Buckeye Shepherd's Symposium to be held in Wooster

Buckeye Shepherd's Symposium to be held in Wooster
                        

Whether you’ve been in the lamb business for a long time or you’re thinking about getting started in this ever-growing industry, the upcoming 2017 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium in Wooster will be a good opportunity to learn more about breeding, raising and marketing lamb.

This symposium will be held Friday, Dec. 1 and Saturday, Dec. 2 at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center’s Fisher Auditorium and Shisler Conference Center in Wooster.

According to Roger High, the executive director for the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, this symposium will feature a wide selection of topics with a focus on profitability.

“We try to put together a diverse program so that we are hitting lots of segments of the sheep industry,” High said. “I think the whole area of profitability, how you can improve the profitability of your sheep operation, that is something we’ve been focusing on for the past several years, but this year with that focus of improving profitability, we’re talking about nutrition programs, feeding lambs on grass, feeding lambs on grain, how you can feed your ewe lambs for maximum growth and production.

And then there is reproduction, managing those rams and those ewes so that they’re as productive as possible. That’s what we’ve been trying to do the last few years. We’re trying to make it so that the symposium not only picks up on the diversity of the industry, but also so that it picks up on the diversity of topics that our sheep producers might be interested in.”

There also will be sessions and experts dealing with artificial insemination and embryo transfer work for those that are interested in improving the genetics of their flocks. On top of that, talks will be given about marketing, direct marketing and economics.

“We’re doing a lamb-cutting demonstration, and we’re doing some cooking demonstrations along with that. And then one of the things that we’ve been focusing on the last several years — because we know there are a lot of new sheep producers or novice sheep producers getting into the business — we’re doing some novice programs,” High said. “These will be some things you need to do to manage your sheep flock to make it profitable.”

Several well-known speakers will be present for this symposium including High. “On Friday we have Dr. Francis Fluharty,” High said. “He’s there at OARDC in Wooster doing a lot of the sheep research that Ohio State is doing. Dr. Tadd Thompson is who most would consider the renowned expert in sheep reproduction, not only the reproduction of ewes, but also artificial insemination and embryo transfer work.”

Other speakers will include Dr. Erin Recktenwald from Michigan State University, Brady Campbell from the OSU Sheep Team and Nick Forrest, an Ohio breeder who will do the cutting and cooking demonstrations along with chef Jeff Hyde from the Colonel Des Spice Company.

The symposium will start at 2 p.m. on Friday with a talk by Recktenwald that looks at the profitability of different sheep production models. On Saturday the symposium will begin with a continental breakfast at 7:30 a.m., and as the day goes on, there will be a trade show, awards ceremony and a variety of different sessions discussing a range of topics spanning lamb production, management and marketing.

“We’re still taking registrations,” High said. “People can register online, or they can call my office for more information.”

To register online, visit www.OhioSheep.org. Otherwise, call High at 614-246-8299. Registration fees vary based on which days you plan to attend: $15 for Friday’s program for Ohio Sheep Improvement Association members or $20 for nonmembers and for Saturday’s program $30 for OSIA members or $40 for nonmembers.

The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center’s Fisher Auditorium and Shisler Conference Center in Wooster is located at 1680 Madison Ave.


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