By SUSAN BLOWER
Indiana Correspondent

LEBANON, Ind. — The Indiana Sheep Symposium and Annual Meeting will be at the Boone County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Ind., on Saturday, Sept. 25.

Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the first seminar starts at 9:30 a.m. Lunch and dinner, featuring an old-fashioned lamb barbecue, will be served.

This is the first year that the Indiana Sheep Association is meeting in September, rather than February. Lebanon is also a change in locale.

“Sheep producers are small and have no hired help. Most lambs are born in January and February. When the temperatures are cold, it’s hard to leave the ewes that are lambing for a day,” said Sheila Sink, ISA board member.

It is easier to leave lambs who are born in September because there is no danger of freezing to death, Sink said.

Another change is the addition of the Skill-a-thon by Pat and Sam Wiford, who run their event at the All American National Sheep Show each year. Attendees will be able to answer questions about cuts of meat, wool grade and medicines in order to place and receive awards.

Noblesville veterinarian, Stanley Poe, will give adult and youth seminars on basic sheep care and provide artificial insemination for animals as needed.

Marketing is the focus of several more programs. Dan Willoughby will speak about bid board and online sales, while Steva Bower will lead a seminar on setting up and using a website. Kate Larson will give tips on marketing wool.

Lynette Walters will recap the sheep barn during the Indiana State Fair.

Small community
Sink said that, as a 20-year veteran, she goes mainly for the fellowship and casual tips she gleans from talking to other sheep farmers.

The sheep farm community is made up of “great people in Indiana who work together. If someone calls at midnight saying ‘I have a lamb eweing and I need help,’ I put on my cover-alls. There are people around who would do the same for me,” Sink said.

The biggest challenge for sheep farmers is being the smallest commodity group, Sink said.

Money for the ISA and sheep products, such as drugs, feed and minerals, tend to be more scarce.

“You can’t always walk into Tractor Supply and get what you want,” she said. Membership ebbs and flows in the ISA. With the annual show being delayed from February, adult membership has declined to 87 but has been as high as 400, Sink said.

The show circuit is strong with 150 junior members, many of whom do not have parents who are sheep farmers. In the youth program, the juniors will learn basics including how to clip feet and how to tell when sheep are unwell (hint: ears hanging down).

One of ISA’s goals is to keep young families involved in sheep farming past the 4-H years, Sink said.

The average sheep farm is 20 or fewer head, with many of them being 4-H participants. A few larger producers, with 300-400 sheep, are also part of the Indiana landscape, Sink said. “We have the full gamut from generational producers to 10-year sheep people to (4-H families),” she said.

Full-day cost is $45 for adult ISA members and $65 for non-members. Member couples and families get a better price, and half-day rates are available.

Many seminars are scheduled, from marketing strategies to processing to embryo transfer. Judging 101 and nutrition are also covered.

A wool scarf contest is featured this year. A non-refundable $5 entry fee is required for individuals or groups.

For details, visit IndianaSheep.com/documents/2010symposiumbrocure.pdf online or call Sink at 765-960-5045.