SSWS Plan Workshops Scheduled in Iowa, Nevada
In the first three months of 2025, three European Union countries have experienced outbreaks of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, which illustrates the importance of preparation. Sheep producers will have two in-person opportunities in the coming months to learn more about how the American Sheep Industry Association’s Secure Sheep and Wool Supply Plan can help them prepare for a possible outbreak in the United States.
Trainings are scheduled in Iowa on May 9 and in Nevada on June 5 as part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program grant secured by ASI. In all, 11 states have had or will host training opportunities in 2024-25 thanks to the grant.
Sheep producers are invited to attend Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s Secure Sheep and Wool Supply Plan Workshop on May 9. Sheep producers will learn how to best protect their flocks from disease and prepare for the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak. Attendees will also hear from Dr. Danelle Bickett-Weddle of Preventalytics and receive a tour of the Iowa State Sheep Teaching Farm.
“Stopping disease transmission from farm to farm and animal to animal is the first step in protecting your sheep from diseases. Each producer can create a plan tailored to their operation and how they conduct daily management and business continuity,” said Carolyn Ihde, small ruminant outreach specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.
Attendees will also learn about: preventing common diseases from spreading to sheep; understanding what to expect if FMD is diagnosed in the United States; preparing for business continuity; learning options for implementing biosecurity measures on sheep; and creating a map with lines of separation.
The workshop will be offered at the Iowa State Sheep Teaching Farm pavilion in Ames, Iowa, from 1 to 5 p.m. There is no cost to attend. Attendees will gain valuable information, hands-on experience and a binder containing all resources from the SSWS website.
Click Here for more information.
The recent outbreak of a virus in dairy cows across 17 states – including Nevada – has highlighted the ongoing and increased need for livestock biosecurity efforts to protect livestock from foreign animal diseases – including FMD – that affects livestock and is expected to hit the United States relatively soon. To help producers prepare, University of Nevada-Reno Extension is offering a workshop on June 5 at the California Trails Interpretive Center between Carlin and Elko, Nev. Those who can’t attend in person may opt to attend virtually.
When a foreign animal disease hits, producers may not be allowed to move their livestock without movement permits issued by the Nevada Department of Agriculture, interrupting continuity of business for the producers and impacting supplies for consumers. The June 5 workshop – Enhanced Biosecurity Planning for the Farm & Ranch – is designed to help livestock producers initiate their own enhanced biosecurity plans that will ensure appropriate precautions are being taken to limit the spread of disease. Producers then submit those plans to the department of agriculture for approval. When an outbreak occurs, the department will be able to issue movement permits to those who have approved plans on file, allowing continuity of business and flow of goods to consumers.
“The workshop will be helpful to anyone who wants to learn about livestock biosecurity, but we’ll be focusing on enhanced biosecurity plans for Foot-and-Mouth Disease and other foreign animal diseases,” said Tracy Shane, a livestock specialist who co-leads extension’s Livestock Biosecurity Program with colleague Gary McCuin, an agriculture and natural resource specialist. “Beef cattle, sheep and goats will be the focus. But, any livestock producer with any size herd will be able to apply the concepts learned to their operations. We also want to encourage our region’s tribal producers to attend.”
Both Shane and McCuin will be on hand at the workshop to provide local Nevada examples of successful enhanced biosecurity plans, and have been certified by ASI to train others on creating livestock biosecurity plans. Shane said two national-level security food supply plan trainers are also coming in to help with the training, ASI’s Erica Sanko and Bickett-Weddle.
In addition, Nevada Department of Agriculture Director J.J. Goicoechea, who is a doctor of veterinary medicine, and Leah Trapp, emergency coordinator with USDA’s Veterinary Services in Utah and Nevada, will be on hand to discuss why we need secure food supply plans and the USDA’s role in preparing states for foreign animal diseases. Others who will be presenting at the workshop include Nevada State Veterinarian Peter Rolfe and representatives from the Nevada Department of Emergency Management, the Nevada Department of Wildlife and the Bureau Land Management.
The workshop runs 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free. Preregistration is required by May 28. Those who opt to attend in person need to register online and can bring their own lunch or purchase lunch at the event. They will also receive a free binder of materials to help them with their enhanced biosecurity plans. Those who plan to attend online will receive the Zoom link after registering and will be able to access the materials online.
Click Here to register to attend in person.
Click Here to register to attend online.
Source: ISU Extension and UNR Extension
Beginning Shearing School Set in Arkansas
The University of Arkansas’ Division of Agriculture Research & Extension will host a beginning shearing school on May 10-11 at the Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Center in Fayetteville, Ark.
In this hands-on training, students will learn about the shearing process, proper equipment and safety procedures, and develop basic shearing skills. This course is designed for beginners and is intended to empower participants with a greater understanding of the shearing process. Oregon-based shearer Phoebe Smith, who has worked on fine wool crews in the West and in New Zealand will be the instructor.
Attendees are encouraged to bring up to three sheep from their own flocks to enhance their learning experience.
Click Here for more information.
Source: UA Extension
Sheep GEMS: Understanding Eco-Management Clusters
Sheep producers across the United States operate in a wide range of environments – from humid grasslands to dry, high-elevation rangelands. These environmental differences – along with varied management practices – mean that a one-size-fits-all approach to genetic selection often falls short. In other words, the animals that perform best across all environments might not be the same, which could have implications when selecting breeding animals. To help address this challenge, the Sheep GEMS project team has developed a tool – coined eco-management clusters – designed to help producers select animals that are best suited to their specific production conditions.
These eco-management clusters were developed using survey responses collected separately for each breed, capturing detailed information about flock management practices and geographic location. Flocks were then grouped into eco-management clusters based on similarities in both climate – such as temperature, precipitation and humidity – and management practices – such as at-grass compared to confinement lambing systems. The goal is to account for the real-world differences in how we raise sheep so that we can better understand how those factors interact with genetics.
We have identified several distinct environmental clusters within our major American sheep breeds, including Katahdin, Polypay, Rambouillet, Suffolk and Targhee. For example, one cluster included flocks raised in hot, arid regions with limited forage availability. In that cluster, management tended to be more extensive with less intensive feeding and outdoor lambing. Another cluster included flocks in similar climates but with more intensive management, such as supplemental feeding and barn lambing. Likewise, in cooler, wetter regions, we observed that flocks differed in their feeding strategies and lambing practices. Our findings highlighted how climate and management decisions combine to define distinct production environments, and thereby distinct eco-management clusters.
By recognizing these clusters, we can start to answer questions like: Do certain rams sire lambs that perform better in some environments than others? And can we improve selection tools to reflect these differences?
This research matters because selecting animals based on existing national-level breeding values might not fully reflect how those animals will perform in your production environment. By incorporating eco-management clusters into genetic evaluations, we can give producers more tailored tools to identify animals that will thrive in their own unique systems.
With our framework of eco-management clusters, we aim to improve the accuracy and usefulness of genetic evaluations. Our goal is to make genetic selection more relevant to the day-to-day realities of sheep production, empowering producers with information that fits their operation.
Our long-term goal is to ensure American sheep genetic evaluations keep pace with environmental and management challenges – helping producers build more sustainable flocks that stay healthy, productive and profitable for years to come.
For further information, contact Hilal Yazar Gunes at [email protected].
Acknowledgements. We thank producers participating in the National Sheep Improvement Program for completing an online survey of their management practices. This work was supported by the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (grant 2016-51300-25723/project accession no. 1010329), and by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant (grant 2022-67015-36073/project accession no. 1027785), from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the USDA.
Currency Movements Drive Australian Wool Market
In an almost mirror image of the previous series, the Australian wool market recorded large falls this week, again heavily influenced by currency thanks to an upward spike in the Australian dollar compared to the U.S. dollar. The AUD closed the previous series at 59.63 U.S. cents. On the opening day of this series, it was trading at 63.43 U.S. cents.
In contrast to the previous week, falls were expected and from the opening lot these falls were realized. Buyer activity was best described as cautious, with buyers being very selective in their purchases. By the end of the day, the individual Micron Price Guides for Merino fleece had dropped by between 16 and 48 cents. These losses – combined with falls in the crossbred, skirting and oddment sectors – resulted in a 22-cent drop in the benchmark AWEX Eastern Market Indicator.
When viewed in USD terms, the news was much more favorable. The EMI rose by 34 U.S. cents – the largest daily rise in U.S. cents since October 2021. With minimal currency movement on the second day, the market settled. Although the market recorded overall losses, the falls were nowhere near as large as the previous day. The Merino fleece MPG movements ranged between unchanged and minus 17 cents. The other sectors recorded minimal falls.
The EMI fell by another 8 cents, closing the week 30 cents lower at 1,232 Australian cents. The EMI also fell in USD terms, losing 6 U.S. cents for the day to close the series 28 cents higher at 787 U.S. cents. Of note this week, the Sydney sale was held at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, showcasing wool auctions to the larger community.
There is no sale next week as the market heads into the one-week Easter recess.
Click Here for the ASI Conversion Chart – AWEX Prices to USD Per Pound.
Source: AWEX
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.
House Unlocks Reconciliation Process
Last week, the House of Representatives passed the Senate-amended budget framework, pushing the reconciliation process forward and getting the chamber one step closer to the goal of “one big, beautiful bill.”
The resolution passed 216-214, with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) being the only two Republicans to join House Democrats in voting against the framework. The passage of this resolution paves a way forward for the reconciliation process that Republicans hope to use to push President Donald Trump’s legislative priorities through initiatives like extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Though the budget framework now exists, the House and Senate have vastly different instructions on how to get there despite both House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) being roughly aligned on a spending cut target of $1.5 trillion.
The House Agriculture Committee specifically has been instructed to cut $230 billion over a 10-year period while the Senate Agriculture Committee has only been directed to cut at least $1 billion within the same fiscal period. After the two-week recess, the House is expected to begin the committee markup process ahead of the Senate during the next work period, although it’s worth noting reconciliation will have a challenging time moving forward until mutual committee toplines can be met.
ALB Shines at The Chef Conference
The American Lamb Board proudly sponsored a new culinary event: The Chef Conference. This immersive, multi-day gathering brought together some of the country’s most talented chefs, innovators and thought leaders.
The event’s chef-centric focus was a fantastic fit for introducing American lamb to a group of people responsible for crafting menus, experimenting with flavors and inspiring their teams daily.
This fast-paced, high-energy conference kept many attendees running between sessions. ALB provided American lamb meat sticks sourced from David Fisher’s HF4 Ranch – a perfect grab-and-go snack for chefs running between panels. These flavorful bites were a hit and helped spark conversations about American lamb.
In addition to the grab-and-go meat sticks, ALB was able to feature American lamb at meals throughout the event, including: American Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki; Lamb Neck Sliders, Ribs and Skewers; Lamb Shoulder with Rouge di Bordeaux Mafaldine; and Cold Lamb Shoulder Rice Roll wrapped in Wilted Kale with Flaky Salt.
“The opportunity to introduce so many culinary artists and decision makers to so many American lamb dishes proved to be a huge opportunity,” said ALB Chairman Jeff Ebert. “This event is a great opportunity to connect with influential chefs and get American lamb on more menus.”
The Chef Conference hosts three events annually. Moving forward, ALB plans to expand involvement, including more post-panel dinners, conference lunches and restaurant-driven experiences where chefs and guests can sit, savor and truly connect with the story of American lamb.
Source: ALB