Familiar Resort to Host ASI Annual Convention

The Scottsdale (Ariz.) Plaza Resort has become a favorite of sheep producers from all around the United States as a regular host of the American Sheep Industry Association Annual Convention. The facility will be home to the convention for the third time in the past 10 years on Jan. 15-18, 2025.

Situated in intimate clusters that allow for quiet and privacy, the resort’s accommodations range from larger-than-standard rooms to residence-style suites, villas and casitas spread across the property’s 40 acres. No matter which accommodations you choose – each designed with thoughtful amenities, modern decor, and plenty of space to sprawl out and enjoy – you’ll stay in comfort and ease at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort.

A daily resort fee covers parking, the fitness center and classes, in-room refrigerators, in-room coffee, high-speed internet and bathrobes. The facility offers five swimming pools, tennis courts, a full-service salon and spa, valet parking, a complimentary shuttle and is pet friendly. It’s also in the heart of Scottsdale and just minutes from local restaurants, shops and art galleries in Old Town. And January is the perfect time to explore nearby Camelback Mountain or check out one of the area’s many championship-caliber golf courses.

Click Here for hotel registration information.

Click Here to register for the ASI Annual Convention.

 

ASI Accepting Officer Nominations

American Sheep Industry Association Nominating Committee Chair Susan Shultz reminds sheep producer leaders and state associations that nominations for ASI Secretary/Treasurer are due in November.

Interested producers should share a letter of interest – including leadership experience in the sheep industry – with the ASI office by Nov. 29. The committee will then agree on a nomination slate of officers to be presented to the ASI Board of Directors at its annual meeting in January.

Contact Executive Director Peter Orwick at 303-771-3500, ext 103, or [email protected] for more information.

 

Australian Market Records 1-Cent Loss

The Australian wool market recorded modest falls in this series with the market best described as subdued after the sharp rises recorded during the previous selling series.

Last week’s price increases encouraged more sellers to the market, pushing the national offering up to 41,065 bales. This was the largest sale since Week 8, which was after the annual three-week, mid-year recess. Although this sale was relatively large, the season to date offering continues to trend lower. So far this year there have been 432,254 bales put through the auction system. This is 109,999 fewer bales than the previous season, a drop of 20.3 percent.

High-yielding (higher than 66 percent dry in particular) Merino fleece lots containing favorable additional measurement results continued to attract strong buyer interest. The prices on offer for these types were at similar levels to those of the previous week. Lower-yielding wool and wool with less favorable AM results did not receive the same level of support as buyers became more selective with their purchases. These types were the driving factor in the overall downward trend in the Merino fleece Micron Price Guides.

Across the country, the Merino fleece MPG movements ranged between plus 11 and minus 30 cents. The softer market pushed the passed-in rate up to 8.3 percent. This was 6.5 percent higher than the previous series as the 1.8-percent passed-in rate last week was the lowest passed-in figure since August 2018.

The AWEX Eastern Market Indicator added 1 cent on the first selling day, pushing the run of positive daily EMI movements to six. On the second day, the EMI dropped by 2 cents, meaning the EMI fell by the barest of margins and closed the week 1 cent lower at 1,138 Australian cents.

Next week’s offering is expected to fall. There are currently 36,553 bales rostered for sale in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle.

Click Here for the ASI Conversion Chart – AWEX Prices to USD Per Pound.

Source: AWEX

 

2024 Lamb Jam Master Crowned

Lamb Jam Restaurant Month is a unique dining experience that brings together talented chefs across the country to celebrate American lamb and the family farmers and ranchers raising sheep in the United States. In May, chefs in seven target markets competed to create the most impressive American lamb dish. Finalists selected from each market then showcased their culinary expertise at the Lamb Jam Finale Dinner on Tuesday at the James Beard Foundation’s new event center in New York City.

Finale attendees dined on the winning Lamb Jam dishes from each market and voted for their favorite at this premier event. Chef Linda Hampsten Fox from The Bindery in Denver took home the honors of Lamb Jam Master 2024 with her Crispy Lamb Taco.

“Lamb Jam has been a marquee event for the board for many years, but adding this finale event has added more prestige and created more publicity for American lamb,” said ALB Vice Chairman David Fisher, who attended the event. “It was an honor to celebrate the 2024 winning chefs and meet lamb loving consumers from NYC.”

The seven 2024 American Lamb Jam dishes and chefs representing the target markets were:

• Crispy Lamb Boudin with Apricot, Green Peppercorn Aïoli and Herbs prepared by Adam Rosenblum from Causwells in San Francisco. Lamb for this dish was sourced from Schmitz Ranch.
• Lamb Meatballs with Dill-Roasted Potatoes, Tahini and Strawberry Salsa prepared by Steven Satterfield from Miller Union in Atlanta with American lamb from Border Springs Farm.
• Barbecue–Achiote Lamb Tacos with Queso Blanco, Pickled Pineapple, Onions and Cilantro prepared by John Bates from InterStellar BBQ in Austin with lamb sourced from Catelli Bros.
• Crispy Lamb Taco with Salsa Macha, Queso, Red Onions, Mole and Crema prepared by Linda Hampsten Fox from The Bindery in Denver with American lamb from Superior Farms.
• Lamb Croquettes with Meyer Lemon Confit, Hazelnuts, Manchego, Spinach and Brown Butter–Carrot Sauce prepared by Edson Rojas from The Banks in Boston with lamb sourced from Hopkins Farm.
• Lamb Leg Char Siu with Black Tea–Willow Skewer, Puffed Wild Rice–Chile Crisp, Sake, Citrus Labneh, Cucumber and Fermented Mint Tartare prepared by Maximillian Petty from Eden Hill in Seattle with lamb from Anderson Ranches.
• Seven Spice–Roasted Lamb Leg with Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes, Cumin and Preserved Lemon prepared by Michael Costa from Zaytinya in Washington, D.C. with American lamb sourced from Shenandoah Valley Lamb.

Source: ALB

 

Sheep GEMS: Genetic Diversity

Genetic diversity is what allows for adaptation and evolution in response to change, whether that change is environmental or consumer driven. As we look across the array of domestic sheep breeds throughout the United States, the genetic diversity is clear. From fine-wool to long-wool, hair to dairy, and everything in-between, there is a wide variety of diversity that exists in sheep breeds.

While the differences among breeds can be stark, shared characteristics among individuals are what define a breed. Yet within a breed, no two individuals are the same as considerable variation exists among individuals. That individual variation allows breeders to select animals with traits that are better suited for their production system and environment. Selection is a powerful tool which can transform generations, but there is a delicate balance between the desire to have uniform animals to produce a consistent product and the need to have enough genetic variability from which to select those best animals.

Being able to see the genetic diversity that exists across breeds is straightforward. Tools such as the National Sheep Improvement Program’s Estimated Breeding Values allow producers to take advantage of individual differences within a breed to select optimal breeding candidates. By considering an animal’s relationships and its phenotypes, EBVs help distinguish those animals predicted to be superior in their performance. A higher resolution is being able to see genetic diversity at the molecular level, which can be achieved through evaluating genomic markers in the form of single nucleotide polymorphisms. Integrating these SNP into evaluation tools has led to the development of Genomically-Enhanced Estimated Breeding Values.

Conservation of genetic diversity is usually a priority among breeders of rare breeds or those with low population numbers. In these cases, maintaining multiple genetic lines, focusing on degree and rate of inbreeding, and carefully planning mate selection may be more important than genetic selection for improving production traits. In most major breeds with large population sizes, the loss of genetic diversity driven by selection is rarely considered until detrimental effects appear. While adopting genomic selection has the potential to double the rate of genetic gain, it also has the potential to double the rate of genetic loss in the population. Additionally, the use of GEBVs in other species has led to major improvements in production traits yet negative effects on correlated traits, such as health and reproduction. An awareness of these pitfalls allows the sheep industry an opportunity to make better decisions with the use of GEBVs.

Due to the potential loss of genetic variation from selection, the Sheep GEMS consortium has characterized the current genetic diversity of the Suffolk, Polypay, Rambouillet and Katahdin breeds. Evaluation of diversity for these breeds includes both pedigree- and molecular-based methods to fully describe the populations. These baselines of diversity will be references for future diversity evaluations to assess if there has been any significant loss of variation over generations. Stay tuned for an upcoming article describing the extent of genetic diversity found in these breeds currently.

For further information, contact Dr. Carrie Wilson ([email protected]).

Acknowledgements. We thank American sheep associations and breed organizations, the National Sheep Improvement Program, and sheep producers, for their contributions to this research. 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 USDA 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.

Source: Sheep GEMS