Focus is on sheep at Organic Farming Conference
Once, sheep were in demand for both their wool and meat with meat seen primarily as a byproduct of the wool. But the growing popularity of synthetic fibers following World War II cut sharply into wool demand, causing the industry’s emphasis to switch from wool production to meat production.
Leroy Kuhns, John Anderson and Kathy Bielek will speak on sheep production at the fifth annual Organic Farming Conference at The Event Center in Mt. Hope on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 7 and 8.
Leroy and Martha Kuhns and their son Andrew have a closed-ewe flock of 250 Old Style Dorsets. They started with sheep in 1986. Bielek usually keeps around 30 ewes. Katahdin hair sheep came to her farm in 2001. Anderson also began his flock of 100 Polypay ewes in 1986. The three shepherds have a combined 82 years of experience tending sheep.
The U.S. sheep industry, which had been declining for decades, is on the upswing, reflecting major and seemingly permanent changes. The growing willingness of many Americans to try new and different foods also bodes well for sheep producers.
Although it’s unlikely the glory days of the mid-1940s will ever be fully regained, U.S. sheep numbers now stand at 5.2 million, down from the 1945 peak of 56 million.
Once, sheep were in demand for both their wool and meat with meat seen primarily as a byproduct of the wool. But the growing popularity of synthetic fibers following World War II cut sharply into wool demand, causing the industry’s emphasis to switch from wool production to meat production.
Along with the weakening demand for wool came greater competition from other meats, especially chicken and pork, which has hurt the U.S. sheep industry for decades.
Lamb and mutton used to be an important part of some Americans’ diets. In 1945 Americans ate 7.3 pounds of lamb and mutton. Since that peak, lamb and mutton consumption fell steadily to 1.4 pounds per capita in 1990 and then to 0.85 pounds per capita in 2011. But the rebound that began in 2012 pushed 2017 per-capita consumption to 1.1 pounds. A recent study by the American Lamb Board found one in two Americans had never tried lamb.
Lamb and mutton are quite different. Lamb meat comes from sheep less than a year old and that typically are slaughtered between the age of 4 and 12 months. Meat from older sheep is called mutton; it is tougher meat and has a much stronger flavor than lamb meat. Today mutton is sold primarily in specialty shops.
Blame World War II, at least in part, for declining popularity of lamb and mutton. Americans who served in Europe during the war were fed canned mutton, which they disliked because of its strong musky flavor. Returning home after the war, many of the soldiers eliminated lamb meat from their dinner tables. One result was their children rarely, if ever, were exposed to lamb meat.
But demand for lamb is growing, especially with some religious and ethnic groups, whose numbers, until recently, were rising in the United States. Many of those groups are centered on the East Coast.
According to Michael Uetz, founder and managing partner of Midan Marketing, there is another potential market developing. “While Millennials are a key current consumer target, you have to begin understanding and addressing Generation Z, who are currently 15-24 years old. Globally by 2020 Gen Z’s will account for 2.56 billion people or 40 percent of all consumers.”
Uetz’s extensive research with meat consumers shows the definition of quality now goes beyond the traditional definition of product characteristics, especially for Millennials and Gen Z’s. “It now includes how the animal was raised, what it was fed or not fed, impact on sustainability and influence on human health,” Uetz said.
For the U.S. lamb industry, “your power is in your story. You have a great one to tell about American lamb,” Uetz said to the industry. He specifically cited how U.S. lamb production aligns with Millennial and Gen Z desires for a great source of protein that is sustainably produced.
Midan Marketing focuses on understanding consumers’ attitudes and usage of meat to provide opportunities for the meat industry to better position their products. Uetz is one of the most recognized experts on meat marketing and consumer research.
Most of the 5.2 million sheep in the United States today are in the western states (Texas has 750,000). The top-10 sheep-producing states are all west of the Mississippi River. This gives Ohio and other sheep producers in the East easier access to the lucrative eastern market, an almost unfair advantage, according to the western producers, which often have to travel 150 miles to an auction.
The local auction at Mt. Hope is becoming one of the fastest growing sheep markets in the East. From 1,200-1,800 lambs and sheep are sold weekly.
The speakers at the conference will not only talk about this market potential, but also the bolts and nuts of sheep farming.
Topics covered include Why Sheep Farming, Choosing a Breed, Growing the Flock, Care and Feeding of Sheep, Parasites in Sheep, Some Problems of Sheep Farming, and Selecting and Selling Breeding Stock.
While Leroy Kuhns will cover more of the all-around aspects of being a successful shepherd, Bielek and Anderson will focus more on organic sheep production, especially on the natural control of parasites.
For more information visit www.organicfarmingconf.com or call 330-674-1892 for a free brochure with the event schedule. Register for $20 (includes an organic lunch) from now until Oct. 23.
The Mt. Hope Event Center is located at 8076 state Route 241 in Millersburg.