of our products, create a focus on sustainability, and provide our customers/consumers with a consistent and premium lamb and wool experience each and every time.
A small sample of the many takeaways from these events:
• The continuous need to produce and promote quality lamb in order to increase demand;
• The opportunity to distinguish your flock by certifying wool clips through the American Wool Assurance program;
• The numerous strategies that are available for flock improvement through adoption of genetic technologies, handling systems and data collection equipment;
• The vast opportunities available for our sheep industry in solar grazing.
Speaking of solar grazing, I added a new word to my vocabulary – agrivoltaics. It is the dual use of solar for both solar photovoltaic power generation and agriculture. Speakers from California, North Carolina and Texas all spoke of the untapped potential to expand our sheep numbers by providing sheep as grazers in these solar array settings.
The variety of excellent speakers at these diverse events were impressive, and even more uplifting was the number of young producers, researchers and educators that were featured and are in the forefront of helping our industry to embrace change and work together to address our challenges. An additional special bonus were the energized new and young producers that chose to take the time to participate in these events, as they are the future for our industry.
My best.
BRIDGER FEUZ
University of Wyoming
I have been asked to try and make sense of the significant downturn in the lamb market a few times in this last month. Each time I have been asked, those requesting my services have done so quite sheepishly (pun intended). There is a realization that making sense of the current market is a big challenge.
As usual when these sorts of shifts happen in the lamb market, there are several contributing factors. These factors include supply side issues such as lamb in cold storage, lamb slaughter weights, lambs on feed and lamb imports. The factors also include demand side issues such as consumer sentiment, price inflation and consumption.
I will touch briefly on the supply side issues in this article, but will focus most of the discussion on the demand side issues. I think understanding consumer demand moving forward will be key to the short and long-term trends in the lamb market.
Supply
The supply numbers used in this article are as of Sept. 9.
Contributing to lower prices is an increase in lamb and yearling weights. Average lamb and yearling dressed weights this summer are up 8 pounds compared to last year – at 68 pounds as opposed to 60 pounds – representing a 12 percent year-over-year increase in dressed weight.
Compounding the issue of heavier lambs has been the number of lambs on feed throughout 2022. Colorado lambs on feed data has shown that we have been feeding significantly more lambs this year than last. The combination of heavier weights and increased numbers on feed can also indicate that there is a backlog of lambs.
However, by the end of August, the data shows that we have now dropped below 2021 levels and are back at the five-year average from 2016 to 2020. It is not clear if we have worked through some of the backlog or if lambs are being held on forage longer or sent to slaughter as lightweight lambs. Both are potential strategies to mitigate the current market conditions.
Cold storage – as reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture – was at or below 2021 levels through May. However, since May cold storage has begun to climb above 2021 levels but is still significantly below the five-year average from 2016 to 2020.Finally, let’s look at imports. Lamb imports were 25.9 million pounds in July, which is slightly above the 25.4 million pounds from July 2021.
It is significantly above the 17.4 million pounds representing the July five-year average from 2016 to 2020.
Demand
Now, let’s look a little deeper at the demand side issues. It is important to remember that demand is not just consumption or price, but is a combination of the two. To gain a better understanding of the market impacts, both must be analyzed. It is also important to note that traditionally consumers have been price sensitive regarding lamb. With that in mind, here are some of the current factors.
Consumer confidence dropped to its lowest levels in the time frame of 1978 to 2022. Chart 1 shows the domestic U.S. consumer sentiment during that time frame. While this is not specific to lamb, it is helpful in understanding consumer behavior.
A big factor in consumer sentiment is the inflation rate. As inflation increases – and without an increase in wages – consumers have less money for discretionary spending and savings. As you can see from Chart 2, the consumer price index on all items – an indication of inflation – began to rise in 2021 and continued to rise at an increasing rate in 2022.
Charts 1 and 2 can help us understand the recent changes in lamb consumption. If we look at the lamb and mutton consumption data in Chart 3, we can see that it is a real mixed bag.
After a downturn in consumption from 1999 to 2011, the lamb industry experienced steady growth in consumer consumption from 2011 to 2019 with significant growth during 2020 and 2021. In 2011, per capita consumption was 0.84 pounds, then rose to 1.14 pounds in 2019 and topped out in 2021 at 1.36 pounds. That represents a 16-percent increase in consumption from 2019 to 2021. Per capita consumption is expected to be 1.29 pounds in 2022 and forecasted to be 1.27 and 1.18 pounds in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
These consumption numbers by themselves are not necessarily concerning, as we will typically consume all that is produced and imported. However, when we add price into the mix it helps us understand these figures more and provides a more realistic picture of demand.
When we add in price, we begin to understand how strong demand was for lamb during the consumption growth period of 2011 to 2021. During this time, price was generally trending up and spiked similar to the consumption graph in 2021. When consumers are willing to eat more lamb at higher prices, this indicates strong demand.
Currently, it is estimated that consumers will be reducing per capita consumption, while price is also projected to flatten, indicating a weakening demand.
The COVID-19 effect on the lamb market has been mentioned before, but it can be seen in the three charts. Consumer sentiment dropped sharply at the onset of COVID-19, then rebounded as people began to fill more secure, and has steadily dropped with increased inflation to its lowest levels. Due to the cost of the pandemic and the economic policies that followed, the consumer price index has continued to rise. While lamb consumption saw a sharp increase during the middle of the pandemic, it has subsequently begun to fall off.
Now that we have discussed some of the concrete data associated with lamb consumption during the last few years, I would like to offer some of my own conjecture – which has been informed through observation and conversations with others. For several potential reasons, consumers turned to lamb during the height of the pandemic. Possible reasons include scarcity of other meats at the meat counter, an adventurous attitude to try new and different dishes, more time at home to prepare meals, or likely a combination of all the above.
There are also a variety of potential reasons for the sharp decline in consumption and the trend back to pre-COVID levels. These include increasing prices and inflation, less time for meal prep after returning to the office, boredom with adventure and a return to standbys for food. I am not sure of the primary factor at work in the decline of consumption.
While I do not know the answer in terms of the decline in consumption, I think it will be important for the sheep industry to gain a clear understanding of each of the factors. If it is just lamb price and inflation then that is fixable. It might take a while to work through the inflation issues, but as prices moderate consumers should come back to lamb.
If the primary reason for the decline is one of the other reasons discussed, the response from the sheep industry needs to be different and might take even longer to fix than just prices and inflation. As is most often the case, I would suggest that the issue is a combination of the factors I have listed and might include other factors. I would suggest that it is important for the sheep industry to understand these dynamics as soon as possible, as losing momentum from a unique surge in consumption could be difficult to overcome.
Wool
The wool market is also facing demand challenges. As reported by Australia Wool Innovation, “subdued competition and lackluster offshore demand” has been a driver behind lower prices in August and early September. Since the start of the new season, the Australian Eastern Market Indicator averaged 1,353 cents per kg clean versus 1,371 cents per kg clean in 2021. In early September, the market shifted with stronger support for medium/coarse wool types. In Week 10, fine wools – 18.5 micron and finer – had declined to levels not seen since early 2021, while medium wools – 19 to 22 microns – remained steady to higher.
The recent uptick in medium/coarse wools might be due to trends in the global sock market and impact wool prices in the long run. According to Verified Market Research, the global sock market was valued at $44.76 billion in 2020. More importantly, the global sock market is expected to reach a value of $69.82 billion by 2028. This means the market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.72 percent from 2021 to 2028.
Nylon, cotton and nylon/cotton blend socks still dominate the market. Much of the projected growth in the market is driven by urbanization of developing economies. This growth is represented by a cost-conscious consumer.
However, there is also increased spending on health and fitness all around the globe, which includes sports and ankle socks.
Wool socks are an important segment in this health and fitness market classification. Verified Market Research goes on to predict that wool socks are expecting significant growth during the forecast period as wool socks provide better comfort and performance for sports fanatics.
If you’re interested in learning the art of sheep shearing, now is the time to start making plans to attend a shearing school this fall or next spring. Schools around the United States have (or soon will) set dates for the coming months.
Schools that have submitted their dates to ASI include:
• The Montana Wool Harvesting School is scheduled for Oct. 13-16 in Molt, Mont. Contact Denise Hoepfner at denise.hoepfner@montana.edu to register.
• A Crutching, Wigging and Catch Pen Dynamics Advanced Shearing Course will be taught by Trevor Hollenbeck on Oct. 14-16 at the University of California Hopland Research and Extension Center. Visit bit.ly/Crutching2022 for more information.
• The North Dakota State University Hettinger Research Extension Center Shearing School is set for Nov. 19-21 in Hettinger, N.D. For more information, contact Christopher Schauer at Christopher.schauer@ndsu.edu or 701-567-3582.
• The South Dakota State University Shearing School is scheduled for December at the SDSU Sheep Unit in Brookings, S.D. Contact Kelly Froehlich at Kelly.froehlich@sdstate.edu or 605-688-5433 for more information.
• The Wisconsin Shearing School is scheduled for Dec. 15-16. For more information, contact Todd Taylor at toddtaylor@wisc.edu.
• The Utah State University Sheep Shearing School is set for Jan. 19-21, 2023, at the USU Animal Science Farm in Wellsville, Utah. Visit www.eventbrite.com/e/usu-sheep-shearing-school-2023-registration-407662919767 for more information.
• Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., will host a shearing school on March 1-2, 2023. Contact Extension Associate Amy Bax at BaxA2@LincolnU.edu to register.
• The Tennessee Sheep Producers Association Sheep Shearing School is scheduled for April 7-8, 2023, at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Contact Mark Powell at 615-519-7796 or shepherdboy1@yahoo.com for more information.
• Shepherd’s Cross in Claremore, Okla., will host a shearing school on April 13-15, 2023. Visit www.shepherdscross.com to register.
AMERICAN LAMB BOARD
The American Lamb Board announced the release of two reports in September which provide the industry with valuable information for short- and long-term assessment of the American lamb marketplace.
The Second Quarter Retail Sales report (April 10 to July 2) analyzes multi-unit data from food/grocery, drug, mass merchandisers (such as Walmart), club stores (like Sam’s), dollar stores and military commissaries. Key findings are:
• Despite a higher price point, U.S. consumer demand for lamb remains strong. As of Q2 2021, the average price/lb. of lamb was $8.41, but grew to $9.47/lb. for Q2 2022.
• While lamb sales largely remained flat between the latest 52 weeks compared to the previous 52 weeks, both dollars and pounds have seen impressive growth between Q2 2021 and Q2 2022, with dollar sales increased 15.7 percent and volume increased 9.3 percent.
• Easter Week 2022 saw volume sales reach 2.94 million lbs., just shy of Easter 2021 (3.04 million). Given the higher price point, dollar sales in Easter Week 2022 reached $26.8 million, compared to $24.5 million in 2021.
• Leg sales exploded between Q2 2021 and Q2 2022. Almost the entirety of the volume growth was driven by lamb leg. Leg saw 43.2 percent more pounds sold and a 53.1 percent increase in dollars. Note that this growth is a reflection of Easter sales, which fell in Q2 of 2022 compared to Q2 2021 – Easter sales fell in Q1 in 2021.
A few weeks is all it takes to see a major shift in the American lamb market. The August Lamb Market Summary – prepared for ALB by ASI – found what many industry members suspected. Inflation this year has resulted in a decline in real incomes, impacting consumers’ willingness to pay for lamb. While the Consumer Price Index in July was steady with the prior month, food prices kept increasing, with inflation for food at home and at restaurants 13 percent and 7.6 percent higher, respectively.
As a result, the demand for live lambs has declined, resulting in a slowdown in feedlot marketings, heavier lamb weights, a rise in over-finished lambs and high feed costs which has reinforced declining live lamb prices.
“What makes this situation so disheartening is that the primary culprit – inflation – is out of our industry’s control,” said ALB Chairman John Camino. “What the Lamb Board can do short-term is give consumers reasons to choose American lamb. An example is the in-store sampling underway in partnership with Superior Farms.”
Monthly lamb market summaries and other reports can be found at LambResourceCenter.com/market-reports.
The 2022 ASI Photo Contest winners have been selected. Below is a list of winners. To view the winning photos, go to Digitaledition.pub/wc/asia/Sheep-Industry-News/October-2022.
Scenic West:
- Dawnita Sampsel, Montana, Boys of Summer
- Morgan Mickel, Utah, Glad to be on the Mountain
- Morgan McKenzie, Oregon, Fall Feelings
Scenic East:
- Elaine Palm, Michigan, We Are Wooly Warm
- Carrie Flores, Wisconsin, Corriedales and Corn
- Daphne Lisenby, Georgia, Teenagers
Shepherd/Shepherdess:
- Larry Blain, Utah, High Country
- Marie McClaren, Wyoming, Watching over their Flock
- Alex Benja, New York, Mountain Counting
Working Animals:
- Linda Dufurrena, Nevada, The Guides
- Dawnita Sampsel, Montana, Intruder
- Alex Benja, New York, Mouthful of Wool
Open:
- Linda Dufurrena, Nevada, Running to the Reservoir
- Marie McClaren, Wyoming, Snow Covered Sheep Waiting on Feed
- Aimee Doggett, Idaho, King of the Hill
KAY LEDBETTER
Texas A&M AgriLife
Drought affects the growth and birth weight of lambs and kids. The hardships it causes for pregnant animals reduces placental function and the nutrients available to a developing fetus, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist.
With growing concerns about climate change, Carey Satterfield, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said researchers must be forward-thinking to help protect the small ruminant livestock industry.
“Extreme weather conditions – whether hotter or drier – will impact our animal agriculture, so we need to have strategies available to allow producers to deal with these changes,” Satterfield said. “Drought during pregnancy is the biggest cause of nutritional hardship, but heat stress can also cause poor placental function, so that would be a secondary factor we deal with here in Texas. We need to have cost-effective strategies that we can apply to these situations to reduce perinatal mortality as well as enhance postnatal growth and performance.”
Satterfield will lead a team in identifying novel ways to improve placental growth and improve birth weight of offspring during these periods of nutritional hardship that are common in ruminant livestock species. The research – supported by a $500,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant – will test two novel nutraceutical products — citrulline and putrescine — to determine if they improve placental growth and function when supplemented during pregnancy.
Joining Satterfield on the research are fellow Department of Animal Science researchers Guoyao Wu, Ph.D., distinguished professor and AgriLife Research Senior Faculty Fellow; and Fuller Bazer, Ph.D., Regents Fellow, Distinguished University Professor, Presidential Impact Fellow and holder of the O.D. Butler Chair in Animal Science. Additionally, the team includes Greg Johnson, Ph.D., professor and EDGES Fellow in the Department of Veterinary Integrated Biosciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Kayla Bayless, Ph.D., associate professor in the Texas A&M Health Science Center Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine.
Tackling low birth weight
The team is prioritizing the development of cost-effective strategies for producers seeking to improve the birth weight of a fetus, Satterfield said, because low birth weight is the biggest cause of death for small ruminants.
“At least for our sheep and goats, we’re a lot more worried about small babies that aren’t thrifty; they don’t get up, they don’t nurse, and then they succumb to the environment or predators,” he said. “If these nutritional treatments work, we will have slightly bigger babies that are more vigorous and that should help reduce our death loss.”
Satterfield said based on the known functions of citrulline and putrescine in other systems, their hypothesis is they will promote vascular development, but that hypothesis has to be tested. Citrulline is an amino acid and putrescine is a metabolite of amino acids. Citrulline is a precursor for arginine and is considered conditionally essential.
“In regard to growing a good baby, you have to first have a good placenta,” he said. “These nutrients we are providing should stimulate the development of the blood vessels. By doing that, we’re basically creating a highway system that’s needed to transport the nutrients that the baby’s going to need.”
Bayless has a sophisticated cell culture system that can test how nutrients influence angiogenesis, which is the growth of new blood vessels. Johnson – as a histology expert – will be able to quantify the vascular development in the placenta and sheep.
Promoting placenta growth
Satterfield’s team will use sheep as their model animal. Some of the pregnant ewes will receive nutrient treatments to see if the fetal development can be rescued or enhanced.
The pregnant sheep will receive supplements throughout placental development, or days 28 to 84 in their 147-day gestation cycle, he said. The timing during pregnancy will be refined once the proof of concept is complete.
“There are certain times when the animal cannot make enough of these nutrients on its own, and so we know they need supplementation,” Satterfield said. “We will supplement twice a day, based on our previous research of how long it takes for those nutrients to be metabolized in the animal and how long they stay in the system.”
Citrulline – the team discovered – isn’t degraded in the rumen like other amino acids, which is part of the reason for choosing to use it. Because the supplement doesn’t have to be protected or encapsulated or require advanced treatments, it would be very cost effective, he said.
Once the proof-of-concept work is done, there will be a need for product development, Satterfield said. The product is not widely available, because there hasn’t been a reason to use it, but eventually these nutrients could be put into a lick tub or feed supplement and placed in front of pregnant livestock.
PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL
At its recent annual meeting, the Public Lands Council debuted a cooperative video project in partnership with ASI and the National Grazing Lands Coalition. The first in a series called Range Reels, the video will serve to promote the many benefits provided by ranchers and educate viewers on the generations of work that goes into successful stewardship of our nation’s public lands.
The first Range Reels event in Cody, Wyo., unveiled a video focused on Wyoming rancher Shaun Sims, and the Sims family’s long history of careful cultivation and protection of landscapes. The Sims’ multi-generational commitment to sustainability and family values provided a unique and intimate look into the motivations of public lands ranchers.
Ranchers such as Sims operate on some of the 640 million acres of public lands across the western United States. Their operations rely on access to specific areas – called grazing allotments – that have been identified as suitable for managed livestock grazing. After undergoing careful environmental analysis, sheep and cattle graze these lands for short, defined portions of the year.
While the availability of grass – or forage – is a key motivation for grazing on Western lands, there are also a wide variety of ecosystem services that ranchers and ruminant animals provide to rangelands. The work ranchers do each day supports the biodiversity, wildlife habitat, soil health, clean and accessible water, and other features of the land that the American public loves and enjoys through recreation. Ranching is a 360-degree industry, with economic, environmental and social considerations.
The smoke currently blanketing many states in the West only underscores the importance of livestock grazing. Public lands ranchers play an important role in reducing the risk of catastrophic fires. When sheep and cattle graze, they reduce the volume of annual grasses. Unlike perennials, annual grasses have short lives and can quickly become dangerous fuel for wildfires that burn hotter and longer. Sheep and cattle grazing can target species that threaten native grasses, helping to restore balance to the ecosystem. Ranchers’ investments in the grazing allotments, called range improvements, provide water, shelter and important respite for wildlife across the range, too.
Sims’ silver screen debut shone an important spotlight on the reality of public lands ranching: generations of people like Shaun Sims and so many others have made their lives in harsh landscapes that were once deemed too undesirable to settle on. Through careful cultivation by ranchers, America’s public lands are now some of the most attractive destinations in the world for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, bikers, backpackers, climbers, hikers, anglers and hunters. It is because ranchers have been so intentional about stewarding these landscapes that the American public can enjoy the West as it should be: open, healthy and sustainable for future generations.
“The long history of ranching on federal lands across the West is a cornerstone of the culture and traditions that families like Shaun’s honor every day,” said PLC President Mark Roeber. “These lands are where history and tradition meet contemporary economic and societal demands. Ranchers like Shaun and his family make it possible for these landscapes to serve the needs of nature and people, balanced carefully for a long and healthy future.”
“The American Sheep Industry Association is proud of the Sims family ranch and their leadership in the sheep industry,” said ASI President Susan Shultz. “We greatly appreciate them sharing their story with America. Care of the land, the livestock and the wildlife habitat is very evident.”
“Ranchers like Shaun Sims are prime examples of the necessary management of our public lands for the greater benefits to wildlife and society,” said NatGLC Chair Rob Cook. “The NatGLC is proud to partner with the Public Lands Council and the American Sheep Industry to tell the land stewards’ story.”
Watch the full Sims video at YouTube.com/watch?v=wlHw5SgeWSc&t=8s.
Raymond Artadi Talbott, 1938-2022
Raymond Artadi Talbott passed away at home in Los Banos, Calif., surrounded by family on Aug, 11, 2022. He was 84 years old. Born in Los Banos in 1938 to Ramon and Elena Talbott, he was the youngest of their two boys.
Ray attended Los Banos Elementary followed by Los Banos High School. After losing his father his senior year, Ray attended the University of California-Davis for two years before returning to Los Banos to work alongside his mother and brother James (Jim) to run Talbott Sheep Company.
Ray was a Sheepman all his life. He served on the board of many industry associations and was typically the quietest man in the room, but when he did speak, everyone paid attention.
Ray met Teresa Iribarren at the Reno Basque Picnic in 1959. The two were married in 1965. Together they had two girls, Michelle and Andrée. He was so proud of the strong women that they are. Ray and Terry ran Talbott Sheep Company together for many years. He often clarified that they wouldn’t still have the business if it wasn’t for Terry.
Ray and Terry have four grandchildren. He truly loved to watch each of them grow up, and was very proud to see the successful young adults they’ve all become. He was a friend to many, and quick to listen to your story and step into your shoes. Ray was very proud of his family history and Basque Culture. He was heavily impacted by the stories of his parents’ upbringing and their dedication to working hard and creating a family and life they were proud of. He carried that drive, grace and wisdom with him all his life.
Ray was preceded in death by his mother and father, Elena Celayeta Talbott and Ramon Artadi Talbott; and his brother, James Artadi Talbott. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Teresa (Terry) Irribarren Talbott; his daughters, Michelle Artadi (Darrell) DiGiovanni and Andrée Artadi Soares; his four grandchildren, Mia and Gianna Artadi Digiovanni and Bianca Artadi and Tristan Talbott Soares; and many nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions can be made to The Los Banos Basque Club, P.O. Box 123 Los Banos, CA 93635; Our Lady of Fatima School Memorial Fund, 1625 Center Ave, Los Banos, CA 93635; or California Wool Growers Association Memorial Fund, 25 Cadillac Drive, Suite 214, Sacramento, CA 95825.
TIMOTHY KOOCK, 1944-2022
Peter Timothy James Koock, 78, of Fredericksburg, Texas, passed away on Aug. 31, 2022. He was born in Austin, Texas, on March 14, 1944, to Chester and Mary Koock. He was the sixth born out of eight children, and a fifth-generation Texan.
His family arrived in Fredericksburg in 1846 with the first group of settlers. He and his sister, Judy, both attended Marquette University together in Wisconsin, and graduated in 1967. He was a member of the Alpha Sigma Nu honor society, and was vice president of the student body. He spent many years making and selling the finest wool sacks (via Woolsacks, Inc.) for wool producers all across the United States, and holds the Guinness Book of World Records mark for creating the largest wool sack ever. He helped his brother, Guich, put on all five of the Great World’s Fairs in Luckenbach, Texas, and Fredericksburg.
Timothy managed conferences and taught contemplative prayer all around the world with Father Keating. He was the head of Contemplative Outreach in San Antonio for several years, and hosted a meditation group at his home in Fredericksburg. He attended both St. Mary’s Catholic Church and St. Barnabas Episcopal through the years. He was a loyal member of the Native Plant Society, and past president of the library board.
Timothy dedicated many years to creating the Marktplatz Square for his beloved hometown of Fredericksburg, and recently served on the town’s 175th Anniversary Committee, and a history sub-committee.
He is survived by his son, Zachary Koock and daughter-in-law, Kristi Koock; his grandson, Isaac Koock; his siblings, Kenneth Koock, Guich Koock, Gretchen O’Boyle, Judy Lundin and Martha Ward. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Natasha Koock; ex-wife Dusty Dowling; and his sister, Karen Kuykendall.
In lieu of flowers the family is asking that donations be made to an organization of your choice; Friends of Enchanted Rock at FriendsofEnchantedRock.com; or to help support Timothy’s grandson who has autism via his Texas Able account (fund to be used for his care during adulthood) at AbleGifting.com/TX/VPBWgv.
Adam High, 1994-2022
Adam Renner High, 27, of Richwood, Ohio, died unexpectedly, but peacefully on Aug. 17, 2022, at his home. He was a mechanic with Faith Driving School in Hilliard, Ohio.
A 2013 graduate of Elgin High School, Adam was a member of FFA and served as chapter vice president and received the State FFA Sheep Proficiency Award and State FFA Degree. As a member of 4-H and FFA, he showed champions in market lambs, breeding sheep, market pigs and market steers at Richwood Independent and Marion County Fairs. He also participated in dog obedience, where he represented Union County at the Ohio State Fair.
As a youth, Adam’s other interests included Boy Scouts, soccer, basketball, football and he especially loved fishing with his Uncle Dean and Aunt Deloris. He was deeply fond of his animals, especially his dogs, Sadie, Kalleigh and Oreo, and his flock of Dorset sheep started by his grandpa, Ken Renner.
Above all, he was a loving and devoted family man. His wife, Destiny, was the “love of his life,” and he was passionate in being a dad to Rosabelle and Atalanta.
He was born Oct. 20, 1994, in Marion, Ohio, and was preceded in death by his grandparents, Ken and Miriam Renner and Glenn High; an aunt, Pamela High; and an uncle, Ray Temple. He is survived by his wife of three years, Destiny A. Nixon High; his daughters, Rosabelle and Atalanta; his parents, Roger and Holly Renner High; his father-and mother-in-law, Orville and Charlene Hutchison; his paternal grandmother, Kathryn Joan High; his sisters-in-law, Sylena (William) Nixon and Amber (Logan) Johnson; his aunts and uncles, David (Jodi) High, Wanda (David) Berk, Bonnie Temple, Ron (Linda) Renner, Bob (Marjorie) Renner, Sally (Fred) Johnson and Ted (Penny) Renner; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.
Memorial contributions may be made in Adam’s memory to his daughters’ educational fund. Checks may be made to Destiny High. Envelopes are available through Underwood Funeral Home, who is assisting the family.