Silver Bell Award
The Minnesota Lamb and Wool Producers are currently
seeking nominations for the 2011 Junior and Senior Silver Bell
Awards. Applications are due by November 20, 2011. The Silver
Bell Awards will be presented at the Shepherds Conference and
Trade Show, December 3 & 4, in Mornton, MNi.
Silver Bell Award History
The Silver Bell Award has awarded annually to one or two Minnesota
shepherds who have excelled in modern sheep, lamb, or wool production
for over 25 years.
Over the years, the selection criteria has included flock size,
lambing and weaning rate, lamb and wool production per ewe, sale
price of lamb and wool, gross return per ewe, and the following
less tangible but equally important factors:
-
Attitude toward the adoption of new technology.
-
Use of financial as well as flock production
records.
-
Willingness to commit labor, feed, capital,
and managerial effort toward the profitable production of a
quality product from their flocks that reflects well upon the
entire sheep industry.
-
An apparent faith and confidence in the “old
ewe” and in their efforts to consistently generate a substantial
part of their farm income with a ewe flock.
-
A contagious enthusiasm for sheep, coupled
with a record of profitable production that encourages others
to follow a similar program.
-
Civic contributions to their community.
The selection of the state’s most profitable
flock, the largest lamb crop, the heaviest shearing ewes, or the
best appearing flock was not the goal. Rather, we have chosen sheep
producers who are exemplary of what all shepherds should strive
to be.
General Rules and Guidelines
A shepherd can receive the award only once in a lifetime. If there
is no individual worthy of receiving the award, one will not be
presented. The individual should show longevity in the sheep business.
All aspects of the sheep industry will be considered equal, including
commercial, dairy, purebred, and hand-spinning farms.
There shall be a Junior Silver Bell award based
on the same criteria as the adult Silver Bell award, except that
the nominee must be less than 21 years of age and a current FFA
or 4H sheep program participant. Selection emphasis for this category
will focus on how they have gone out of their way to promote the
sheep industry in Minnesota.
Selection of individuals to receive the award will
be done by a committee of the Minnesota Lamb and Wool Producers
with at least one previous award member on the committee. It will
be the responsibility of the committee to determine the degree
of excellence of each nomination and to select the winner based
on the collective subjective judgment of the committee.
The Silver Bell Award will be presented at the annual
MLWP conference. All winners will be notified prior to the MLWP
annual conference. Winners will be asked to give a short presentation
at the following year’s annual conference.
Criteria for the Award
Individual must meet the following criteria to be nominated for
the Silver Bell Award:
-
Be a paid current member of MLWPA.
-
Excelled in the PRODUCTION of sheep, lamb,
or wool
-
Excelled in the PROMOTION of sheep, lamb, or
wool.
-
Excelled in the production and promotion of
sheep, lamb, or wool over an extended period of time.
Letter of Nomination
Individuals do not need to be notified that they are being nominated
for this award. Nomination letters may be kept on file for future
years if there are more nominees than awardees in a given year.
The letter of nomination should not be verbose.
There is no set format. Try to limit your letter to one page.
Focus on how the person being nominated meets the criteria for
the award and what they have done to distinguish themselves from
other shepherds. Each letter of nomination must stand on its own
merit.
Letters of Nomination for this year’s Silver
Bell awards must be submitted not later than November 20, 2009
to Selection Committee Chair:
Foster Mooney, 9710 Jewel Lane, Chisago City, MN 55013
Past Winners of the Silver Bell Award
| 1976 |
DuWayne Swenson and John Larick |
| 1977 |
John Wichern and Milo Mastny |
| 1978 |
Curtis Roos and Orin G. Green |
| 1979 |
Doug Ness and Arne Stoen |
| 1980 |
Ernest Haehnel |
| 1981 |
Lee McEvilly |
| 1983 |
Jim Perkins and Paul M. Westerberg |
| 1984 |
John Schrier and LeRoy Christianson |
| 1985 |
Joel Rehm and LaVerne Martin |
| 1986 |
Wayne & Betty Geppert and Richard & Mary Wishart |
| 1987 |
Roger O. Green and Robert J. Burns and Peter & Charles
Bobendrier |
| 1988 |
Ian Tamara Cunningham |
| 1989 |
Rodney Eldevik family and Dale Billberg family |
| 1990 |
Randy Dombek |
| 1991 |
Chris Aubart and John & Dorie Bailey |
| 1992 |
Susan Zenk and Roger Karstens and Jim & Linda Hove
and Brad Meyers |
| 1993 |
Wayne Busch and R & K Shepherds and Shane Wishart |
| 1994 |
Ryan Dostal and Pat Anderson and Foster Mooney |
| 1995 |
Randy & Jewel Noble |
| 1996 |
Kelley O’Neill and Dr. Cindy Wolf |
| 1997 |
Paul & Dr. Holly Neaton |
| 1998 |
Janet McNally |
| 2000 |
Paul & Jan Anderson and Joel & Pat Friedrich |
| 2002 |
Gene & Gail Christians |
| 2003 |
Bob Padula |
| 2004 |
Mike Haubrich Family & Dale Carter Family |
| 2005 |
Mike & Carrie Caskey Family |
| 2006 |
George & Jackie Mead |
| 2007 |
Don & Deb Drewry Family |
| 2008 |
--- No Nominations |
| 2009 |
Dr. Chuck Christians |
| 2010 |
Jeremy Geske & Mercedes
Lee |
|
