Sheep Industry News September 2024

Meet the Executive Board Larry Hopkins, Zionsville, Ind.

I t’s a story as old as 4-H. Kids interested in showing animals find their way to cute sheep. Parents set aside a spot for two or three, only to end up with an entire flock. A hobby turns into a job, and everyone lives happily ever after. Larry Hopkins and his family have lived that fairytale. Elected earlier this year to represent Region III – Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin – on the ASI Executive Board, Larry grew up on a dairy farm before

ers, and it was well attended.” As a breeder of fine-wool Shetlands, wool prices are also top of mind for the Indiana producer. However, he’s less affected by worldwide demand as most of his flock’s wool sells on his farm’s online Etsy story (Punk Hazard Wool). “Shetlands have a wide variety of fleeces, and some are double coated,” he said. “The fineness ranges with some in the low 20s (microns) and ranging all the way up to the mid-30s. We’ve really

discovering a love of politics in the 1970s. The sheep came along when daughters Emma and Anna wanted to show animals in 4-H in the late 1990s, and they never left the family’s Little Eagle Creek Valley Farm. Along the way, Larry’s agricultural background and his study of political science in college made him the per fect candidate to fill leadership roles in the industry. He’s since served in a variety of positions with the Indiana Sheep Association – where Emma is now executive director – the North American Shetland Sheepbreeders Association and ASI.

tried to emphasize wool quality with our flock and offer fleeces in the low 20s with a variety of colors that cater to the handspinning market.” A year or so into retirement, Larry and his wife, Angie, run the sheep operation with Emma, while

Anna has relocated to Florida. “We’re breeding 30 to 35 ewes a year and getting 50 to 60 lambs,” Larry said. “Originally, we sold the fleeces at the shows. Since my daugh ters got started in this, we’ve shown sheep in 17 states. At one point, our operation grew rapidly, but sheep was something we could do on the side for a lot of years. Somewhere along the way, we were selling enough sheep and fleeces that it made sense to expand.” After more than two decades of raising sheep, the family counts those they’ve met in the industry among their closest friends. “Emma first met Samantha – who is now executive director of the Michigan Sheep Producers Association – when they were both just kids showing sheep. And now they’re running their state sheep associations.” On the ASI Executive Board, Hopkins follows in the foot steps of Anne Crider of Illinois, who served two terms on the board and was co-chair of the ASI Wool Council. Finding sheep producers who have the time and are willing to serve in such a demanding leadership position can be difficult, but Larry is ready to meet that challenge head on. “I didn’t have any reservations about serving on the Executive Board,” Larry said. “There are always some unknowns when you sign up for something like this. It’s interesting to see how things play out, but the people I’m working with are all great and sincere about wanting to improve the sheep industry.”

“One of my mentors in the sheep industry is Bob Benson – who has been heavily involved with the state sheep association and ASI through the years – and he was always talking about ASI,” said Larry, who was appointed co-chair of ASI’s Legislative Action Council. “That’s probably one of the best ways I can serve the association. I don’t come from an extensive sheep background like a lot of the other members of the Executive Board. But I’ve got this one skillset that I believe can be valuable in this role.” While his professional career included stints as a town manag er, running political campaigns and working in the state attorney general’s office, Larry isn’t focused solely on legislative concerns for the industry. “I want to see the industry deal with the challenges of imports, so we can increase our share of the domestic lamb market,” he said. “I’m very interested in solar grazing here in the Midwest. I think solar is going to be a disruptive force that will benefit our industry. When I was still president of the Indiana Sheep Asso ciation, I was approached by two developers of solar projects who were not knowledgeable about sheep. So, I started learning about it. We put on a forum in Indiana last year to educate our produc

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