U.S. Shearing Championship Results
The U.S. Sheep Shearing Championship took place June 6-7 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Roseburg, Oregon, drawing 51 competitors from across the country. Local commercial producers Dan Dawson, Chad Furlong, and Tom O’Conner provided crossbred ewes, while Soundview Fiber Mill purchased 1,200 pounds of wool from the event to produce commemorative rugs. Among the highlights, brothers Juan and Natividad Cornejo showcased the Mexican shearing style, and three beginner shearers participated virtually through the Oregon Sheep Growers Association’s training school. First-place winners included Leslie Sullivan (Beginner), Blade Thomsen (Intermediate), Paul Astin (Open), Loren Opstedahl (Blade), and Brook Williams (Wool Handling). A lively speed shear contest at a local bar added extra excitement, with Astin taking top honors there as well.
Full results and photos will be featured in the August issue of Sheep Industry News.
Controlling parasites with forage management
A new guide developed by University of Missouri Extension and Lincoln University Extension offers insights into controlling gastrointestinal parasites in sheep and goats through forage-based management.
“Grazing systems, while offering several potential benefits, pose significant challenges for gastrointestinal parasite control in sheep and goats,” said David Brown, MU Extension small-ruminant specialist. He took the above photo. “While effective dewormers can provide short-term relief, repeated and improper use has led to parasite resistance, resulting in the partial or complete failure of dewormers.”
Source: High Plains Journal
Advanced Shearing Clinics Wrap-Up
3Q Advanced Shearing Clinics, which were sponsored in part by ASI, recently wrapped up in Iowa, Montana and Oregon. Forty-eight shearers from across the US attended the clinics to hone their skills with globally renowned Australian shearing instructor, Mike Pora. While beginner shearing schools teach the very basics of shearing, advanced shearing clinics hone the skills of experienced shearers, working to increase the quality, speed and/or ease of their shearing.
Federal lawmakers push forward with animal health provisions
As Congress reviews the budget reconciliation package, lawmakers and industry groups are backing key provisions to improve animal health and prevent foreign animal diseases (FADs). A bipartisan bill in the House—the Foreign Animal Disease Prevention, Surveillance and Rapid Response Act—aims to fund programs like the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and the National Veterinary Stockpile. A similar proposal was introduced in the Senate by the Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman. The National Pork Producers Council praised the legislation for protecting pork safety and supply. The cattle industry highlighted the importance of strong health measures for livestock. Groups like the American Sheep Industry Association and AVMA also voiced support. Together, they urge swift congressional action to safeguard U.S. agriculture.
Click Here to read the full article.
Source: Meat+Poultry
Illinois Targeted Grazing Workshop is Huge Success
The American Lamb Board (ALB) recently held its second Targeted Grazing Workshop of 2025 in Kankakee, Illinois, attracting 32 producers from seven states. The workshop, sponsored by Pivot Energy, aimed to explore expansion opportunities within the U.S. sheep industry and included collaboration with the American Solar Grazing Association to provide a solar grazing certification for participants.
The curriculum covered topics related to contract grazing and best practices in sheep management. Notable local producers, Brooke and Chauncey Watson, shared insights on scaling their operation for vegetation management services to solar companies and expressed hopes for future expansion of their flock. The Watsons utilize a mixed operation of hair sheep and Polypay ewes, with a focus on genetic selection and direct marketing in Chicago.
Evan Gunthorp, an Indiana sheep producer, emphasized the importance of a service provider mindset in navigating the challenges and opportunities within the grazing business.
The workshop concluded with a tour of a solar array utilizing sheep for vegetation management, during which attendees engaged with Pivot Energy representatives Angie Burke and Nate Zirlen about “agrivoltaic initiatives.”
“It’s exciting to see producers engaging in these in-depth educational workshops and learning about new opportunities to grow their business with innovative grazing opportunities,” said Camren Maierle.
ALB has plans to host three more workshops in Maryland, Denver, and Kentucky later in 2025, aimed at supporting the growth of the U.S. sheep industry.
Learn more about upcoming workshops on the Lamb Board website.
Source: ALB
Australian Wool Market Rises for Penultimate Sale of the Season
The Australian wool market has risen for the penultimate sale of the season, and in welcome news, this rise was driven by market conditions rather than currency. Fremantle did not hold a sale this week, with only Sydney and Melbourne in operation. The national offering totaled 20,756 bales, marking the smallest sale of the season.
The limited offering attracted strong buyer support. Although the selection was not large, what was available drew spirited bidding, resulting in price increases across the board. By the end of the selling series, the individual AWEX Micron Price Guides (MPGs) for Merino fleece had risen by between 1 and 24 cents. The only anomaly was a 22-cent fall in the 19.5 MPG in the North.
The benchmark Eastern Market Indicator (EMI) gained 10 cents for the week, closing at 1,207 cents. The EMI also rose in USD terms, adding 6 US cents.
The crossbred sector of the market continues to strengthen, building on gains from previous weeks. The recent rise in crossbreds is best illustrated by viewing the Southern MPGs. In Week 45 (7th of May), the 26.0 MPG was 588 cents. Today, the MPG sits at 652 cents—an increase of 10.8%. The 28.0 MPG has risen by 7.7%, while the strongest performer has been the 30.0 MPG, which has climbed from 360 cents to 405 cents—an increase of 12.5%.
To put this into perspective, the best-performing Merino MPG over the same period was 17.5, which has risen by 4.1%. The EMI has increased by 1.3% over the same timeframe, aided by the strengthening of the crossbred sector.
Next week marks the final sale of the season. Fremantle will return to the market, pushing the national quantity up to 32,648 bales.
Click Here for the ASI Conversion Chart – AWEX Prices to USD Per Pound.
Source: AWEX
Legislative Update from Washington, D.C.
The American Sheep Industry Association’s lobbying firm – Cornerstone Government Affairs – offered an update this week on legislative issues in our nation’s capital.
USDA announces New World Screwworm (NWS) sterile fly facility
On Wednesday, June 18, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, announced plans to establish an $8.5 million sterile fly releasing facility at Moore Air Force Base in Hidalgo County, South Texas. This facility, which is planned to be operational by the end of the year, marks a critical step in the eradication of NWS before it reaches U.S. livestock and wildlife. This plan also includes $21 million to renovate a fruit-fly production facility in Metapa, Mexico. Currently, the U.S. has paused all live imports of cattle, horses and bison coming into the U.S. from Mexico. These steps are all part of USDA’s broadly sweeping plan to detect, control and eradicate NWS to protect U.S. livestock and American agriculture.
Senate Finance Committee releases reconciliation text
On Monday, June 16, the Senate Finance Committee released legislative text within the Finance Committee’s jurisdiction for inclusion in Senate Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill. Similar to that of the House Ways and Mean reconciliation text, Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) and his Committee’s bill reforms the tax code by extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts, provides additional tax relief to working families and small businesses, boosts the economy through pro-growth tax policy, and achieves net government savings. Looking at the bill from an agricultural perspective, the package expands and extends 199A deductions, restores bonus depreciation, increases Section 179 expensing, and raises the estate tax exemption level.
Now, with all the Committee’s having released their respective reconciliation texts, the Parliamentarian and Committee staffs continue to vet provisions using the “Byrd Rule”, which restricts what all can be included in reconciliation legislation in the Senate. The Senate’s complete reconciliation package could be considered on the floor as early as next week as lawmakers race against the pressure of a July 4 deadline being imposed by the White House. You can find the complete Senate Finance reconciliation text here.
House Appropriations to resume the Ag-FDA bill next week:
This week, the House Appropriations Committee released their upcoming markup schedule for the next few weeks while in session. On the calendar, the Committee rescheduled the markup for the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill for Monday, June 23. This comes after the Full Committee initially started to mark up the bill on June 11, but due to Congressional events and the coinciding markup of the FY26 defense appropriations bill, the markup ended up being postponed for a later date. Now, the Committee will look to resume where they left off with amendments and it is more than likely that the bill will pass out of Committee along a party line vote. You can watch the markup once it streams live here.
Trump signs Executive Order to streamline wildfire fighting capabilities:
On Thursday, June 12, President Trump signed an Executive Order Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response, directing federal agencies to streamline their wildfire capabilities and adopt strategies for wildfire response and land management. The executive order also directs these agencies to modernize firefighting strategy by taking precautions to mitigate factors that prevent wildfires from starting. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum joined President Trump on Thursday for the signing of the order, along with several wildland firefighters from across the U.S.
Video of the Week: How Wool Gets Cleaned
Take a quick behind-the-scenes look at a wool scouring plant — where raw, “greasy” wool fresh off the sheep is thoroughly cleaned. This process removes natural oils like lanolin, dirt and plant debris, leaving behind clean, usable fiber. Once scoured, wool can be turned into a wide range of products — from fine clothing to baseball cores. Chances are, sheep industry products are already part of your everyday life!
Click Here to watch the video.