Sheep Industry News July 2023

Georgia Sheep Association Draws A Crowd

G eorgia Sheep Association secretary Tina Nix had the local caterer on speed dial by the time the state’s Annual Conference rolled around on June 10. As registrations continued to come in during the final weeks before the event, she increased her food order multiple times to make sure there would be enough to feed the growing crowd. Approximately 100 producers from all across the Peach State came together at the University of Georgia’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital for a day of educational presentations and networking. It was a triumphant, optimistic day for a small state association that was growing “by leaps and bounds” before the pandemic. “We didn’t have a conference in 2020 or the next year,” said longtime producer Jan Southers. “Then we came back last year and it was kind of small, so this is a significant improvement from last year to this year in numbers. We’re doing so much more than what this organization was doing 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago.” Southers credited past association leaders Steve and Beth War ner – who were honored during the day – for pushing the associa tion in the right direction. “We’re really focused on trying to help people who want to do something with sheep,” Southers said. “How can you market your lamb, what can you do with your wool and how can you make those connections you need to be successful? Those are the things we’re focused on as an association.” The day started with an hour-long networking opportunity over coffee and donuts that led into a state of the union address from current president Nathan Nix. He stressed that the associa tion places equal value on meat and wool. Like many states in the southeast, Georgia has seen a growing hair sheep population in the past decade that caters to the large ethnic market in Atlanta. What doesn’t end up there heads to the major cities up and down the East Coast. But there’s also a fair amount of wool still being produced in the state. Dr. Darren Seidel of Purina offered an overview of sheep nutri tion, stressing the need for using body condition scoring to moni tor flocks. Of course, you can’t talk about sheep health in the hot, humid Southeast without mentioning parasites. Ultimately, Seidel encouraged producers to have a plan for everything – from health to lambing to marketing their products. Alabama producer Jimmy Parker was on hand to represent the American Lamb Board. Lamb prices have struggled to bounce back to the highs seen in 2021. However, many producers in Georgia direct market their lamb and have been a bit insulated from the dramatic dips in the market in the past year or two. Breakout sessions on marketing, wool, government programs

and for beginning shepherds filled several hours after lunch. Among those most enthralled with the afternoon sessions were soon-to-be sheep producers Torrin Mike and Margaret Armstrong. The pair purchased 23 acres and have been busy preparing the land for livestock – something they know very little about. “It all started with a YouTube video,” Mike said with a laugh, crediting the documentary Biggest Little Farm with spurring the pair’s farming dreams. “The end product had a little bit of magic to it that made us think it would be nice to have something like that. We want something that meets our needs, but also is a resource for the community and something that we can share with people.” While the land is the current priority, there’s been much debate as to what type of sheep will call it home – most likely in 2024. St. Croix and Katahdins have certainly been in the mix. But the pair attended Southers’ beginning shepherd session and no doubt heard about her affinity for Gulf Coast Native sheep. “We’ve definitely got a lot of new information to think about on that after talking with everyone here,” Armstrong said. “We might be back to the drawing board on that one.” Both formerly in the United States Army, neither comes to this endeavor with a livestock background. But their experience in rais ing chickens in recent years has them excited about moving up to small ruminants. “Chickens were the gateway animal into this lifestyle,” Mike said. “That helped us build some confidence when we could keep them alive. There’s definitely some excitement now about this new adventure. This was our first involvement with the Georgia Sheep Association, and we found some things we needed to know. But we also found a real community, so that was a nice bonus.”

Past President Steve Warner and his wife, Beth, were honored by the Georgia Sheep Association on June 10 for their efforts in leading the association. They received a new association sign, which are available to members as a fundraiser for the organization.

July 2023 • Sheep Industry News • 15