Deadline Approaching for State Grant Reports
The American Sheep Industry Association offers two yearly grant programs to its 44 state member associations – the Wool Outreach Grant and the Mentor Grant. Reports for funds awarded in 2022-2023 are due in from the state associations by Sept. 8.
Wool Outreach Grants are designed to fund a number of activities at the state level and represent a redistribution of federal funds awarded to ASI through the Wool Trust. These funds can be used for activities such as:
- Procuring a wool speaker or specialist at your state meeting.
- Funding for the Make It With Wool program.
- Conducting a festival or workshop.
- Support for a wool value-added program such as making wool blankets or other specialty products.
- Wool education, including handling, classing and shearing schools.
- Printed wool education materials.
- Wool equipment, such as a baler.
Mentor Grants are awarded to states to provide for new producer education. High priorities for this funding include mentoring and beginning shepherd support, youth education, hands-on participation with sheep production skills, and cost sharing with state associations on new and expanded sheep production education.
Submission of these reports will close out the programs for this fiscal year. The programs will accept applications for fiscal year 2023-2024 funding in the fall. For more information, contact Chris Jones at chris@sheepusa.org.
Experience Wool Offers Zero Waste Giveaway
Head over to Experience Wool on Instagram to enter the Zero Waste Giveaway. Experience Wool – the American Wool Council’s consumer-facing online presence – is sponsoring the giveaway to bring awareness to zero waste living and wool’s vital role in living sustainably.
The zero waste prize pack up for grabs includes: FEBU Swedish reusable paper towels, Bee’s Wrap reusable food wrap, Earth Breeze Laundry Detergent Eco Sheets, and wool dryer balls and a wool drying mat from Sonoma Wool Company.
To enter the contest, you must follow Experience Wool on Instagram, like the contest post and tag an earth-minded friend. The more friends you tag, the more entries you’ll receive. The entry period ends on Aug. 31.
Australian Wool Market Stumbles in Return
The Australian wool market resumed this week after the annual three-week, mid-year recess and recorded a small overall loss. As shearing continued during the break, wool continued to make its way into broker’s stores.
As this was the first opportunity to sell at auction since early July, this is traditionally one of the larger sales of the season. This year, there were only 43,697 bales available to the trade – 11,666 less than the 55,363 on offer in Week 6 of last year.
Market movements varied across different sectors, different types and different microns. In the Merino fleece types, the individual Micron Price Guides ranged between plus 42 cents (17 micron in the North) through to minus 45 cents (19 micron in the West). The crossbred market was mainly positive. The 37-cent increase in the Southern 26 micron MPG was a market highlight. Only the 32-micron 10-cent loss in the same region prevented an across-the-board crossbred increase.
The carding market also recorded an overall gain. The three Merino Carding indicators rose by an average of 10.3 cents. The AWEX Eastern Market Indicator dropped by 3 cents for the series, closing at 1,176 Australian cents. The fall in the EMI was minimal when viewed in Australian dollar terms, but there was a significant weakening in the AUD against the U.S. dollar since the previous sale (the AUD lost 1.7 cents since July 12). When viewed in USD terms, the market reduction was larger. The EMI dropped by 22 U.S. cents – a 2.8-percent reduction.
Sales will now continue every week until the Christmas recess. Next week is another reasonably large offering as wool accumulated during the break makes its way to auction. There are expected to be 46,874 bales on offer in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle.
Click Here for Australian Wool Report Prices in USc Per Pound.
Source: AWEX
Montana Schedules Shearing School
The 2023 Montana Wool Harvesting School is scheduled for Oct. 12-15. Wade Kopren will serve as the lead instructor.
Class size is limited to 16 students. The cost to attend is $300 for beginning students.
Students will learn:
- Wool quality and supply chain at Center of the Nation Wool in Billings, Mont.
- The basic shearing pattern at Hollenbeck Ranch near Molt, Mont.
- Tool setup, selection, sharpening and maintenance.
Click Here for an application.
Source: Montana State University
Texas A&M Hosting Field Day & Expo
The Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center Sheep and Goat Field Day will mark half a century on Aug. 18. The field day presents the latest scientific research, information and innovations to industry producers.
The free event will start at 7:30 a.m. with onsite registration at 7887 U.S. Highway 87 N. in San Angelo, Texas. The educational program will be from 8:15 a.m. to noon and will feature Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists highlighting the work done at the center.
“We are excited to mark 50 years of bringing sheep and goat producers together not just from across the state, but across the U.S. and internationally,” said Reid Redden, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension sheep and goat specialist, Department of Animal Science associate professor and San Angelo center director.
Redden said the field day will highlight current research efforts on small ruminants, resource management, targeted grazing and livestock guardian dogs. For additional field day information, call the San Angelo center at 325-653-4576.
The field day will consist of both outdoor and indoor sessions. Participants will rotate through six different tour stops on the center’s grounds before moving into the auditorium for three presentations.
Redden will open the event and provide an overview of the program and Josh Blanek, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Tom Green County, will serve as master of ceremonies.
The event is dedicated to the late Chico Denis, former president of the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association and American Sheep Industry Association Distinguished Producer Award recipient in 2018.
AgriLife Extension’s 2023 Texas Sheep and Goat Expo will follow the field day on Aug. 18 and will run through Aug. 19 at the First Community Credit Union Spur Arena, 4722 Grape Creek Road in San Angelo. Advanced registration for the Expo is $75 and includes lunch and dinner on Aug. 18 and breakfast and lunch on Aug. 19. Onsite registration is $100.
Source: Texas A&M AgriLife
Survey Looks at Vet Care for Small Ruminants
Researchers at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine have developed a survey to better understand how those that raise sheep and goats manage the health of their animals and the obstacles encountered. It is anticipated the results of the survey will inform further research and efforts to improve access to veterinary care and foster antibiotic stewardship on small-scale, small ruminant livestock operations in the United States.
The survey should take no longer than 10 to 15 minutes to complete. It is completely voluntary, and all responses will be anonymous, so producers can answer candidly. Producers who are at least 18 years of age and own or manage sheep or goats in the United States are eligible to participate in this online survey.
If producers have questions about the survey or how the data will be used, they should contact Dr. John Wenz at jrwenz@wsu.edu or 509-335-0773.
Click Here to take the survey.
Source: Washington State University
Vote Now for Trailing of the Sheep
Voting has begun for the 2023 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Award for Best Fall Festival. The Trailing of the Sheep Festival in Idaho was selected as one of 20 nominees by a panel of travel experts, alongside the USA TODAY editors.
The public is invited to vote online at https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-fall-festival-2023/ for their favorite nominee. Voting ends on Sept. 4, and the winners will be announced on Sept. 15.
A person may vote online once per day for the run of the contest.
“We are thrilled that the Trailing of the Sheep Festival – now in its 27th year – was nominated for another prestigious award, and we ask that all of our friends and fans go online and vote for us,” said Laura Musbach Drake, Trailing of the Sheep Festival’s executive director.
The full list of USA TODAY 10Best Reader’s Choice Best Fall Festival award nominees can be found at https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-fall-festival-2023/.
Click Here for details on this year’s Trailing of the Sheep Festival, to be held Oct. 4-8.
Source: Trailing of the Sheep Festival