Sheep Industry News March 2022

President’s Notes SUSAN SHULTZ ASI PRESIDENT

Young Entrepreneurs Are Positive, Engaged In Industry

I t was so refreshing to see the bright faces and listen to the optimism of the young people at our ASI Annual Convention this year. It was not only the conversations about the good lamb prices that producers are receiving, but it was the engagement in our industry that struck me as such a positive trend for us moving forward. Along with a dynamic group of young producers, our indus try is benefitting from an influx of young state executives, young researchers and new extension sheep specialists. This group had an opportunity beyond the main agenda to network and share their successes and failures in building their operations through the ASI Young Entrepreneurs Committee.

Ryan Boner of Wyoming and Cody Chambliss of South Dakota, along with members Ashley Larson of Washington, Kip Krebs of Oregon and Brady Evans of Texas. They have assumed the responsi bility to coordinate YE activities, and plan the agenda for next years’ convention in Fort Worth. If you are between the ages of 20 and 40 and would like to become involved with the next generation of leaders in our sheep industry, please contact a member of the YE leadership team and/ or join their Facebook page at American Sheep Industry Emerging Entrepreneurs. My best.

Young Entrepreneurs – as we know it today – was the brainchild of ASI Past President Burdell Johnson of North Dakota. When he served as an ASI officer, Burdell was adamant that ASI should reach out to the next generation. He wanted to attract more families to our convention and provide programming for youth. It was called the ASI Youth Taskforce in 2008, and I was asked by Burdell to chair the committee that first year. For the next two years – led by Burdell and Dr. Jill Swannack of Washington – the Youth Task force focused on attracting families and their wide age range of children along with young adults to the Annual Convention. In 2011, the focus evolved and was narrowed to engaging young adult sheep farmers and ranchers ages 20 to 40 and renaming the committee the Emerging Youth Entrepreneurs. We now call the committee ASI Young Entrepreneurs, or just YE for short. In the past 14 years, the initial intent of this committee has never changed in that ASI wanted to reach out and engage the next generation. Leadership devel opment is now a key component of this effort and many former and current Young Entrepreneurs serve as state association directors, state execu tives, state sheep extension specialists and even as an ASI officer. The 2022 ASI Young Entrepreneurs executive board is led by a leadership team co-chaired by

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