Spring Sheep Day is a resounding success with over 100 participating – excited to learn hands on and share knowledge about sheep and lamb health! “Thanks to U of M Veterinary Diagnostic Lab and Minnesota Lamb & Wool Producers Assoc for a great day.”

Hands-on demos included: ewe health – assessing body condition, disease symptoms, collecting blood samples; examining euthanized ewes for signs of OPP, CL, and other health issues; and lamb necropsy station determining causes.

Great lecture sessions on sheep diseases, focusing on Scrapie and OPP, and other health concerns, and an OPP producer panel, and finished the day with U of M Sheep Barns or DVL tour.

Look for more pictures and post on our Facebook page; Minnesota Lamb & Wool Producers Association, or https://www.facebook.com/groups/MLWPassociation/

Pictured (L-R): Jeremy Geske (Secretary), Randy Kinney (President), Congressman Peterson, Dan Lippert (Past Chair of American Lamb Board), and John Dvorak (Past-President, ASI Reg. 3 Director).  Picture from Congressman Peterson’s weekly newsletter.

MLWPA leaders participated in the ASI Legislative trip to Washington, D.C. They met with the entire MN Congressional delegation. Topics discussed included: Farm Bill (LDP rate for wool, FMD Vaccine bank, minor species designation, mandatory price reporting), funding for wildlife services, support for US Sheep Research Station and grazing on public lands.

     Several industry tours were available for us in the Denver area.  Because if Denver’s climate, it is very suitable for feedlots, and then of course, processing plants too.  There are several processors in the Denver – Greeley area for both lamb and beef, and numerous feedlots.  Superior Farms and Mountain States both offered tours. 

     The 2 lamb feedlots toured were Harper Livestock, and Double J Lamb Feeders.  Harper Livestock (pictured) has 50+ pens available, with most pens capacity at 1900 lambs, and total capacity of approx. 80,000 lambs!   Their current inventory was approx. 46,000 lambs, mostly western range lambs (see pic).  They were currently bringing in lambs from the California Imperial Valley alfalfa fields.  

     We also toured Nugget International, where approx. 4500 pelts are received daily from processors, graded, salted, dried and readied for shipping typically in large bales.  (See warehouse pic of bales).

ASI Annual Convention in Denver January 25 – 28, 2017

There was good attendance from Minnesota at the annual convention. This picture taken after our region’s 6-state (inc; MN, WI, MI, OH, IL, IN), Region #3 caucus was held.  Minnesotans in attendance,

L-R Front: John Dvorak, past-Pres MLWP, and newly elected Region 3 Regional Director; Travis Hoffman, Sheep Ext Specialist MN & ND; Melanie Pamp, past-Pres MLWP; Steve Schreier, ASI Exec Board, past-Pres NLFA; Dan Persons, Vendor, Lamb Council Comm.

Back: Dan Lippert, Lamb Council Comm; Mike Lippert, MLWP; Bob Padula, director MLWP; Dr. Gerald Kennedy, Vendor, ASI Animal Health Comm; Randy Kinney, Pres MLWP, 2017 Delegate and Director.

(L to R) Randy Kinney, Pres; Daryl Boehm, Director; Don Drewry, Director; Travis Fowler, VP1; Al Hendrickx, Director; Jeremy Geske, Secretary; John Dvorak, Past Pres;  Glenette Sperry, Treasuruer; Steve Froehlich, VP2; and Melanie Pamp, Past Pres. [not pictured: Doug Mathias, Director; Bob Padula, Director].