Fiber Preparation 101, From Sheep to Wool for Handspinners, Marketing your Farm Products with Social Media (bring your laptop or smart phone), and Skirting Fleeces (bring fleeces and skirting tables if you have them). Refer to the agenda for class times.
Join the fun at the 2014 MN Lamb & Wool Shepherd’s Holiday at the Oak Ridge Conference Center in Chaska. The annual conference starts with the “Celebrate Lamb Social” on Friday Dec. 5 at 7pm. The evening will include lamb cooking/sampling with Chef Virgil Emmert, sheep cheese samples courtesy of Shepherd’s Way Farm, wine tasting, and more.
Stay for the educational seminars on Saturday. There will be sessions for experienced producers, beginners, and fiber enthusiasts. Topics include: health, nutrition, marketing, updates from ASI & ALB and much more. The Make it With Wool contest is also on Dec. 6. Check out the trade show, awards luncheon and annual banquet/fundraiser auction. The agenda posted here will be updated as more speakers confirm.
The conference concludes Sunday morning with the annual business meeting and election of officers. Reserve your room by Nov. 14 by calling 877-874-6772 and ask for the MLWP guestroom rate.
Pres. John Dvorak was accompanied by Melanie Pamp and Jeremy Geske on a trip to Washington D.C., sponsored by the MN Lamb and Wool Producers and ASI, to lobby for several different items for our nation’s sheep producers. Shown here with MN Representative Colin Peterson, who is chair of the House Ag Committee.
Sorry for the delay in posting this! Thank you John, Melanie, and Jeremy for going there and lobbying on our behalf!
Even though it doesn’t feel like Spring, March is here! MLWPA is pleased to announce that Holly Neaton and family will be hosting the Spring Sheep Workshop on March 22 at their farm near Watertown. The program will include topics on health and management. Please refer to our Spring Workshop Page or the brochure for more details.
Mark your calendar and plan to attend the 2014 Pipestone Lamb and Wool Program Lambing Time Short Course and Bus Tour which will be held on January 31st and February 1st in Pipestone. We have an excellent program planned and we will be touring two outstanding sheep operation. The program starts with an optional Friday evening discussion. Saturday will begin with lambing time management and health topics. The afternoon will be spent touring and viewing two successful sheep operation.
Topics include: ”We Care” Sheep Management Practices, Production Record Keeping Systems, Internal Parasite Control & Strategic Worming, Golden Era of Sheep Production, Identifying and Treating Common Ewe Health concerns, Ways to Make Lambing Time Easier and Managing the Leading Killers of Baby Lambs.
The purpose of this short course and bus tour is to help producers recognize and effectively deal with common lambing time problems. We are fortunate to have highly qualified sheep veterinarians on the program to share their thought on common lamb and ewe health problems. Touring two top area sheep operation in the afternoon will provide an opportunity for individuals to see firsthand how other sheep producers recognize and deal with lambing time problems. You will see how they lay out their lambing barn, set up creep pens, graft lambs, dock, vaccinate, feed and management of their lambs and ewes. The farm demonstration session will provide an excellent learning opportunity.
Morning topics include: Ried Redden, NDSU: Direct Marketing; Margo Hanson : OPP; Tim Szymanski: Grazing and nutrition. After lunch, participants will hear Stephanie Anderson: from wool to yarn, and tour of wool processing plant.
The cost is $20 per person. For more information, contact Jim Stordahl at 218-280-1129.
Northern Woolen Mills is located in the Industrial Park in Fosston