Sheep Industry News September 2022

A small, but diverse group of aspiring producers and researchers took part in the ASI Young Entrepreneurs tour of the equally diverse Michigan agricultural trade in early August following their attendance at the Lamb Summit in Lansing, Mich. Stops at two sheep farms and a century-old wool mill were absolute highlights of the trip. But the opportunity to venture outside the sheep industry offered the group the chance to not only learn about issues facing the state’s farmers in other commodities, but also the chance to expose those same farmers to the ways in which they might benefit from the use of sheep in their own operations.

ASI Young Entrepreneurs Co-Chair Cody Chambliss of South Dakota was quick to point out the benefits of cover crop grazing at Laracha Farms, where the tour visited a sugar beet field. The company grows a variety of crops, from corn to pickles. Equally interested in the benefits of sheep were the folks at Cellar 1914. The century-old farm has been home to a variety of crops through the years, most promi nently cherries. It also ran a herd of beef cows at one time. But the next generation has transitioned the farm into a winery and tasting room that caters to the Northern Michigan summer tourist crowd. The winery’s ag tourism concept might benefit from a small sheep flock that could graze the vineyard and cherry orchard, while providing yet another attraction for the tourists. The YE group heard how imported products have greatly affected both the sugar beet and cherry markets in the United States. Tour par ticipants shared that similar issues are a problem in the sheep industry. The tour began with a stop at Zeilinger Wool Company in Franken muth, Mich. The mill has been family-owned for four generations and produces everything from roving and yarn to bedding and socks. "I don't know if you have wool bedding, but the bedding we produce here is our No. 1 seller," said Jon Zeilinger, who runs the company with his wife, April. "Wool is a natural fiber that is very therapeutic. It opens up your pores, allows your skin to breathe and regulates your body temperature. I sleep with a wool comforter year-round." Among the company’s products are some created with wool from Great Lakes Lamb in West Branch, Mich. "Our customers want to know where the wool comes from," said April Zeilinger. "They want to know the name of the producer, where they are located. We even get questions about what the sheep are fed. Obviously, we're not the best people to answer that question, since we aren't sheep producers. But it shows that these types of things are important to our customers." Tour participants got the complete Great Lakes Lamb experience as they stopped for lamb burgers at Highway Brewing Company before visiting the farm that afternoon. “I really liked the kind of farm to table experience we had on the first day where we had lamb burgers at lunch and then visited the farm that produced the lamb immediately afterward,” said Agnes Guillo, a gradu ate student at Cornell University in New York state. “And we had seen some of their wool that same day, as well. That was exciting.” Jim and Sherrie Bristol and their daughter and son-in-law, Elaine and Rick Palm, completed the experience with lamb brats for the group

upon arrival for a tour of the family farm. Lambs from the farm go to auction at both Mt. Hope, Ohio, and New Holland, Penn., but the fam ily also runs a custom cut freezer trade and processes lambs at a U.S. Department of Agriculture-inspected facility in Buckley, Mich. "We take the lambs over and pick them up and keep everything in freezers here," said Sherrie Bristol. "Our customers just have to come by and pick it up here. That seems to work well for everyone." The next morning began with a stop at Matchett Sheep Farm in Charlevoix, Mich., where brothers Isaac and Noah Matchett have developed an intensive, rotational grazing system that is home to 1,500 Polypay ewes. “I hadn’t been to Matchett’s before,” said Michigan Sheep Produc ers Association Executive Director Samantha Ludlam. Members of the state’s young entrepreneurs committee planned much of the tour. “I’ve known Isaac and Noah forever, but it was great to finally set foot on their farm and see everything they’ve been working so hard on for as long I’ve known them.” Based in Northern Michigan, the farm includes 1,000 acres – nearly half of which is dedicated to growing sheep feed. "We get a pretty hardy winter," Isaac Matchett said with a bit of a smirk. "It's not feasible to graze for about half the year up here, and sometimes a little longer. But we plan on six months." The Matchett's pasture lamb and once the lambs are weaned they go straight into barn and stay there until they are sold or until they return to the pastures in the spring as replacements. The family operation grew significantly in 2007 when Isaac gradu ated college and realized that both he and his younger brother wanted to return to the farm. "We lambed 112 ewes and planted about 125 acres in 2007, so we knew the farm needed to grow for us to both be able to come back." The group got a final look at the state’s many agricultural offerings – Michigan is the second-most agriculturally diverse state in the country – with a stop at Harietta Hills Trout Farm. The two days came to a close with a tour of the Michigan State Uni versity Sheep Teaching and Research Farm, conducted by MSU Senior Extension Specialist Richard Ehrhardt, Ph.D. In addition to a tour of the relatively new facility, Ehrhardt talked about a solar array project that will take over some of the university’s sheep and cattle pastures in the years to come. It will provide a first hand opportunity for him to study solar grazing and the role sheep can play in the growing industry.

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