Sheep Industry News October 2025

These initiatives have virtually eliminated trapping and a spring bear hunt, and now they have brought wolves to our doorstep with endangered species protections. We all know how vulnerable sheep are and this predator load is becoming impossible to overcome.” Working with Others The Sperry’s and Deals are active members of the Western Slope Woolgrowers and the Colorado Wool Growers Association, often working with other producers across the state on industry issues. Their lambs are fed with Harper Feeders in Eaton and usually pur chased by Superior Farms. “We are hoping to get into a direct-to-consumer market this year and work with a local processor, but that is still in the works and not finalized,” Renee said. They’ve also helped bring new producers into the industry. “We buy rams from a local first-generation Polypay producer who was mentored by our ram supplier,” Renee explained. “We’ve worked with him to get his rams sold with our seed stock ewe lambs over different parts of the country. He has built his operation up nicely over the past several years.” In addition, they’ve sold seed stock to dairy and cattle producers in the Midwest and Eastern states who are making the switch to sheep. Looking Ahead The family hopes to expand into new markets, strengthen their agrivoltaics grazing partnership, and entice the next generation to return. “We are hoping to expand into new markets, like DTC, and we’re excited to see how our agrivoltaics grazing partnership evolves,” Renee said. “We are also hoping to entice our kids to come back and join the business if we can improve our profitability and enter some new marketing opportunities.” Lonnie has also been focusing on livestock guardian dogs. “I’ve been working more closely with the dogs and I’m hoping to work on a better training and breeding protocol so that they are more effective and better utilized,” he said. A Life They Love Through the ups and downs, Renee and Lonnie are grateful for their life on the ranch. “We love where we get to live,” Renee said. “Our little slice of heaven is remote, peaceful and God’s Country. There’s nowhere else I’d rather live. We also love being able to share it with our grandson. He is the light of our life, and he loves coming up to the ranch and seeing all the animals.” The history of the place is never far away. Renee often thinks of her grandfather, Lee Sperry. “My grandfather used to tell me, ‘There’s nothing like sitting on the porch and watching the sheep grow.’ He was an amazing man, building his own power plant to power the buildings before the local electric company installed lines up to the ranch,” Renee said.

“He worked on airplane gunnery systems during WWII but always wanted to be a pilot. So, after the war, he got his pilot’s license, bought a Piper Clipper and built an airplane hangar on the ranch. He used the plane to drop salt to the cattle, look for strays (for himself and the neighboring ranches) and get supplies. He would take off and land on the homemade airstrip on skis in the winter! That beat trying to plow out and go for supplies with three feet of snow on the ground. The ranch sits at 7,600 feet. I have so many stories, but the image of him landing an airplane on skis always gets me. I never got to see it because that was in the 1950s. The pic ture below is of my grandpa Lee with the plane, my grandmother Imogene and my uncle Brian for an article in Capper’s Farmer, November 1953.”

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