Sheep Industry News March 2025

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