Sheep Industry News March 2025

SheepIndustry Volume 29, Issue 3 March 2025

News

March 2025 Volume 29, Issue 3

Contents

4

President’s Notes

6

Market Report

9

ASI Member Listing

36

Breeders' Directory

38

Industry Calendar

ON THE COVER: Teddy Graham the Ram Lamb Corrie Cooper Florida

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2 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org

Learning The Ropes of Solar Grazing American sheep producers were able to learn the ins and outs from fellow producers involved in grazing their flocks among solar power installations at the recent ASI Annual Convention in Scottsdale, Ariz.

12

Washington

47

280

62

185

Montana

Minnesota

370

150

1.370

Idaho

North Dakota

850

113

Wisconsin

205 1.480

235

82 245

Michigan

Oregon

610

300 2.180

1.520

80 320

New York

South Dakota

85 350

Iowa

74

98 270

65

Wyoming

161

Illinois

250

450

Pennsylvania

Indiana

Utah

145 500

760

Nebraska

MD

405

California

58

74 250

Nevada

36 85

280 2.130

Ohio

Missouri

2.110

80 150

164

80

West Virginia

Kansas

72

510 2.400

Virginia

Colorado

104

290

Kentucky

60

260

South Carolina North Carolina

33 33

ARIZONA

NEW MEXICO

48 50

73

Tenessee

83

95 450

75

Oklahoma Arkansas

520

TEXAS

Georgia

Alabama

Mississippi

670

Louisiana

1.200

Florida

Includes Delaware

215 295

10

16 Screwworm Concerns Top Animal Health Agenda While the sheep and goat industry is moving toward the ability to declare scrapie extinct in this country, there is an alarming threat south of the border with the discovery of New World Screwworm in Mexico.

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8

Convention Sheds Light on Flock's Future

Sheep Inventory Report

ASI Releases Targeted Grazing 101 Nearly 20 years ago, ASI published a handbook that introduced many in the sheep industry to the concept of targeted grazing. With demand for the service at an all-time high, ASI has released Targeted Grazing 101 to help producers get started in the industry.

Most homes were still lit by lanterns and candlelight when the National Wool Growers held their first convention in 1865. But 160 years later, sheep producers shared a renewed excitement for the industry’s future during the ASI Annual Convention.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service Released the 2025 Sheep Inventory Report, which showed the American flock has expanded to 5.05 million.

October 2024 • Sheep Industry News • 3 March 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 3

President’s Notes BEN LEHFELDT ASI PRESIDENT

Opportunities and Challenges T he sheep industry has been blessed and cursed by challenges through my time as a producer and no doubt from my grandfather and great grandfather’s stories, even longer than that. There is no doubt other agricultural industries have their challenges, but it just seems from our pickup seats that the volatility of our peaks and valleys seems to be much more pronounced in the sheep industry. Those challenges are hitting us directly in the face right now in the sheep industry. The H-2A labor system is hard to navigate with increasing inflationary pressures and regulated federal wage increases. Not only are the federal mandates an issue, but several states have instituted their own incremental increases on top of these wage rates. As a result, the labor costs are becoming unbearable for many sheep operations. Ironically, some of these operations being hit the hardest are helping their states with fire prevention through grazing. I believe that there are potential opportunities to deal with some of our challenges. The ASI Annual Convention in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a great success. We had more than 450 registrants and a great amount of information provided by our councils and committees. There were more than 90 first-time attendees, and it was interesting to observe the new directions some of our sheep producers are taking in agrivoltaics. We have used targeted grazing on our operation in Montana for the past 30 years to help with profitability and it is exciting to see how many different ways that sheep are being used across the country. ASI’s release of the new Targeted Grazing 101 book will be a great resource for those producers wanting to take hold of these new opportunities. The ASI Annual Convention also offered attendees the opportunity to listen to different ways to deal with our imported lamb concerns. We had multiple speakers about both the benefits and potential pitfalls of tariffs and quotas in our lamb meat supply. Thank you Paul Rosenthal for providing an in-depth analysis of both the import situation and the political climate. Being able to share the facts and answer questions from our membership was invaluable. We are continuing to build on these opportunities by restarting the ASI H-2A Working Group to help ensure we have a consistent message regarding our labor concerns. I have just appointed this group to work on some solutions and a message that can be delivered to our legislators. It is important that this message be ready for any opportunity that arises to help ensure the guest-worker program is viable for our producers. The group will be meeting via zoom a couple of times before the middle of March in preparation for our ASI Spring Trip to Washington, D.C.

Please consider being a part of our ASI producer fly-in. We are planning to be on Capitol Hill on March 25-26. ASI is planning an agency meeting the morning of March 25. Producers are encouraged to meet with their senators and representatives Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday of that week. I believe that this year it will be even more important than ever to participate in our legislative activities. Even if you are not attending the Spring Trip, make sure and be in contact with your legislator as issues related to the sheep industry arise. Lastly, I want to say thank you to the staff for making the ASI Annual Convention a success. It is not easy pulling several affiliated sheep organizations together. Peter, Rita, Larry, Zahrah, Erica, Chris, Parand, Kyle, Christa, Heather, Amy and Brenda work extremely hard to make these conventions a reality.

2025 ASI Executive Board

4 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org

SheepIndustry NEWS March 2025: Volume 29, Issue 3

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ASI Office Staff: Peter Orwick, Executive Director Rita Kourlis Samuelson, Deputy Director/Wool Marketing Larry Kincaid, Chief Financial Officer Zahrah Khan, Operations Manager Erica Sanko, Director of Analytics & Production Programs Christa Rochford, Wool Marketing Programs Manager Heather Pearce, Wool Production Programs Manager Chris Jones, Administrative Assistant The Sheep Industry News is published monthly as the official publication of the American Sheep Industry Association Inc. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Payment of member dues in an ASI affiliated state organization entitles a member to a subscription. For non-members, the subscription rate is $50 per year. ADVERTISING INFORMATION: Rates available at Sheepusa.org. Deadline is the fifth of the month preceding the cover date. All advertising is subject to publisher’s approval. Advertisers must assume all liability for their advertising content. Publisher maintains the right to cancel advertising for nonpayment or reader complaint about service or product. Publisher assumes no liability for products or services advertised in Sheep Industry News.

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March 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 5

Market Report

TYLER COZZENS, PH.D. Livestock Marketing Information Center

Inventory, Trade & Price Update

T he U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricul tural Statistics Service released its annual sheep and lamb inventory report as of Jan. 1, 2025, which pro vided a snapshot of current supplies but also helps paint part of the supply picture for this year. NASS reported that the flock size increased less than 1 per cent (+0.4 percent, or 20,000 head) to 5.05 million head. The last time sheep and lamb inventory levels posted an annual increase was 2016, when the flock increased 25,000 head (+0.5 percent) to 5.27 million head. At the state level, changes in sheep and lamb inventories were mixed across the United States. Declines in the flock size were reported for Oregon (-3.2 percent), South Dakota (-2.4 percent) and Wyoming (-6.3 percent) to 150,000, 205,000 and 300,000 head, respectively. The flock size in California, Colorado and Idaho remained unchanged from a year ago at 510,000, 405,000 and 235,000 head, respectively. Iowa (+3.9 percent), Montana (+2.8 percent), Ohio (+1.4 percent), Texas (+4.7 percent) and Utah (+3.7 percent) reported gains in the flock size to 161,000, 185,000, 145,000, 670,000 and 280,000 head, respectively. Additional inventory statistics from the NASS report noted that the total breeding flock increased 10,000 head (+0.3 per

cent) to 3.68 million head. The increased breeding flock was due solely to a rise in ewes 1-year-old and older from 2.87 mil lion head in 2024 to 2.88 million head in 2025. The remaining breeding flock inventory levels were unchanged from the prior year with rams 1-year-old and older and replacement lambs at 165,000 and 635,000 head, respectively. The breeding flock last reported an annual increase in 2016 of 15,000 head (+0.4 percent) to 3.94 million head. Total market sheep were reported up nearly 1 percent (+0.7 percent) or 10,000 head to 1.37 million head. The rise was due to reported increases in most of the reported market lamb weight categories. Lambs weighing under 65 pounds increased 1.4 percent (5,000 head), 65- to 84-pound lambs were even with a year ago, 85- to 105-pound lambs rose 1.5 percent (4,000 head), lambs weighing more than 105 pounds remained level with last year, and market sheep increased 1.2 percent (1,000 head) from a year earlier. The lamb crop posted a 10,000 head (+0.3 percent) increase from the prior year to 3.04 million head. This was due partly to a rise in the lambing percentage from 103.4 percent in 2023 to 105.9 percent in 2024. The lamb crop has not posted a year-over-year increase in two decades, when it rose 5,000 head (+0.1 percent) in 2004 to 4.04 million head. The lamb

ing percentage has not been this high in four years, when it reached 107 percent in 2019 and 2020. TRADE DISCUSSION USDA also released December trade statistics, which finalized annual tallies for 2024. Lamb imports in 2024 reached a record of 309 million pounds, an increase of 69 million pounds (+29 percent). Increased lamb imports were seen from Australia and New Zealand last year. Lamb imports from Australia totaled 230 million pounds, up 51 million pounds (+29 percent) from the prior year. Lamb shipments from New Zealand rose 18 million pounds (+31 percent) to 77 mil lion pounds. In 2024, Australia accounted for 74 percent of total U.S. lamb imports

6 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org

while New Zealand accounted for 25 percent, with the remain ing 1 percent coming from other countries. Mutton imports posted a 25-percent (11 million pounds) increase from last year to 55 million pounds. The rise in mutton imports were due to higher shipments from Australia (+24 percent) and New Zealand (+30 percent) to 46 and 9 million pounds, re spectively. PRICE DISCUSSION Average feeder lamb prices (60 to 90 pounds, Three-Market Colorado, South Dakota and Texas) have seen a sharp increase to start 2025. Feeder lamb prices have risen from $256 per cwt. at the start of the year to $345 per cwt. by mid-February, a 35-percent, or $89 per cwt., rise in about six weeks. Prices for 60- to 90-pound slaughter lambs (Three-Market Colorado, South Dakota and Texas) are seeing less volatility to start the year with prices moving seasonally lower from $252 per cwt. in early January to $216 per cwt. by mid-February, a decrease of 10 percent, or $23 per cwt. Slaughter lamb prices (national negotiated live) have been struggling to gain traction to start the year. Weekly prices have been ranging from $161 to $171 per cwt. through mid-Feb ruary, which is about $21 to $25 per cwt. (-11 to -13 percent) below the same period last year. The lamb cutout value has been averaging just below $4.60 per pound, which is down

about $1.20 per pound (-3 percent) on average from the same period in 2024. WOOL DISCUSSION In 2024, gains were seen in exports of raw wool (not in card ed/combed wool), as well as sheep and lambskins. Wool ex ports totaled 5,422 metric tons in 2024, which is up 60 percent (2023 metric tons) from 2023 and the highest export volume since 2018 (6,595 metric tons). On a value basis, wool exports posted a 31-percent ($4 million) increase over the prior year to nearly $17 million. Exports of sheep and lambskins totaled 604 million pieces in 2024, up 3 percent from the previous year. The value of sheep and lambskins reached $6.7 million, up 13 percent ($760,000) from 2023. Wool prices started 2025 on a positive note compared to where prices finished in December 2024. Since the start of 2025 through the first part of February in Australia, weekly wool prices have been posting gains of about 1 percent to al most 4 percent across most of the microns compared to where prices were at the end of 2024. The Eastern Market Indicator, in U.S. dollar terms, was at the highest point since April 2024. The number of bales offered has been slightly higher at the start of 2025. Strength in the wool prices in the face of a rise in the number of bales offered signals strengthening demand to start the year.

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March 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 7

ASI Releases Targeted Grazing 101

N early 20 years ago, ASI published a handbook that in troduced many in the American sheep industry to the concept of targeted grazing. It’s value to the industry has grown exponentially in the two decades since, and is driving an expansion of America’s flock for the first time in recent memory. The demand for these services led to the need for a resource to guide new and existing sheep producers who want to add targeted grazing as an income source to their operations. ASI’s newest pub lication – Targeted Grazing 101: Starting and Sustaining a Grazing Service Enterprise – fits the role perfectly. Interviews with more than three dozen experienced targeted grazers led to the creation of a 300-page manual that will help aspir ing grazers understand what it takes to get started in the industry. “I think this book will really help people who want to get into tar geted grazing,” said John Walker, Ph.D., who worked on the original targeted grazing handbook and oversaw the review process of the new book, as well. “While the first handbook relied a lot on the aca demic world, the new book draws more on input from people who are out there actually doing targeted grazing on a daily basis.” Experienced sheep producers who are looking to make the transi tion into targeted grazing will benefit from the book’s chapters on Getting Started and Keys to Success, Logistics and Business Basics. Those who are new to livestock will find the chapters on Animal

Husbandry and Animal Welfare and PR helpful in learning to handle their grazing animals. Additional chapters on plants and de veloping plans to graze plants at the right time and season will prove beneficial to those who lack a background in that area. “The first book was more Western-oriented, but this book covers grazers from all over the country,” Walker said. “We really wanted to help people who want to get into targeted grazing and give them some basics to consider. It’s really a great resource for people to con sult on all phases of the industry. But if you look at all of the grazers who contributed information, stories and photos for the book, they are also a great resource that newer targeted grazers can reach out to for assistance.” Targeted Grazing 101 lays out the growing interest in the concept in its opening chapter. “The idea of developing a service business based on using livestock to manage vegetation began to form in the 1960s and was further developed in the 1980s and 90s. Land grant universities like Montana State University organized programs connecting rangeland managers with sheep producers to help control invasive weeds and add value to their operations. In 1994, the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) published The Role of Sheep Grazing in Natu ral Resource Management in a special issue of the Sheep Research Journal. The first prescribed grazing conference was held in Sparks, Nevada, in 2003 and was attended by over 300 people. Three years later, ASI published Targeted Grazing: A natural approach to vegeta tion management and landscape enhancement . This ‘Targeted Graz ing Handbook,’ as it came to be known, compiled the latest research and technical knowledge on the subject and gave recommendations for targeted grazing of 21 forbs (i.e., broadleaf weeds), shrubs and grasses. Since then, over 90 journal articles (and counting) have been published on targeted grazing. “Interest has continued to grow. In 2009, the Society for Range Management created the Targeted Grazing Committee, which sends out an e-newsletter to 400 plus subscribers and hosts quarterly webinars. Targeted Grazing: Applying the Research to the Land was published in Rangelands in 2012 and shared case studies of service providers on various projects. A synthesis paper, Targeted Livestock Grazing: Prescription for Healthy Rangelands , was published in Rangeland Ecology and Management in 2019. This review strength ened the use of targeted grazing as a vegetation management tool. Most recently, a 2021 meta-analysis of 70 published targeted grazing studies in 17 countries concluded that targeted grazing significantly reduced undesired plants and significantly increased plant species richness.” The new book is available in two formats: a hard copy book for $39.95, or as a PDF on a USB flash drive – which includes the 2006 handbook, as well – for $14.95. Both formats are available for pur chase at SheepUSA.org/shop.

8 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org

ASI Member Listing WWW.SHEEPUSA.ORG l INFO@SHEEPUSA.ORG

Alabama Meat Goat & Sheep Producers 205-315-6811 • cprevatt@alfafarmers.org ASI Women 509-760-9496 • lovetaboyce@gmail.com Arizona Wool Producers Association 520-560-4202 • caauza@peoplepc.com Arkansas State Sheep Council 870-853-7404 • wjcalloway@gmail.com California Wool Growers Association 916-444-8122 • susan@woolgrowers.org Colorado Wool Growers Association 303-638-0596 • cwgawool@aol.com Connecticut Sheep Breeders Association 860-933-0212 • gschultz@baypath.edu Meat Sheep Alliance of Florida 352-502-2564 • ruthtaber@embarqmail.com Georgia Sheep & Wool Growers Association 706-614-2417 • joannemaki22@gmail.com Hawaii Sheep and Goat Association 808-775-8075 • alohadjam@yahoo.com Idaho Wool Growers Association 208-344-2271 • director@idahowoolgrowers.org Illinois Lamb & Wool Producers Inc. 618-367-2364 • fulton9504@gmail.com Indiana Sheep Association 317-607-5664 • executive@indianasheep.com Iowa Sheep Industry Association 641-780-2795 • info@iowasheep.com Kansas Sheep Association 620-393-5204 • kssheep@ruraltel.net Kentucky Sheep & Wool Producers Association 502-682-7780 • kyates@kysheepandgoat.org Maine Sheep Breeders Association 240-357-1437 • donna.flint@maine.gov Maryland Sheep Breeders Association 240-357-1437 • patriciasanville@gmail.com Massachusetts Federation of Sheep Associations 508-829-4556 • brmacphee@aol.com Michigan Sheep Producers Association 616-610-5628 • elainem.bristol@gmail.com Minnesota Lamb & Wool Producers Association 320-760-5727 • kinneylamb@gmail.com Missouri Sheep Producers Inc. 573-578-0497 • mosheepproducers@gmail.com

National Lamb Feeders Association 970-629-5067 • lambfeeders1@outlook.com Nebraska Sheep & Goat Producers Association 308-386-8378 • Ne.sheep.goat@gmail.com Nevada Wool Growers Association 775-744-4388 • pr_paris@yahoo.com New Hampshire Sheep & Wool Growers 603-502-0800 • rickatcoveland@aol.com Garden State Sheep Breeders Inc. (N.J.) 609-947-2260 • kmelvinnjsheep@gmail.com New Mexico Wool Growers Inc. 505-247-0584 • nmwgi@nmagriculture.org Empire Sheep Producers Cooperative (N.Y.) 585-367-2775 • sheepkath@aol.com North Carolina Sheep Producers Assoc. Inc. 919-808-5285 • bphillips@carolinasolar.services North Dakota Lamb & Wool Producers Assoc. Oregon Sheep Growers Association 503-364-5462 • info@sheeporegon.com Pennsylvania Sheep & Wool Growers Association 717-512-8127 • danlturner44@gmail.com South Carolina Sheep Industries Association 864-360-3222 • dairysheepdeb@gmail.com South Dakota Sheep Growers Association 406-581-7772 • lisa@sdsheepgrowers.org Tennessee Sheep Producers Association 931-698-8293 • twolters@bellsouth.net Texas Sheep & Goat Raisers’ Association 325-655-7388 • office@tsgra.com Utah Wool Growers Association 435-915-6116 • sierra@utahwoolgrowers.com Vermont Sheep & Goat Association 802-899-2104 • settlementfarm@comcast.net Virginia Sheep Producers Association 540-231-9159 • sgreiner@vt.edu Washington State Sheep Producers 360-999-8118 • washingtonsheep@gmail.com Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative 608-743-9080 • wisconsinsheepbreeders@gmail.com 701-207-0010 • rick.schmidt@ndsu.edu Ohio Sheep Improvement Association 614-499-2931 • rhigh@ofbf.org

Ben Lehfeldt Montana President

Joe Pozzi California Vice President

Tammy Fisher Texas

Secretary/ Treasurer

Peter Orwick Colorado Executive Director

Wyoming Wool Growers Association 307-265-5250 • alison@wyowool.com

Montana Wool Growers Association 406-581-8226 • stefanie@mtsheep.org

March 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 9

Annual Convention Shines Light on Flock’s Future M ost homes were still illuminated by lanterns and candlelight when the National Wool Growers As sociation – the predecessor to the American Sheep As mentioned, the association elected new officers during the 2025 ASI Annual Convention at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort. Lehfeldt was elected to serve as president, while California’s Joe Pozzi moved into the vice president slot and Tammy Fisher of Texas was elected secretary/treasurer. Brad Boner of Wyoming will serve as past president after two years at the helm of the association.

Industry Association – held its first convention in 1865. But 160 years later, sheep producers from across the country shared a renewed excitement for the industry’s future as a panel of solar grazers pointed toward new heights for the American flock and its role in developing clean energy for the United States. Ryan Indart of California, Reid Redden of Texas and Daniel Dotterer of Pennsylvania shared stories of getting their feet in the door of solar grazing in recent years during the 2025 ASI Annual Convention Opening Session on Jan. 16 in Scottsdale, Ariz. They were joined in the panel discussion by Silicon Ranch Corporation’s Loran Shallenberger and David Wen of AES Corporation. Both companies are developing solar assets, while Silicon Ranch has taken the unprecedented step of assembling its own sheep flock, as well. The panel was moderated by Lexie Hain of New York, a solar grazer who founded the American Solar Grazing Association and is now the director of agrivolta ics and land management at Lightsource bp. Agrivoltaics is the practice of using land for both agriculture and solar energy production, and more often than not at this point that agricultural use is the grazing of sheep. The explo sion of solar fields throughout the country has created a whole new job for America’s sheep, and producers like those on the panel welcomed the opportunity to supplement their livestock incomes (from lamb and, in some cases, wool) with grazing fees. While solar grazing has allowed producers to expand their flocks, it has also welcomed newcomers who often found the lack of land an expensive barrier to getting into the industry. The Western wildfires that dominated the news in recent weeks have also put a spotlight on grazing, and the role it can play in a changing climate. Targeted grazing is a booming in dustry, as well, and has long been used in states such as Califor nia to reduce fire loads. “The American sheep industry has definitely seen a resur gence in recent years thanks to these grazing opportunities,” said newly elected ASI President Ben Lehfeldt of Montana. “We wanted to further highlight that opportunity at this year’s con vention. But sheep producers have always known the value that sheep bring to the lands they graze, whether that’s a solar field, national forest or private land.” In addition to the discussion on solar grazing at the opening session, ASI introduced a book – Targeted Grazing 101: Starting and Sustaining a Grazing Service Enterprise – focused on paid grazing opportunities and how to get started during the con vention. The book is now available at SheepUSA.org/shop.

Lehfeldt is a fifth-generation rancher, and his family has been involved in the industry for more than 135 years. He previously served as vice president (2023-2025) and secretary/treasurer (2021-2023), and is a past member of the ASI Wool Council. He’s also served as a director of the Montana Wool Growers As sociation, and on the board of directors for the American Lamb Board and the National Grazing Lands Coalition. Pozzi was elected as vice president after serving as secretary/ treasurer the past two years. He has previously served on the ASI Executive Board. Fisher joins the officer team after previ ously serving two terms on the Executive Board, as well. Her father, Glen Fisher, was a past president of ASI. They are the first father and child to both serve as officers of ASI. Read more about the ASI Annual Convention in the pages that follow, and start making plans to attend in Reno, Nev., in January 2026.

Jennifer Porter with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service addressed the ASI Board of Directors during the 2025 ASI Annual Convention in Scottsdale, Ariz.

10 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org

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Learning The Ropes of Solar Grazing

CAT URBIGKIT A

be met by both parties in this business relationship. Indart’s Central California location means that his sheep are used to reduce wildfire fuel loads, saving energy asset managers from the threat posed by wildfires, and solar grazing has become the top revenue stream for his business. Redden is co-founder of Premier Solar Sheep in Texas and a former sheep and goat extension specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife. Redden agreed that water is the top issue that starts the conversation over suitability of a location for sheep graz ing. He pointed out that as sheep producers, “we’re really grass farmers” with important knowledge about vegetative manage ment that is valuable to energy operators. Dotterer comes from a long line of agricultural producers in Pennsylvania. He said jokingly, “Some people say I have a sheep problem,” but his family is constantly making changes to its operations to survive in agriculture. His top issues for site assessments are proper wire management and predator-proof perimeter fencing since the top predator on sheep in that area of the country is domestic dogs. THE SOLAR VIEW Wen of AES Corporation said that vegetation management is costly for the energy industry. With mowers charging $400 per acre per year for providing twice a year mowing services, that’s the rate that solar grazers are competing against. He noted that a medium-sized installation is about 500 acres. Sili con Ranch’s Shallenberger said that in the Southeastern portion of the country, the going rate is about $350 per acre per year, and sheep producers can run their sheep year-round on these sites. Hain noted that the average contract is for four years, but contract terms and rates might vary around the country. Wen said his company just needs the vegetation manage ment services and isn’t particularly concerned about what spe cies accomplishes the job. He said permit restrictions on solar projects often include provisions to keep vegetation heights to under six inches, and how that is achieved is up to the vegeta tive management contractor. He noted that if sheep won’t eat something in the installation, the producer might need to use a manual mower to comply with the vegetative management contract. Water can be a big issue for solar projects, Wen said, as some older installations don’t have water sources, and it might need to be hauled. But with 20-to-40-year lifespans for solar proj ects, installation of water wells is now more common. Shallenberger raises cattle in Tennessee but also works with utility scale solar grazing projects in 16 states with Silicon

merican sheep producers were able to learn the ins and outs from fellow producers involved in grazing their flocks among solar power installations at the

recent ASI Annual Convention in Scottsdale, Ariz. Reid Redden of Texas, Ryan Indart of California and Penn sylvania’s Daniel Dotterer were peppered with questions about how they got started in this industry, how it all works and pointers that producers should consider if they are interested in entering this emerging industry. David Wen of AES Corporation and Loran Shallenberger of Silicon Ranch Corporation rounded out the panel with perspectives from the solar companies that hire these vegeta tion managers. Lexie Hain – co-founder of the American Solar Grazing Association – guided the panel discussion, noting that producers weren’t simply grazing sheep in solar installations but are vegetative management specialists for agrivoltaics, the co-location of agriculture and solar energy production. SOLAR GRAZER PROFILE Hain began the session with a summary of the industry, not ing that both entities involved in an agrivoltaics contract must be profitable enterprises. This is not a “hey, you can graze here for free” situation as energy companies have distinct vegetative management goals and budgets, as do sheep producers. Hain said that a financial analysis conducted by the University of Western Ontario looked at two models for solar grazing, find ing that the more profitable model involves a producer grazing with his/her own ewes, rather than buying sheep at auction for solar grazing. A recent census of this grazing industry found the average age of solar producers is 45 years old, and these producers are solar grazing seasonally or year-round, Hain said. Two-thirds of producers utilize hair sheep, while the remaining third use wool sheep. Most producers own their own sheep, which are grazed across a total of about 130,000 acres around the nation. SITE CONSIDERATIONS Indart is a third-generation sheep producer who called his 2018 shift to grazing among solar installations “a game changer” as his business now produces three products: lamb, wool and vegetative management services. Indart said that the top issues that he considers when assessing the possibility of a project is access to water and proper wire management. “Realize that you are a service provider, not just a sheep farmer,” Indart said, and there are best practices that should

12 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org

Ranch. He said that a half-dozen years ago he was a solar scep tic at the notion that instead of paying someone to mow, sheep could be used to manage vegetative resources at energy instal lations. But his views have changed, noting that his company is now committed to agrivoltaics. Every Silicon Ranch site gets both water and predator-proof fencing, and the company has specifications so that sheep won’t have issues with wiring. He added that in some locations his company will provide handling corrals for sheep and will nego tiate for a lower rate for grazing management when installing this infrastructure. While some companies are looking toward the use of robotic mowers in the future, Shallenberger said, sheep grazing offers the benefit of using managed rotational grazing with its lower environmental footprint and less carbon output than mowers. The possible addition of adding carbon credits through grazing might add more value to energy producers in the future. He noted that the competition for solar grazers is landscapers and mowing companies. MEAT QUALITY So how do solar grazers ensure that lamb meat from their flocks is still a quality product for consumers? Each producer talked about different strategies. Redden noted that producers can target their programs to provide grain finishing or supple mental forage to ensure that their solar grazing results in qual ity lamb products for consumers. Dotterer said that there is a strong ethnic market in the Northeastern part of the country, so producers can market smaller lambs, giving them more leeway in solar grazing. Shal lenberger said some producers pull their lambs away from the

solar grazing projects, and that some energy companies allow the producers to plant cover crops or small grains to enhance grazing benefits. ISSUES Indart talked about the learning process as he began this business, noting that he did see an initial reduction in produc tion. But with better timing in his grazing system, he’s in creased production, and the solar panels provide shade for his sheep flock from the summer sun. Altering his management practices has allowed him to both optimize production and achieve land management goals, he said. Indart said that the solar installations have drivelines that can snag a sheep’s wool, and he now shears his sheep several months earlier to get his sheep into solar installations where they can have both good grazing land and cover from the panels. When the sheep were covered with four inches of wool, sometimes they would scratch itches on the panels, breaking them, and Indart had to pay for the broken panels. Shifting his production schedule helped to eliminate the problem. Wen said his company struggles to find enough sheep to graze their installations as many of the nation’s flocks are small. Redden noted that labor is a bottleneck in the industry since finding people who know how to manage sheep at this scale is challenging. Hain encouraged producers who want to learn more about agrivoltaics to visit the ASGA website at SolarGrazing.org to access a solar site template that features a water well and security fence. ASGA also offers other resources and sample contracts as well as a certification program for professionals in this growing industry.

March 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 13

Council Hears How Lamb Can Thrive

T he consensus of panelists during the Lamb Council meeting at the 2025 ASI Annual Convention is that American lamb is uniquely positioned to thrive in today’s meat market – if it embraces the opportunity to share its story to consumers. As prices rise for competing proteins, American lamb is more competitive than ever in the cost category with beef, pork and chicken. And while imports might win out on price, they can’t com pete with the freshness and quality of American lamb. But the only way for sheep producers to take advantage of those aspects in the marketplace is to get out there and tell their stories. “Groups who skew toward lamb – like millennials – are the same ones that are willing to pay more for a quality product,” said Mag gie O’Quinn of Midan Marketing, which works with the American Lamb Board. “But they want to know the farmer’s story, so you’re greatest selling tool is yourselves.” O’Quinn was joined on the panel by Carlos Barba of Superior Farms and Kentucky producer Jim Mansfield who direct markets his Four Hills Farm lamb through Whole Foods, area restaurants and other outlets. “My best promotion is providing samples in the store,” Mansfield said. “We’ve seen consumers at the store who say they don’t buy a lot of meat, but what they do buy is high quality. Consumers want to buy something that is healthy. And sustainability is a bigger issue now. But the flavor and quality still have to be there.” Barba said in-store sampling and programs sponsored by the American Lamb Board have done a good job of getting people to try American lamb, including those who thought they didn’t like lamb. It’s also important to get the product into as many stores as possible, so consumers can find it when they go looking for it, he said. “We have to take advantage of all of those opportunities to market American lamb,” Barba added. “We have a product that is 6,000 miles fresher than the imports.” It’s also important to understand that opportunities take time. Mansfield recalls being introduced to Whole Foods buyers at a meet

ing setup through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. “Years later, we made our first sale,” he said. It’s also important to keep in mind that consumers who are con cerned with making health-conscience food decisions are also gener ally concerned with doing what’s good for the planet. And American lamb is the perfect protein choice for those consumers as sheep are heavily involved in a variety of climate-positive projects around the country. That includes targeted and solar grazing. “Lamb is nature’s multi-vitamin,” O’Quinn said. “Consumers who are on these weight-loss drugs, they need to eat more protein. So, we want to make sure that lamb is in their shopping carts.” LAMB DASHBOARD Charlie Potts with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricul tural Marketing Service provided attendees with a preview of the agency’s new lamb dashboard, which will provide a wide variety of market reports. “The goal was to develop a product that you’ll find useful,” said Potts, adding that the lamb dashboard will be available this spring or summer. “It allows you to pick and choose what data you want to see and analyze. We think it will be a good tool for both small and large producers.” The council also heard a presentation from Patrick Hatzenbuehler, Ph.D., and Brett Wilder of the University of Idaho on potential trade impacts in the lamb industry. Their study found that: • Achieving a 50-percent market share (with imports) requires an extremely restrictive trade policy, causing significant welfare loss in the economy. • With declining supply and expanding demand, tariffs have lim ited and minimal effectiveness in protecting the industry. • A growing supply coupled with a tariff provides room for breath for the industry. Visit SheepUSA.org/events-pastconventionpresentations to see a pdf of their full presentation to the council.

14 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org

Wool Council Looks at Stress Test D uring its meeting at the ASI Annual Convention, the Wool Council reviewed the results of the stress test – a comprehensive evaluation examining the wool, as well as hosted several presentations that touched on various segments of the wool industry from market reports to marketing.

resilience of the American wool textile industry to current market conditions. The council also scheduled a follow-up virtual meeting to move forward with an action plan. In 2024, the council made a motion to conduct a stress test by an outside firm – Market Solutions, LLC – to look at the challenges, major stress points and opportunities in the wool industry. Market Solutions concluded that, “First Stage Wool Processing (in the United States) is a key requirement for (U.S.) spinners, knitters, textile and apparel manufactu rers to utilize American wool.” Biosecurity related to wool – from shearing through export – was also discussed. The Secure Sheep and Wool Supply Plan provides framework for the American sheep and wool industry and was shared by Dr. Danelle Bic kett-Weddle. Likewise, Isak Staats of BKB in South Africa shared his experience dealing with wool in an FMD outb reak. The Wool Policy Forum reviewed ASI policies related to

Staats – IWTO Market Intelligence Committee Chair – shared that the global wool market follows the textile fiber market and that markets are cyclical. “We are at the bottom of a curve – it’s not the first time – but we’re in a good industry,” he said. ASI Deputy Director Rita Samuelson assisted the audien ce in understanding ASI funding as well as all wool-related programs – from product development, military, consumer and international promotion to raw wool programs. Tosha Clark of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service further explained ASI’s six different international programs to support wool and pelt exports. Bringing it back to the domestic marketing side, Corey Hayes of Get Back Here Dog shared how ASI has taken a proactive and ever-changing approach to domestic mar

See WOOL COUNCIL on Page 32

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March 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 15

PERC Looks at Ramping Up Operations W ith sheep inventory numbers increasing for the first time in many years, producers around the United States might find themselves in a position to expand. But how do you go about it? A panel discussion during the Production, Education and you’re ramping up, that’s when you’re chewing through cash. You have to borrow for that, but borrow wisely.”

The key to doing just that is to find a lending institution that can see your vision, Irwin said, adding that he had trouble finding financing when he first made plans to expand. In addition, he of fered one final piece of advice for expanding. “You have to have backup plans on backup plans,” he said. “You have to plan for drought and for economic downturns.” EMERGING TECHNIQUES Attendees at the council meeting also heard several presenta tions on emerging technologies that might allow for higher profit margins, healthier sheep and improved predator management. Moderating the panel presentations, Dan Macon of the Univer sity of California Cooperative Extension said the implementation of technology needs to be about more than just doing something because it’s cool. It must improve your economic viability and ad dress bottlenecks in your operation. South Dakota’s Jeff Clark introduced Synergraze, which has de veloped a seaweed-based livestock feed additive that reduces meth ane emissions and feed costs. In addition, it can allow producers to generate carbon offset credits. Brett Taylor, Ph.D., with the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station in Idaho, discussed his facility’s use of the CameraTrapDetectoR, which uses artificial intelligence to rapidly classify images caught on trail cameras. Much like a commercial sheep operation, Taylor said any technology employed at the station needs to be “simple, low-cost, low-energy and, when possible, open source.” He said the station focuses on existing technology and how it can be modified for use in sheep production and rangeland management. Montana State University’s Brent Roeder also introduced at tendees to the use of tracking collars and virtual fencing. In addition, Danelle Bickett-Weddle, DVM, covered the grow ing number of resources available to producers through the Secure Sheep and Wool Supply Plan. Producers can access those resources at SecureSheepWool.org.

Research Council at the 2025 ASI Annual Convention looked at how three different producers set about doing just that. In Scaling Up Production: How To Do It Successfully, Texas solar grazer JR Howard joined Pennsylvania Katahdin producer Dan Turner and targeted grazer Robert Irwin of California to discuss how they grew their particular operations. For Howard and Irwin, growth was driven by opportunity and demand for their service-oriented sheep operations. For Turner, growth was made possible by the adoption of technology and the addition of new facilities. “We didn’t have a blueprint to go by,” said Howard, who found himself in a position not so different from many sheep producers through the years. He saw opportunity, but had to figure out a way to make it work for his particular operation. And like Turner, he continued to work a full-time job as his sheep operation ramped up. “I just gave up my corporate job a year ago," Howard said. The explosion of solar grazing opportunities allowed Howard to quickly expand his mostly family-run operation. He has also adopted technology, putting drones to use in an effort to keep an eye on the solar sites he maintains. A longtime targeted grazer with his Kaos Sheep Outfit, Irwin found greener grass in California’s vineyards, and has capitalized on the opportunity while expanding his flock. “My assessment was that if I ever wanted to have a day off, I had to get to 1,000 head,” he said, adding that a vacation to Australia allowed him to see what it might take to expand. He invested in technology but also in labor, and works regularly to educate his shepherds on animal health issues that could easily derail his flock’s earning potential. A business owner, Turner envisioned a retirement where he could look out his front window and keep an eye on his flock. But managing 80 ewes was too labor intensive for he and his wife. “It took two days to collect all the data, so we went to the Shear well system and we could move all the sheep through in three to four hours. We also built a new barn.” Turner now runs one of the largest National Sheep Improve ment Program-registered Katahdin flocks in the nation. One of his biggest takeaways is that producers can’t be afraid to take on debt as they expand. “You have to see it as a business,” he said. “Debt is not necessar ily a bad thing. Borrow money, but make it work for you. When

16 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org

Screwworms Top Animal Health Agenda

CAT URBIGKIT T he American sheep industry is highly focused on main taining healthy sheep flocks as it proceeds with efforts to monitor and improve health, decrease risks from foreign animal diseases, and develop preparedness and response plans to address emerging threats as producers learned during the meeting of the Animal Health Committee. Linda Detwiler, Ph.D., of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services said that while the sheep and goat industry in the United States is moving toward the ability to declare that the prion disease scrapie is extinct in this country, there is an alarming threat south of the border with the discovery of New World Screwworm in Mexico. The New World Screwworm was present in the United States in the 1960s, but has not been detected in this country for decades, according to APHIS entomologist Denise Bonilla. Unfortunately, this screwworm has now been detected in every Central American country, as well as Mexico. The United States has undertaken ag gressive efforts to stop this species from migrating further north. Bonilla provided an overview of the danger posed by New World Screwworm that has been detected in Mexico. USDA eradi cated NWS from the United States in 1966 by releasing sterile male insects and is now cooperating with other countries to keep this pest from reappearing north of the border. NWS can infest livestock, pets and wildlife. It has a 21-day lifecycle in which the fly larvae (maggots) burrow (screw) into a wound, feeding as they go like a screw being driven into wood, according to USDA. These maggots cause extensive damage to live tissue, expanding wounds as more maggots hatch and feed. The larvae have mouth hooks that are used to tear at the host tissues during feeding. Bonilla explained that NWS are not the same as other maggots that feed on dead tissue, and when it comes to detection, “before you can see it, you’ll smell the problem” as they can enter a small wound, but cause deep, infested pockets of damage under the skin. Left untreated, the damage is usually fatal in 7 to 14 days, she said, although treatment with parasiticides can be successful when detected early. NWS is not contagious from animal to animal. To maintain a barrier zone, the United States, Mexico and Central American countries partner in a program that is currently putting out more than 100 million sterile flies per week from a facility located in Panama. New World Screwworm flies are about the size of a common housefly, with orange eyes and a metallic blue or green body, with three dark stripes along their backs. Although the flies don’t move far on their own, they can be transferred into new areas with live

stock movements.

SHEEP HEALTH STUDY Dr. Natalie Urie, DVM, with APHIS provided an update on the status of the current sheep study under the National Animal Health Monitoring System. The NAHMS research is now in its data-analysis phase, using data collected from surveys and sam pling of sheep flocks nationwide. NAHMS provides a look at management and biosecurity prac tices as well as the reported occurrence of common economically important sheep diseases. The sheep study – last conducted in 2011 – provides an over view of the animal health, nutrition and management practices in the American sheep industry and can be compared to previous studies to reveal changes through time. Each NAHMS study begins with a written survey of sheep pro ducers across the country and then proceeds to on-farm sampling of representative flocks. Fecal, blood and interdigital swab samples are taken during each voluntary farm visit, and participating pro ducers receive individualized biological reports for their animals. Urie reported that customized flock health management reports should be sent in February to those who cooperated in the study, and the producer will be able to compare their flock’s information to all other operations that participated in the survey. Urie provided a sneak peek into the survey results, with about a quarter of all participants expecting to have fewer or no sheep in five years. Most of these respondents reported that retirement, lack of a successor, or other personal or family situations were driving factors leading to downsizing. While Urie cautioned that she was reporting preliminary results that hadn’t yet been finalized, the survey found: • More than a quarter of participants reported direct sales to consumers or ethnic markets. • The average number of sheep sold per operation was 127 lambs. • More than half of operations kept handwritten records. • Forty-three percent of operations had consulted a veterinarian for sheep health, productivity or management issues. DISEASE PREPAREDNESS Detwiler reported on the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program, which invested more than $16 million last year in program activities. Top issues for this program in the current fiscal year include training and exercises, biosecurity, state preparedness plans, animal movement decisions, disease traceabil

See ANIMAL HEALTH on Page 30

March 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 17