Sheep Industry News March 2023

Producers HonoredWith ASI’s Annual Awards

T he ASI Annual Awards Luncheon on Jan. 20 offered the association and its members the opportunity to recog nize some of the industry’s most impactful contributors. Producers from Minnesota to Oregon were honored as part of the festivities. MCCLURE SILVER RAM Idaho’s Jeff Siddoway was presented with the McClure Silver Ram Award. The award is dedicated to volunteer commitment and service, and is presented to a sheep producer who has made sub stantial contributions to the sheep industry in his/her state, region or nation.

committees. In his home state, he worked through his role in the state legislature to increase funding for sheep education and exten sion programs at the University of Idaho. “Who really deserves all the credit is my wife, Cindy, and she got this same award about seven years ago, in 2016” Siddoway said. “All of you who know how our operation works, Cindy just about takes care of everything except the physical end of the operation. And sometimes she even has to do that. She does all of this work and doesn’t get enough recognition from her darn old husband. Well, today you’ve got it, and you have my love.” Siddoway also thanked his son, J.C., who works with him in the family ranching operation. “He’s the greatest son a guy could ask for. He has his priorities lined up and he’s just a hard worker.” In fact, he credited his son for his involvement in state politics. “When you get to a certain age and your dad is around all the time telling you what we’re going to do, you just kind of get tired of that,” Siddoway recalled. “So, I started looking for ways to get away from that, and I had the opportunity to run for a senate seat in state legislature. I decided it might be a good deal for him and for me, too. I did that and served 12 years.” Having attended meetings of ASI – and its predecessor organi zations the National Wool Growers Association and the Ameri can Sheep Producers Council – Siddoway has participated in approximately 50 years of industry meetings at the national level. DISTINGUISHED PRODUCER Dr. Stanley Poe was recognized with the Distinguished Pro ducer Award. Poe has raised Hamp

Siddoway was chosen for his contributions as both a sheep producer and a member of the Idaho State Senate. He’s also peti tioned the federal government regularly for support of the once endangered U.S. Sheep Experiment Station, which was taken off the federal closure list in 2019. “I honestly can’t remember doing any of that,” Siddoway said after a list of his contributions to the industry was read during the ASI Annual Convention Award Luncheon. “All I remember is getting up early in the morning, putting my boots on and doing whatever had to be done that day.” A fifth-generation rancher, Siddoway has demonstrated a lifelong devotion to the American sheep industry at both the state and national level. He has previously served as president of the Idaho Wool Growers Association and on a variety of ASI councils and

shire sheep nearly his entire life as 11 bred ewes arrived on the family farm in 1945. Along with his wife, Carol, the couple raised four sons on the farm. Two of them – Stanley Poe II and Kalen – still work regularly on the place and were back home in Franklin, Ind., to fin ish lambing the flock’s 350 brood ewes. “I think we’re going to be around for a while,” Poe

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