ASI Annual Convention Shines Light on Flock’s Future
Most homes were still illuminated by lanterns and candlelight when the National Wool Growers Association – the predecessor to the American Sheep Industry Association – held its first convention in 1865. But 160 years later, sheep producers from across the country shared a renewed excitement for the industry’s future as a panel of solar grazers pointed toward new heights for the American flock and its role in developing clean energy for the United States.
Ryan Indart of California, Reid Redden of Texas and Daniel Dotterer of Pennsylvania shared stories of getting their feet in the door of solar grazing in recent years during the 2025 ASI Annual Convention Opening Session on Jan. 16 in Scottsdale, Ariz. They were joined in the panel discussion by Silicon Ranch Corporation’s Loran Shallenberger and David Wen of AES Corporation. Both companies are developing solar assets, while Silicon Ranch has taken the unprecedented step of assembling its own sheep flock, as well. The panel was moderated by Lexie Hain of New York, a solar grazer who founded the American Solar Grazing Association and is now the director of agrivoltaics and land management at Lightsource bp.
Agrivoltaics is the practice of using land for both agriculture and solar energy production, and more often than not at this point that agricultural use is the grazing of sheep. The explosion of solar fields throughout the country has created a whole new job for America’s sheep, and producers like those on the panel welcomed the opportunity to supplement their livestock incomes (from lamb and, in some cases, wool) with grazing fees. While solar grazing has allowed producers to expand their flocks, it has also welcomed newcomers who often found the lack of land an expensive barrier to getting into the industry.
The Western wildfires that dominated the news in recent weeks have also put a spotlight on grazing, and the role it can play in a changing climate. Targeted grazing is a booming industry, as well, and has long been used in states such as California to reduce fire loads.
“The American sheep industry has definitely seen a resurgence in recent years thanks to these grazing opportunities,” said newly elected ASI President Ben Lehfeldt of Montana. “We wanted to further highlight that opportunity at this year’s convention. But sheep producers have always known the value that sheep bring to the lands they graze, whether that’s a solar field, national forest or private land.”
In addition to the discussion on solar grazing at the opening session, ASI introduced a book – Targeted Grazing 101: Starting and Sustaining a Grazing Service Enterprise – focused on paid grazing opportunities and how to get started during the convention. The book will be available this spring.
As mentioned, the association elected new officers during the 2025 ASI Annual Convention at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort. Lehfeldt was elected to serve as president, while California’s Joe Pozzi moved into the vice president slot and Tammy Fisher of Texas was elected secretary/treasurer. Brad Boner of Wyoming will serve as past president after two years at the helm of the association.
Lehfeldt is a fifth-generation rancher, and his family has been involved in the industry for more than 135 years. He previously served as vice president (2023-2025) and secretary/treasurer (2021-2023), and is a past member of the ASI Wool Council. He’s also served as a director of the Montana Wool Growers Association, and on the board of directors for the American Lamb Board and the National Grazing Lands Coalition.
Look for complete coverage of the ASI Annual Convention in the March issue of the Sheep Industry News.
ALB Releases Annual Report
The American Lamb Board’s 2024 Annual Report highlights efforts to grow consumer demand for American lamb, enhance product quality, increase productivity and broaden engagement in the checkoff program.
ALB is committed to sharing the story of American lamb with consumers through targeted marketing initiatives and strategic partnerships. In 2024, ALB launched a series of successful marketing campaigns that reached a larger audience, showcasing the versatility, health benefits, environmental sustainability and exceptional flavor profile of American lamb.
“2024 was an innovative year for promoting American lamb. New sponsorships and partnerships enabled us to reach more consumers with recipes, cooking tips and information about American lamb,” said ALB Chair Jeff Ebert.
Here are a few highlights from the report.
Marketing and Promotion
- Lambassadors – a talented group of chefs, influencers, and recipe developers – showcased American lamb on their websites and social media channels, reaching more than 700,000 consumers.
- Online cooking classes assisted consumers in preparing American lamb at home.
- Consumer events offered a face-to-face opportunity to highlight American lamb.
- Foodservice promotions and conferences allowed ALB to reach chefs to increase American lamb on menus.
Industry Services
- With the support of a U.S. Department of Agriculture Climate-Smart Commodities Grant, ALB is striving to enhance the sheep industry’s commitment to sustainability.
- Targeted grazing presents new grazing contract opportunities for American sheep producers. In 2024, Targeted Grazing Workshops were conducted in Texas, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Click Here for the complete report to learn more about these programs, research and innovation initiatives, and upcoming offerings planned for 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
The national lamb checkoff – directed by ALB – is funded by mandatory assessments (checkoff) paid by all segments of the sheep industry. By federal law, all sheep or lambs of any age, including ewes, rams, feeder and market lambs, breeding stock and cull animals, are subject to the national lamb checkoff assessment at the time of every sale.
WHAT IS A DIRECT MARKETER? Direct marketers are producers who maintain ownership of some or all of their lambs and sheep through production, feeding and harvest, and sell their products directly to consumers, retailers and/or chefs. Direct marketers have their lambs or sheep custom-harvested at a local processor or butcher. In some cases, primarily for ethnic sales and holidays, direct marketers sell their lambs and sheep directly off the farm. Direct marketers are both the producer and the first handler and are responsible to pay both the live weight and first handler assessments and remit directly to the American Lamb Board.
WHAT IS A FIRST HANDLER? Owner of the animal at time of slaughter, such as packer, processor or direct marketer.
WHAT IS AN EXPORTER? Each person or entity which sends live lambs or sheep out of the United States are responsible for remitting the live weight assessment to ALB at the time of export.
DO 4-H, FFA AND SEEDSTOCK SALES PAY THE CHECKOFF? Yes. Fair boards, sale managements and 4-H/FFA clubs can collect and remit the live weight assessment directly to ALB. Otherwise, they can deduct the assessment from the sale and pass the live weight assessment to the buyer, who becomes the first handler responsible for remitting both the live weight and first handler assessments.
WHAT’S THE USDA’S ROLE? USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service oversees the American Lamb Checkoff to assure that funds are spent as intended by law. Information is available at ams.usda.gov.
HOW TO SEND YOUR ASSESSMENT? Assessments must be sent with Form LS-81, the Monthly Remittance Report. This form is available at LambResourceCenter.com or by calling 303-759-3001. You can submit your remittance online or mail Form LS-81 and your payment to: American Lamb Board, 23029 Network Place, Chicago, IL 60673-1230.
WHERE CAN I FIND ONLINE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHECKOFF? Go to Lambboard.com. Specifically, these pages will be helpful to learn more about how the American Lamb Board works, is collected, long range plans and programs, and reports: https://lambboard.com/reports
HOW DO I CONTACT THE AMERICAN LAMB BOARD? The American Lamb Board is happy to answer your questions about the lamb checkoff, provide industry information and help with local promotion resources. Call 303-759-3001 or send an email to [email protected]
Source: ALB
Lambing Schools Planned
North Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming have all announced plans for lambing schools in the coming months for new producers or producers who might just want to brush up on lambing knowledge and skills.
North Dakota will host an in-person school on Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Tappen (N.D.) City Hall. Registration is $10 for adults while youth can attend for free. Clinic topics include: baby lamb management, record keeping, lamb weaning considerations, a lamb market update, ewe body condition scoring and hoof health. There will also be a producer tour hosted by Brent and Barb Stroh.
Click Here for more information.
The University of Wisconsin will host the Badger Lambing School over the course of a month. It begins with online sessions on Feb. 5, 12, 19 and 26 and concludes with an in-person session at the Arlington (Wis.) Research Station Sheep Unit. Topics covered during the course will include: nutrition, health, lambing, facilities and neonatal care. Registration is required and includes a virtual-only option for $15 or both virtual and barnside sessions for $30.
Click Here for more information.
The Wyoming Wool Growers Association will host a lambing school on Feb. 28 in Burns, Wyo. The target audience is new/emerging producers, but all are welcome to attend. The school will take place on a farm with practical, hands-on experience. The deadline to register is Feb. 15 (or until the class is filled). The registration fee is $10.
Click Here for more information.
Wool Market Influenced by Currency Movement
The Australian wool market was unable to maintain the upward trend of the previous week, recording a small overall loss in this selling series. The higher prices on offer in the previous series encouraged more sellers to the market, bolstering the national offering.
There were originally 50,965 bales available to the trade, but after 2.5 percent was withdrawn prior to sale, the final offered figure was 49,692 bales. This was the largest national offering of the current season (by more than 7,000 bales) and the largest since Week 41 last season (April 11, 2024), when there were 50,148 bales offered. Of the nearly 50,000 bales, 46,004 bales were sold with 7.4 percent of the offering failing to reach seller reserve.
The movements in the individual Micron Price Guides for Merino fleece across the country ranged between plus 7 and minus 34 cents, with the largest falls felt on the opening day. The benchmark AWEX Eastern Market Indicator dropped 4 cents on the first day. On the second day, the market settled resulting in a generally unchanged market. This was reflected in the EMI, which finished the day unchanged. The EMI ended the week 4 cents lower, closing at 1,186 Australian cents.
In what is an all-too-common occurrence, the market movements were again heavily influenced by currency. A strengthening of the Australian dollar compared to the U.S. dollar since the close of the last selling series – the AUD gained 0.75 cents compared to the USD – meant that when viewed in USD terms, the market conditions were more positive. The EMI gained 6 U.S. cents for the series, closing the week at 743 U.S. cents.
Next week’s national offering is forecast to reduce significantly. There are currently 34,565 bales expected to be offered in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle. Sales will be held in the unusual selling pattern of Tuesday and Thursday.
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.
Senate Ag Holds Hearing for Rollins
On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Foresty convened to discuss the nomination of Brooke Rollins of Texas and her experience and qualifications to be the next secretary of agriculture.
Much debate centered around trade and the Trump administration’s proposed tariffs, Trump’s immigration policies and their potential impact to agriculture, the current highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak, and the use and promotion of biofuels. Republicans and Democrats agreed on the importance of supporting rural communities and addressing agricultural challenges, such as high input costs and providing timely disaster assistance.
Republicans praised her small town, agricultural roots and focused on her commitment to passing a Farm Bill and supporting farmers. Democrats concentrated on the need for bipartisan cooperation, ensuring robust support for nutrition programs such as SNAP, and addressing immigration challenges for undocumented farm labor. Other topics discussed included improvements to safety net and risk management programs, trade deficits, and forest health and management.
While the Senate has yet to schedule a vote for Rollins, she is expected to be easily confirmed with bipartisan support.
Click Here to watch the full nomination hearing.
USDA Announces Staff Appointments
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced several appointments for senior staff roles within the department. These announcements are as follows:
- Kailee Tkacz Buller was appointed chief of staff. She most recently served as president and chief executive officer of the National Oilseed Processors Association. She has also served as deputy chief of staff to the deputy secretary of agriculture.
- Preston Parry was appointed deputy chief of staff. He most recently served as strategic assistant to the president and chief executive officer at the America First Policy Institute. He has also previously served as executive assistant to the director of the Domestic Policy Council and as associate director in the White House Visitors Office.
- Jen Tiller was appointed chief of staff to the deputy secretary and senior advisor to the secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services. She most recently served as deputy staff director on the House Agriculture Committee.
- Ralph Linden was appointed principal deputy general counsel. He has almost 40 years of experience in the Office of the General Counsel, including serving as acting deputy general counsel.
- Audra Weeks was appointed deputy director of communications. She has previously served as deputy press secretary of USDA. She also has experience serving on the press teams for Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and President Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign.
- Dominic Restuccia was appointed White House liaison. He has previously served as a legislative assistant for former Rep. Mike Bishop (R-Mich.) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).
Senate Committee Holds Hearing for Doug Burgum
On Jan. 16, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing to vet former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as nominee to be secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. During the hearing, Republicans and Democrats agreed on the importance of balancing energy production with environmental stewardship.
Republicans focused on addressing energy prices, land management and federal land policies, emphasizing the need for leadership to counter current administration policies. Democrats concentrated on the challenges posed by climate change, the transition to a cleaner energy economy and the importance of public land conservation. Other topics discussed included the Antiquities Act, housing crisis solutions, tribal relations, and the significance of innovation over regulation in energy policy.
As of now, the vote to confirm the former governor into Trump’s cabinet has yet to be scheduled.
Click Here to watch the full nomination hearing.
Trump Announces Nominees for USDA Under Secretaries
President Donald Trump has made four announcements for various under secretary positions at USDA. In a series of posts on the social media platform Truth Social, he announced nominations for the following roles and individuals:
- Luke Lindberg was named the nominee to be under secretary for trade and foreign agriculture affairs. In the first Trump administration, he served as chief of staff and chief strategy officer at the Export-Import Bank, and is currently the president and chief executive officer of South Dakota Trade.
- Dudley Hoskins was named the nominee to be under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs. In the first Trump administration, he served as chief of staff for marketing and regulatory programs and as senior advisor to the secretary, and currently serves as counsel on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
- Richard Fordyce was named the nominee to be under secretary for farm production and conservation. In the first Trump administration, he served as administrator of the Farm Service Agency and has also served as director of agriculture for the state of Missouri.
- Michael Boren was named the nominee to be under secretary for natural resources and environment. He is a businessman who has founded six different companies and has served on the board of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.
Trump had already announced his intent to nominate Brooke Rollins and Stephen Vaden to serve as the secretary and deputy secretary, respectively. All of these individuals were officially nominated shortly after Trump was sworn in on Inauguration Day.
House Democrats Firm Up Agriculture Committee
House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) announced which House Democratic members will be serving on the Ag Committee in the new Congress. Freshman members joining the committee include Reps. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Adam Gray (D-Calif.), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Mich.), Shomari Figures (D-Ala.), Eugene Vindman (D-Va.), Josh Riley (D-N.Y.), John Mannion (D-N.Y.) and April McClain Delaney (D-Md.).
It’s worth noting that there are still two open seats on the committee for House Democrats to fill at a later date. At the time of this reading, notable members no longer serving on the committee who did in the 118th Congress include current Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), and former Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.).
Click Here for the full list of Democratic House Agriculture Committee members.
Click Here for the full list of Republican House Agriculture Committee members.