Webinar Offers Education on Halal Slaughter
While many of the major lamb plants in the United States slaughter lambs using the halal process, sheep producers might not be familiar with just what that means or how it is performed. Kathryn Piper of Five Pillars Butchery in Maine led an ASI-sponsored webinar earlier this week to provide some education on the topic.
The Ins and Outs of Halal Slaughter covered a variety of Muslim teachings on the slaughter of animals – whether it be for consumption or religious sacrifice. Halal itself simply means permissible. It includes sets of prescribed rules based in Islamic ethics which Muslims must follow. Most notable among them are dietary guidelines pertaining to food consumption and the way in which an animal is slaughtered – like the term Kosher in Judaism. Halal can also pertain to business practices, which include business transparency and ethical investments.
Halal slaughter involves showing respect and kindness to the animal and recognizing the life being taken while also being grateful to the creator. Piper looked to dispel some preconceived notions that both Muslims and non-Muslims alike might have about halal requirements.
Click Here to watch the webinar.
The webinar was made possible through cooperative agreement funding from USDA/APHIS and is now archived on the ASI website. SheepUSA.org offers archived versions of 45 webinars that provide a library of educational presentations on a variety of topics ranging from animal health to research projects to marketing American lamb.
Click Here to visit the webinar page.
MSU Program Looks at Domestic Wool Manufacturing
In conjunction with the Montana Ram & Ewe Sale – Sept. 11-12 in Miles City, Mont. – Montana State University will offer a program entitled Opportunities and Challenges for U.S. Grown and Sewn Wool and Natural Fiber Clothing on Sept. 11 from 1-3 p.m. at the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds Event Center in Miles City.
The program will offer “a relaxed, but technical discussion from people who get their hands dirty on the challenges and opportunities facing the growing U.S. companies trying to compete in a global market to revive the U.S. grown and sewn wool and natural fiber clothing supply chain.”
Scheduled to appear on the program are: Guy Carpenter of Bear Fiber in North Carolina; Wade Kopren of Fishhook Socks in South Dakota; Evan Helle of Duckworth in Montana; and Ben Hostetler of Mountain Meadow Wool in Wyoming.
For more information, contact MSU Extension Sheep and Wool Specialist Brent Roeder at [email protected].
Source: MSU Extension
China Adds Additional Import Regulations
China has made it mandatory for all United States facilities involved in the exporting of hides and skins to China (packing, processing, storing, etc.) to be pre-registered and approved before those products will be allowed entry into the country.
This is a change from the current process, which does not require any pre-registration. The new requirements go into effect by the end of September; therefore, attention and quick action are required to ensure no disruptions to trade. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Leather and Hide Council of America are coordinating efforts to ensure all hides and skins processing, storage or export facilities are registered with China’s GACC before implementation of the new requirement.
Between now and Sept. 6, APHIS will be compiling a comprehensive list of all facilities involved in the trade and submitting that list to China’s GACC for approval well ahead of the deadline. Please notify LHCA if you have any questions regarding this policy change.
Source: Leather and Hide Council of America
Sheep & Lamb Market Focus of Upcoming Webinar
Tyler Cozzens, Ph.D., of the Livestock Marketing Information Center will be the speaker on Wednesday at the monthly webinar hosted by the University of Idaho Extension, Utah State University Extension and South Dakota State University Extension.
Cozzens – a regular contributor to the Market Report article in the Sheep Industry News – will offer his take on the sheep and lamb market. The webinar is scheduled for noon mountain time.
Click Here to register for the webinar.
Source: University of Idaho Extension
Sheep & Goat Field Day Planned in Texas
The 51st annual Sheep and Goat Field Day will be held Aug. 16 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo.
On-site registration for the free event will start at 7:30 a.m. The program will run from 8:15 a.m. to noon and will feature Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists highlighting their studies at the center, as well as the latest innovations, information and technology related to sheep and goats.
AgriLife Extension’s 2024 Texas Sheep and Goat Expo will follow the field day on Aug. 16-17 at the First Community Credit Union Spur Arena in San Angelo.
Opening the field day with program and center updates will be Paul De Laune, Ph.D., interim director for the center at San Angelo and also an AgriLife Research environmental soil scientist, regents professor and faculty fellow in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. The first portion of the program will consist of tour stops highlighting research and work being done at various sites on the center’s grounds. Each tour stop session will be approximately 15 minutes. Participants will be divided into groups and rotate through the tour stops.
The first group sessions will begin at 8:15 a.m. and consist of:
- Range and Pasture Herbicide Update, Morgan Treadwell, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension range specialist and associate professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, San Angelo.
- Protein Supplementation and Performance of Rangeland Sheep, Jessica Dudak, nutrition research assistant in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Sonora.
- Dorper Sire Trial, Jake Thorne, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension sheep and goat specialist and assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science, San Angelo.
There will be a 15-minute break before the next group of sessions begins at 9:15 a.m. They are as follows:
- Livestock Guardian Dog Survey, Bill Costanzo, AgriLife Extension livestock guardian dog specialist, San Angelo.
- Livestock Management Software Demonstration, Christie Ketring, AgriLife Research center manager, San Angelo.
- Utilizing the Toxic Plant ID App, Treadwell.
The indoor portion of the program will begin at 10:45 a.m. and consist of the following presentations in the auditorium:
- Sonora Station Research Update, Doug Tolleson, Ph.D., AgriLife Research rangeland specialist and associate professor in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Sonora.
- Sheep Weeding in Cotton, Reagan Noland, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist and assistant professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, San Angelo.
- Aggie Cedar Eater Goat Trial Update, John Walker, Ph.D., professor emeritus and AgriLife Research range scientist, San Angelo.
The field day is dedicated to Carl Menzies, Ph.D., former director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo, and Roger Landers Jr., Ph.D., retired AgriLife Extension range specialist, San Angelo.
Source: Texas A&M AgriLife
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.
USDA, USTR Name ATAC Advisors
Last week, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai announced the appointment or reappointment of 55 members to serve across seven Agricultural Trade Advisory Committees.
These committees were originally created by Congress with the intent to ensure that U.S. agricultural stakeholders have input and insight into trade policy and a seat at the table when negotiating objectives. ASI’s Erica Sanko was selected to serve as an advisor on the ATAC for Trade in Animals and Animal Products.
This incoming class of appointed advisors will serve until 2028.
Click Here for a full list of the ATAC appointees.
ALB Sponsors D.C. Summer Restaurant Week
Next week kicks off the highly anticipated D.C. Summer Restaurant Week – an event for food lovers. The American Lamb Board is sponsoring the event – which includes 350 locations – and American lamb will be featured on menus in at least 35 of the participating restaurants.
The August 12-18 event brings together foodies and world-class chefs in an event that has promoted American lamb through banner ads on the main website, social media mentions and several e-blasts to more than 1,500 contacts.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to introduce American lamb to new chefs and consumers participating in the event,” says ALB Chairman Jeff Ebert. “Washington, D.C., is one of the board’s seven target markets, which makes this a great opportunity to reach a key audience.”
ALB’s other key markets are Denver, Boston, San Francisco, Austin, Atlanta and Seattle.
Restaurants participating in D.C. Summer Restaurant Week received ALB promotional materials and were encouraged to feature American lamb in their menus for the event. Each of the 35 restaurants featuring American lamb dishes will be featured in an ALB newsletter to 4,000 D.C.-area subscribers and receive a $500 lamb voucher.
With so many restaurants serving up American lamb at this event, consumers will be able to try amazing dishes like Lamb Osso Bucco from Alta Strada Mosaic, American Lamb Potstickers from CHLOE, and Moroccan-Spiced Lamb Ragu with Gnocchi from City Cruises, to name a few.
Click Here to see all the participating restaurants and look for the ALB icon on the event website.
Source: ALB
USDA Announces Changes to FSA Loan Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this week changes to the Farm Service Agency’s Farm Loan Programs, effective Sept. 25 – changes that are intended to increase opportunities for farmers and ranchers to be financially viable. These improvements – part of the Enhancing Program Access and Delivery for Farm Loans rule – demonstrate USDA’s commitment to improving farm profitability through farm loans designed to provide important financing options used by producers to cover operating expenses and purchase land and equipment.
“USDA recognizes that Farm Service Agency’s loan making and servicing activities are critical for producers, especially in tough times. Providing borrowers the financial freedom to increase profits, save for long-term needs and make strategic investments is the best way to ensure the nation’s farmers and ranchers can build financial equity and resilience,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Implementing these improvements to our Farm Loan Programs is the next step in our ongoing commitment to removing lending barriers that may prevent access to credit for borrowers, especially those who need it most.”
Farm loan policy changes outlined in the Enhancing Program Access and Delivery for Farm Loans rule, are designed to better assist borrowers to make strategic investments in the enhancement or expansion of their agricultural operations.
The three most notable policy changes include:
- Establishing a new low-interest installment set-aside program for financially distressed borrowers. Eligible financially distressed borrowers can defer up to one annual loan installment per qualified loan at a reduced interest rate, providing a simpler and expedited option to resolve financial distress in addition to FSA’s existing loan servicing programs.
- Providing all eligible loan applicants access to flexible repayment terms that can increase profitability and help build working capital reserves and savings. By creating upfront positive cash flow, borrowers can find opportunities in their farm operating plan budgets to include a reasonable margin for increased working capital reserves and savings, including for retirement and education.
- Reducing additional loan security requirements to enable borrowers to leverage equity. This reduces the amount of additional security required for direct farm loans, including reducing the frequency borrowers must use their personal residence as additional collateral for a farm loan.
Click Here for more information.
Source: USDA/FSA
Woolen Clouds Opens in Wisconsin
Your eyes are drawn to the ceiling when you enter through the doors of Nancy Nicholas Hall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Washington textile artist Janice Arnold transformed the stone columns in the lobby into tree trunks that disappear among wispy clouds draped from above. The scene feels like the Pacific Northwest, she said, where forests are often covered in mist.
“I want people to feel small,” Arnold said as she put finishing touches on the installation. “I want people to realize that they’re just a part of this larger picture.”
Called Woolen Clouds, the installation will be on display through Jan. 5, 2025, in the School of Human Ecology. Woolen Clouds was “quite an audacious installation,” Arnold said. A hydraulic lift was used to hang nearly 4,000 square feet of handmade felt, created from sheep’s wool. A video that plays on a five-minute loop next to the installation shows the process Arnold went through.
Click Here to read the full story.
Source: The Cap Times
Video of the Week
The American Solar Grazing Association is producing a short documentary entitled Green Energy, Greener Pastures: The Powerful Story of Solar Grazing in America that will be officially released at RE+ 24 at the Anaheim Convention Center on Sept. 9.
The film tells the incredible story of farmers who are raising sheep on solar sites throughout the United States, and the film captures how this opportunity has reshaped the lives of farmers and the benefits it creates for agricultural communities and the solar industry.
Click Here to watch a trailer of the documentary.
Source: ASGA