Around the States
TEXAS
Scholarships Available for Fall 2017
The Hill Country Sheep and Goat Organization (formerly called the Hill Country Chapter of the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association Auxiliary) offers several scholarship opportunities for high school seniors, undergraduate college students and post graduate students attending a Texas college, university or accredited technical school. In 2016, the organization awarded $18,500 in scholarships. It is once again time to apply for scholarships for the school term of fall 2017.
The association will offer scholarships in three categories:
• Several scholarships for students from Texas Hill Country counties (Bandera, Blanco, Edwards, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Menard, Real, Mason and Sutton) who are majoring in agriculture-related fields of study. Applicants may be either high school graduates, college undergraduates or graduate students attending any Texas college, university or trade school.
• To encourage participation in the Texas and National Make It With Wool Contest, scholarships are available to Texas students who participated in the 2016 MIWW contest and will be attending a Texas college or university in the fall of 2017.
• To provide additional assistance and support to Texas State Trappers, a new scholarship is available specifically for students from throughout Texas who are the son or daughter of a Texas State Trapper. Students need to be accepted to a college, university or trade school for the fall of 2017, but do not need to major in agriculture.
The application deadline is April 15, 2017. The complete rules for each of the three scholarships is included in the application form. Students can get a copy of the application from their high school counselor, online at TXSheepandGoats.org/scholarships, or from Chris Summers with the Hill Country Sheep and Goat Organization. Email TerrapinFarms@gmail.com for more information.
Maryland
Sheep & Wool Festival to Charge Admission
The Maryland Sheep Breeders Association board of directors voted on Jan. 17 to begin charging an admission fee for the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival.
“We are proud that for 43 years we have been able to provide the Festival experience free of charge to the public,” said MSBA President Lee Langstaff.
The continued growth and increasing complexity of the festival, even with the generous voluntary donations of the past several years, pushed the board to approve the request from the Festival Committee.
“We’ve been teetering on the edge of overwhelming our dedicated volunteers, who are the heart of the festival,” said Festival Chair Gwen Handler.
Important things to know:
• The admission fee is $5 per day (adults only); everyone under 18 will be admitted free.
• Exempted from the fee will be MSBA members, volunteers, sheep show exhibitors, vendors and other individuals as determined by the Festival Committee.
• Gates will now open at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 6. This will be strictly enforced. Early entry will no longer be permitted.
• Gates will open at 7 a.m. on Sunday, May 7, to accommodate those wishing to attend the Breakfast Buffet and Sheep-to-Shawl Contest. The official start time will still be 8:30 a.m.
• Tickets may be purchased in advance at Sheepandwool.eventbrite.com. A processing fee of $1.24 per ticket will be added. (Class registrations also will be handled through this site.)
Oregon
Forage Management Series at Oregon State
Each section of this five-part series consists of an evening classroom presentation at the Oldfield Animal Teaching Facility on the Oregon State University campus, followed by a morning field practical at a local outdoor location.
Class meets Wednesdays (6 to 8:30 pm) and Thursdays (10 a.m. to noon). Pre-registration and a $30 fee per part (or a discounted price of $120 for five) per ranch is required. Register online at extension.oregonstate.edu/linn/ or call 541-967-3871 or 541-766-6750 for instructions.
This series will focus on a “project ranch” that participants work on together, including site visits and online document sharing and blog. The project ranch will be the Wilson Farm, the OSU sheep facility with sheep and cattle grazing the pastures. The objective of the series is to improve knowledge about managing forage on properties in the Willamette Valley.