March 26, 2026
ASI Research Update Podcast: AI & Embryo Transfer
In ASI’s latest Research Update episode, host Jake Thorne talks with Dr. Dan Poole (NC State) about how artificial insemination and embryo transfer are gaining momentum in the U.S. sheep industry and what it will take to make these tools more practical and accessible. The conversation covers what drives success (ewe factors, protocols, semen quality), why laparoscopic AI remains common in sheep, and where the research is headed next.
ASI Wool Council Launches New Small & Midsize Mill Meetup
With a pointed focus on increasing productivity, capacity, and long term viability, ASI is hosting a new Small & Midsize Mill Meetup which will take place July 28-29, 2026 in Sheridan, WY. The meetup will include a tour of Mountain Meadow Wool Mill and practical sessions on scouring, workforce, capital, marketing, and equipment solutions, plus dedicated networking with fellow mill owners.
Applications are due April 20.
Learn More About the Mill Meetup and Apply Here
Reminder: Apply Now for ASI’s Sheep Heritage Foundation Scholarship
Applications are open for the American Sheep Industry’s Sheep Heritage Foundation Scholarship.
One $3,000 scholarship will be awarded to a U.S.-based graduate student (MS or Ph.D.) advancing the American sheep industry through wool or lamb research.
Eligible applicants must be U.S. citizens studying in the United States and conducting sheep and/or wool research in areas such as animal science, agricultural economics, or veterinary medicine.
Deadline: May 31
Click Here for Scholarship Info
LDP 101: Unshorn Wool Pelts Explained
An unshorn pelt is defined as the removed skin and attached wool from a slaughtered lamb that has never been shorn. Pelt LDPs change weekly as they are based on the ungraded wool LDP. As of March 24, 2026, the current pelt LDP is $2.593 per pelt.
To be eligible for a pelt LDP, a producer must either: (1) sell the unshorn lamb for immediate slaughter, (2) slaughter the unshorn lamb for personal use, or (3) retain the unshorn pelt in preserved, maintained, and stored condition for future marketing or processing. Producers must provide production evidence indicating that the lambs are unshorn. If you’re interested in obtaining an unshorn pelt LDP, contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency Office.
ASI is working year-round to advance producer priorities across the country. Here’s what’s happening, what it means, and what’s next.
USDA Promotes Voluntary “Product of the USA” Label
On March 24, USDA launched a national awareness campaign to promote its new voluntary “Product of USA” labeling standard. This initiative took effect January 1, 2026, and is limited to meat, poultry, and egg products from animals that are born, raised, harvested, and processed in the U.S. closing a longstanding loophole that allowed imported products to carry a “Product of USA” claim after minimal domestic processing.
Reminder: Lamb is already subject to mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), a consumer labeling law that requires retailers to notify customers of the country of origin for lamb muscle cuts and ground lamb. ASI secured mandatory COOL for lamb in September 2008.
Read the Full Press Release Here
Department of Interior Prioritizes US-Made Uniforms
The Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Made in America Office announced the DOI will prioritize sourcing U.S.-made uniforms and other textiles, directing roughly $11 million in annual uniform purchases toward domestic manufacturing. The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) has been working with the Administration to expand Berry Amendment-style sourcing across agencies and has remained in regular touch with the DOI.
Read the Full Press Release Here
Wool Market Continues Downward Correction
After climbing to its highest point since June 2019 recently and then falling back last week, the Australian Wool Exchange (the global market indicator) continued it’s downward correction this week. Wool prices weakened across all micron categories, with the Eastern Market Indicator falling 20 cents – the largest fall since last October.
Click Here for the ASI Conversion Chart – AWEX Prices to USD Per Pound.
Source: AWEX