New World Screwworm Creates Concerns
New World Screwworm is a highly destructive pest that affects livestock, other warm-blooded animals such as wildlife and pets, and occasionally birds and humans. NWS infestations occur when the female fly lays eggs on an animal’s open wounds or other vulnerable areas. The larvae hatch and then feed on the living tissue, causing tissue destruction and disease.
NWS was eradicated in the United States in the 1960s, in Mexico in the 1970s, and in Central America in the early 2000s. Since that time, NWS infestations have been confined largely to South America. In 2023, however, New World Screwworm detections exploded in Panama, where the average number of cases of NWS had been 25 cases per year but rose to more than 6,500 cases between 2023 and 2024. The infestation spread northward throughout central America and more recently into parts of Mexico. Since 2023, NWS has been detected in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Mexico. Detected in southern Mexico in December of 2024, new infestations have since been detected further into Mexico, including in the Yucatan Peninsula and north toward central Mexico. The potential for the pest to reach the United States is quite real and alarming.
In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has instituted new entry requirements for animals crossing the Mexican border. However, the most effective treatment to prevent the spread of NWS is the Sterile Fly Treatment program. Because the female screwworm fly mates only once in its lifetime, sterile flies are produced and then released into the environment where they mate with the female flies. No offspring are produced, and the females die without reproducing, effectively reducing/eliminating the threat from these flies. The United States has maintained a sterile fly treatment facility in Panama for many years, but due to a number of factors the production of sterile flies broke down at that facility, resulting in new spread of the disease. USDA is working to create new sterile fly production facilities in the United States to address this emerging threat. USDA has stated that this might take up to five years to reach full capacity.
The American Sheep Industry Association encourages sheep producers – particularly those in the Southern United States and along the Southern border – to familiarize yourselves with this pest in order to quickly identify it should the pest enter the country.
For more information:
- New World Screwworm: What you need to Know Brochure English / Spanish.
- Screwworm: Biology, Distribution and Identification Poster.
- USDA Pest Alert.
- CDC Website: Resurgence of New World Screwworm in the Americas: What Healthcare Providers Need to Know.
- USDA develops resource to help veterinary professionals recognize and respond to screwworm.
- APHIS website for New World Screwworm Information.
- Overview of the situation in the Americas: Panama-United States Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of Screwworm.
Festival Honors Peavey with Scholarship
The Trailing of the Sheep Festival is pleased to announce the inaugural year of distribution of an annual scholarship in honor of Idaho sheep producer John Peavey. With an application due date of May 31, the recipient of this scholarship will be awarded $500 for the 2025-2026 academic year. The recipient may use the funds for college or trade school related expenses including tuition, fees, housing and books while pursuing a degree or certificate in the field of agriculture.
An icon of the Sun Valley community, Peavey actively kept up his work and fostered his passions until his passing in June 2024 at the age of 90. While he had many impressive achievements throughout his life – as a family man, rancher, national agricultural advocate and Idaho state senator – the Trailing of the Sheep Festival was special to him as it allowed him to share his love of the sheep, the land and his many stories, which helped educate and inspire both local residents and visitors from around the world.
Click Here for more information.
Source: Trailing of the Sheep Festival
UC-Davis Study Looks at Cost of Wolves
Motion-activated field cameras, GPS collars, wolf scat analysis and cattle tail hair samples are helping University of California-Davis researchers shed new light on how an expanding and protected gray wolf population is affecting cattle operations, leading to millions of dollars in losses.
Long believed extinct in California, a lone gray wolf was seen entering the Golden State from Oregon in 2011 and a pack was spotted in Siskiyou County in 2015. By the end of 2024, seven wolf packs were documented with evidence of the animals in four other locations. As wolves proliferated, ranchers in those areas feared they would prey on cattle.
UC-Davis Professor and Cooperative Extension Specialist Tina Saitone sought to quantify the direct and indirect costs after the California Department of Fish and Wildlife launched a pilot program to compensate ranchers for wolf-related losses.
“There’s not really any research in the state on the economic consequences of an apex predator interacting with livestock,” she said.
They found that one wolf can cause between $69,000 and $162,000 in direct and indirect losses from lower pregnancy rates and decreased weight gain.
Click Here to read the full story.
Source: UC-Davis
Textile Project Seeking Manager
The Hudson Valley Textile Project is looking to hire a business development and operations manager. HVTP is a non-profit corporation with a mission to support and collaborate with New York State’s farmers seeking to market their plant and animal fibers; and to support makers/designers seeking to utilize locally sourced materials in home furnishings and fashion industry textile applications.
The business development and operations manager will create and implement strategies that will improve the demand for, and profitability of, New York State produced textiles, focusing on products made with NYS-grown fiber content.
Click Here for more information.
Source: Hudson Valley Textile Project
Webinar Focuses on Communicating with Farmers Under Stress
An upcoming Penn State Extension webinar – Communicating with Farmers Under Stress – is aimed at helping participants learn the signs of stress and how to help. This webinar will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on May 15.
The program is designed for agriculture industry professionals, loan officers, family members of farmers and concerned citizens. The session will cover how to communicate with and respond to farmers and their family members when they need assistance.
This webinar is free, but attendees must register prior to the start of the webinar to get the access link. Those who register also will receive a link to watch the recording of the program.
Click Here for more information.
Source: PSU Extension
Intro. To Shepherding Workshop Offered
Withywindle Valley Farm’s Carissa Miller will host an Introduction to Shepherding workshop on June 22 at the farm in Olympia, Wash. The course is designed for those considering starting a flock or current sheep producers looking to improve their operations.
The workshop will address a variety of topics, from determining your goals to rotational grazing to handling systems and animal health. The cost to attend is $135, with a sliding scale for low-income attendees.
Click Here for more information.
Source: Withywindle Valley Farm
Lamb Jam Continues in Austin
The 2025 Austin Lamb Jam event on April 16 was a highly successful, sold-out event, celebrating American lamb through a curated tasting experience featuring eight of Austin’s top chefs.
The event welcomed several Texas lamb producers, along with Austin-based influencers, food media and culinary personalities, helping expand the event’s reach and amplify American lamb messaging through local networks and social media coverage.
At the event, Austin-area chefs vied for 2025 Austin Lamb Jam honors in the chef competition, offering eight delicious American lamb creations created by: Foreign & Domestic; KG BBQ; El Naranjo; Holiday; Olamaie; Gina’s on Congress; Micklethwait Craft Meats; and El Alma.
Austin’s Lamb Jam Master Winner was Chef Sarah Heard of Foreign & Domestic with her award-winning dish: whey-braised lamb neck ravioli. The winning dish was voted on by attendees as the crowd favorite.
“The Austin Lamb Jam experience was a great gathering of producers, chefs and consumers enjoying delicious American lamb dishes,” said ALB Chairman Jeff Ebert. “I encourage producers to attend Lamb Jam events and similar festivals in their local markets to connect with consumers and influencers.”
Now through September, Lamb Jam will visit seven cities across the country, promoting American lamb with live tasting events in each market. Upcoming Lamb Jam events will be held in Washington, D.C., Seattle, San Francisco, Boston and Denver. Tickets for the live Lamb Jam Happy Hour Tour events are available online at americanlamb.com/lamb-jam.
Lamb Jam supports World Central Kitchen with a portion of proceeds from ticket and merchandise sales going directly to the organization, helping to provide meals to those in need, and responding to humanitarian, climate and community crises.
From T-shirts to socks, show off your lamb love in style, and the official Lamb Jam merch has you covered. Visit lambboard.com store to order yours today.
Source: ALB
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.
Hoelscher Named Chief Ag Negotiator
Late last week, it was reported that President Donald Trump plans to nominate Doug Hoelscher as chief agriculture negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. He most recently served as chair for the American Leadership Initiative within the American First Policy Institute – a Trump-aligned thinktank that was founded by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.
In addition to his role at AFPI, he is an Iowa native and served in both the George W. Bush and first Trump administrations in various political roles.