The following is an article taken from the Dec. 5, 2002 issue of the Agri-View newspaper.
by Bob Leder In America's Dairyland, there's a very well established infrastructure for dairy farmers. Part of that infrastructure is the UW-Extension service. The Extension services, along with the support industries, put on a wide array of learning opportunities across the state for dairy farmers. Topics of these educational meetings range from waste management to employee training. Dairymen are given many opportunities to learn about new techniques and developments that impact dairy farming profitability. These meetings also give dairymen a chance to visit with one another to compare experiences. It's this "networking" with one another that's sometimes just as enlightening as the presentations. These meetings for dairy farmers are coordinated locally, regionally and statewide. In most cases, the dairyman does not have to travel very far to attend. The sheep industry has the same beneficial relationship with the UW-Extension service. But, because the sheep industry is small and very widespread compared to the dairy industry, sheep producers may have to travel further to reap the benefits of such meetings. My wife, Penny, and I have attended many of the learning opportunities for sheep producers and have always come away with new ideas and insights. The first educational opportunity that I'd like to remind everyone of is the winter Sheep Management WISLINE (formerly ETN) series put on by the UW-Extension services and the Department of Animal Sciences. These meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month (December through March) from 7:30 to 8:50 p.m. and can be accessed at your respective county Extension offices. The WISLINE system provides for two-way communications between listeners and speakers. It's a nifty communication tool that turns a statewide meeting into a local meeting. Presenters for these series have ranged from nationally known experts to local Wisconsin producers with practical experiences. The topic of the Dec. 5 Sheep Management WISLINE meeting is crossbreeding systems for sheep production, presented by Kreg Leymaster of the Meat Animal Research Center of Clay Center Nebraska. The January meeting will be on the new wool program, February will be on sheep diseases, and March will cover winter grazing practices. I strongly recommend that you contact your local Extension offices and make arrangements to attend any of the meetings that interest you. The next educational opportunity that I strongly recommend is the Indianhead Sheep Breeders Annual Shepherd's Clinic. That group will be hosting their ninth annual clinic on Feb. 8 in Rice Lake at the Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (WITC). I attended last year's clinic and was very impressed with the quality of presentations, facilities of WITC and overall organization of the meeting. This year, the groups featured speaker will be Peter Schroedter, a Canadian sheep producer and author of, "More Grass, More Sheep, More Money." This shepherd's clinic is of high quality and rivaled "the conference" that was formerly hosted in the spring by the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Co-op. It may be a drive to scenic northern Wisconsin, but plan a winter getaway, and play in the snow on Sunday after the clinic. The Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Co-op will be hosting their fourth annual Sheep Production Field Day at the Ray and Alice Antoniewicz farm just south of Madison on June 28. The field day provides an opportunity to see close up the workings of commercial sheep production. A grass walk has been included on each of the previous field days and will again be a featured part of the program this year. The field day is a great chance to see how other producers manage their sheep and grass for profit. The farm setting is great to visit and share ideas and experiences with other like-minded people. Another annual sheep meeting is the Spooner Sheep Day, traditionally the fourth Saturday of August. In 2003, the 51st Spooner Sheep Day will be on Aug. 23. The experimental station has been a wonderful resource for Wisconsin sheep producers. They've done timely sheep production research for 50 years, trying to show practical ways to manage sheep. Each year, they report on research projects that have been conducted over the past year. The most recent work at the station has focused on milking sheep. We can be proud that the Spooner Station is a national leader in the research of milking sheep. In fact, Wisconsin is included is a three-location rotation for the Great Lakes Dairy Sheep Symposium, which we will be hosting again in 2004. The Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival is held the first weekend after Labor Day in Jefferson. This past year was the first such festival. This event is one of the few that producers can visit with a wide array of vendors that have products for sheep production. From sheep handling equipment to ear tags and feed supplements, the festival is the place to meet with vendors and see what's new. In addition to the large trade show, there are also educational sessions for interested producers. Besides these events, there are several other shepherds' clinics around the state that are hosted by area sheep producer groups. The Mid-Wisconsin Sheep Producers put on a clinic in April, and the Northeast Wisconsin Sheep Producers also sponsor such a clinic. Breed associations, grazing groups and local county extensions also plan and host meetings throughout the year. Each of these meetings provides a chance to compare notes with others and gain new insights. While we do not take in every educational event, Penny and I try to attend a couple each year. We've made, some very good friends in the process. It's always better to see the new Italian ryegrass growing first hand rather than have to take the word of a salesman. Even seeing different breeds or crosses of sheep can be insightful. If you're considering sheep as an enterprise, some of these events would be excellent opportunities to see what's out there and meet some people that might be able to help you find your way. Bob Leder is a Bear Creek commercial shepherd and a large animal veterinarian with Clintonville Veterinary Services. He practices management intensive grazing on his farm. Contact Leder via Agri-View's, livestock editor, Kelli Gunderson, 815-864-2270 Larry Meisegeier River Ridge Stock Farm Bruce, WI 715-868-2285 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.sheepmilk.biz =============================================== This message is from the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep mailing list. 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