2007 Sheep & Wool Festival Focuses on Education

By Sarah Watson, Livestock Editor
Wednesday, August 29, 2007 2:25 PM CDT

While the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival may be about sheep, fiber and stock dogs, its real strength lies in the hundreds of hours of educational opportunities offered to young and old alike.

The Festival will be held Friday through Sunday, Sept. 7-9 at Jefferson Fair Park, Jefferson. Admission is $5 per day with kids eight and under free. A three-day weekend festival pass is available for $10 at the gate.

New to the Festival’s educational docket in 2007 are Sheep 101 and Herding 101, and Will ‘Ewe’ Teach Me To Knit.

Sheep 101

Sheep 101, a full-day clinic slated for Sept. 7, is designed to provide basics to both prospective and beginning sheep producers—including youth—and covering topics ranging from breed selection and shelter and fencing to economics of sheep production and designing a farm’s health protocol.

“It’s a primer, really - something to expose folks to the rules of thumbs for shepherding from people (who) have been around the industry for many years,” notes Gary Klug, president of the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative, which hosts the Festival.

Sheep 101 instructors include both educators and respected long-time sheep producers, including Dave Thomas of UW-Madison; Martin Dally of the University of California-Davis; Janet McNally of Hinckley, Minn.; Elmer Held of Oakfield; and State Veterinarian Doris Olander, D.V.M.

Pre-registration, with a fee of $55 per person, is required for Sheep 101; the fee includes Festival admission.

Herding 101

Ever wonder if your herding dog has what it takes? Herding 101, a new feature at the Festival, is open to owners of any herding breed and is offered throughout the three days of the Festival. Pre-registration is requested. Dog owners will schedule sessions with the trainer when they arrive at the Festival grounds.

Two types of sessions are available, the first being an instinct test to determine if a dog has the interest or ability for herding. The second is a two-part class with at least an hour break between sessions. Joyce Burnham, Custom Stock Dogs of Steeleville, Ill., will conduct the clinics. She suggests dogs be at least 8 months old for training and 4 to 8 months old for an instinct test.

There is a charge for both instinct tests and herding classes.

Will ‘Ewe’ Teach Me to Knit?

In “Will ‘Ewe’ Teach Me to Knit?” a team of experienced knitters will introduce teens and younger kids to knitting. Youth can join this Saturday session for a few minutes or a few hours for hands-on instruction. They will learn to make their own knitting needles, then dig into learning some basic knitting stitches using wool and wool-blend yarns. Pre-registration is not required. Participants need to bring knitting needles, size 8, 9 or 10, and a $5 class fee.

Wonders of Wool

While some of the 50-plus Wonders of Wool classes are already filled, openings remain in others. Wonders of Wool classes, taught by instructors from across the country, are designed for fiber enthusiasts of all experience levels who want to learn about everything from spinning and weaving techniques to fiber dying and felting. Half- and full-day classes are held Sept. 7 through 9.

Topics include weaving classes, spinning, blending fibers, rug braiding, felting, knitting, dying techniques, locker hooking, Russian punch needle embroidery and much more. For a complete listing of classes go to the Festival website http://www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com.

People interested in registering for the WOW classes should call WSBC Executive Secretary Jill Alf at 608-868-2505 to learn of class openings and to register. Registrations are accepted up to the time of the event.

Producer roundtables

Both inexperienced and experienced shepherds will find something to like in this year’s slate of Producer Roundtable educational sessions. Producer Roundtable sessions, which typically last one hour, are held throughout the day on Sept. 8 and 9.

The current schedule for Saturday is 9 a.m. - Working With Your Meat Processor, Jeff Sindelar, UW-Extension meats specialist; Basic Pasture Sense for Shepherds, Janet McNally, Tamarack Lamb & Wool. 10 a.m. - Direct Marketing, Paul Dietmann, Farm & Rural Services Bureau; Understanding Protein Nutrition, Dan Morrical, Extension sheep specialist and animal science department farm coordinator, Iowa State University; How Can I Produce A Champion Fleece?, Martin Dally, retired, University of California-Davis. 11 a.m. - What I Expect & Why: The Future of the Sheep Industry, Stan Potratz, Premier. 1 p.m. - Predator Identification & Management, USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services; 10 Keys to Profitability Dan Morrical, Extension sheep specialist, Iowa State. 2 p.m. - Finishing Lambs on Turnips, Janet McNally, Tamarack Lamb & Wool.

Sunday’s schedule is 10 a.m. - Physiological & Environmental Limitations to Wool Growth, Martin Dally, retired, University of California-Davis; Ewe Nutrition, Dan Morrical, Extension sheep specialist, Iowa State; The House That Genghis Built, Mary Underwood. 11 a.m. - Management Of Wool On and Off the Sheep, Mary Wallace, White Dove Farm, Cambridge; Effective Artificial Lamb Rearing, Yves Berger, director, Spooner Research Station and dairy sheep specialist; Cooking With Lamb!, Chef Sabi, The Casbah Restaurant & Lounge. 1 p.m. - Metabolic Disorders In Your Flock, Dan Morrical, Extension sheep specialist, Iowa State University. 2 p.m. - Plans For Genetic Improvement, Dave Thomas, professor of sheep genetics and management, UW-Madison.

Other than the admission fee to the Festival, there is no additional charge to attend Producer Roundtable sessions.

Youth education

Youth education is a major focus for Festival planners. The Skillathon, offered on Sept. 8 and 9, provides a hands-on opportunity for kids of all ages - especially those with livestock projects - to test their skills. Put together by Sam and Pat Wiford of Wapakoneta, Ohio, for the second year, the Skillathon has quickly become the destination of choice for youth. The Wifords and over 20 volunteers take youth through eight separate stations, each with a focus on some aspect of sheep husbandry.

No pre-registration is required for the Skillathon, and youth can compete for award points. Sessions are offered from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. on Sept. 8 and from 10 a.m. to noon on Sept. 9 in the Country Store West building.

The Festival offers plenty of other opportunities for youth, including a lead-in competition, kids’ poster contest, junior breeding and market-lamb shows, showmanship contest, Make It With Wool contest, Herding 101 sessions, Sheep 101 Beginning Shepherd’s Clinic and a visit to the lambing barn.

Hall of Breeds

The Hall of Breeds is for people who wonder what the different breeds look like and what are their characteristics. Sheep producers from around the state will display sheep representative of the breeds they raise, and they’ll provide information about the breeds - advantages, disadvantages, history, primary purpose and temperament, for example. For people thinking of getting started in sheep production, this is an invaluable display, Black says.

In addition to the sheep shown in competition and the Hall of Breeds, farm and breed displays on Saturday and Sunday offer an opportunity for breeders to showcase their farms and sheep. Visitors can meet producers and learn about the breeds they raise and their production systems.

Nothing’s cuter than newborn lambs. At this year’s Festival, visitors can expect to see mothers with their newborn lambs. With any luck at all, they could witness the birth of lambs! Ewes and lambs from the UWnArlington Sheep Research Unit and UWnMadison are the featured stars at the Lambing Barn.

Ram Test Alley

The Wisconsin Ram Test Alley will feature a selection of tested ram lambs from the 2007 Wisconsin Ram Test and yearling rams from the 2006 Test. The rams, penned by individual consignors, will be available for sale by private treaty from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday. Complete Test Station information for each ram will be posted, and consignors will be available to answer questions.

Make It With Wool!

The Make It With Wool Contest is celebrating its 60th anniversary nationally this year, and the Wisconsin contest on Sept. 8 has something new to offer this year - a novelty division. Novelty items include slippers, purses, scarves, shawls, hats, mittens and more. The contest continues to feature knitted, crocheted, woven and sewn garments for the entrant, garments made for others, plus categories for afghans, coverlets, wallhangings, quilts and challenge wallhangings. The contest’s registration deadline is Aug. 31. The Best of Wisconsin style show, featuring the Make It With Wool contestants, takes place at 2:15 p.m. Sept. 8 in the Activity Center.

Country Store

The Festival’s commercial exhibit area - Country Store - will have everything from sheep feed and sheep-production handbooks to roving, spun yarn, carders, looms, and spinning wheels. Over 100 vendors offer virtually everything shepherds and fiber enthusiasts could want. Some vendors feature educational exhibits. The County Store is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Sunday. On Friday, Sept. 7, visitors can get onto the grounds without charge for early-bird shopping from 5-8 p.m.

Shearing demonstrations

Watch a skilled shearer in action as David Kier of Eleva presents shearing demonstrations on both Sept. 8 and 9. Not only will he demonstrate techniques, but Kier will answer questions about everything from cutting blades to wool handling. Kier also will present a workshop at 1 p.m. on Sept. 9 for shepherds interested in learning about shearing standing sheep. This workshop will appeal to shepherds inexperienced in standard shearing positions, who have a hard-to-handle animal or who cannot physically handle sheep in a traditional stance. No registration required.

Stock dog trials

From the morning of Sept. 7 through the afternoon of Sept. 9, working stock dogs will show why they’re indispensable on many sheep farms. The Crook & Whistle Stock Dog Trial is a sanctioned trial that will feature some of the best dogs in the country.

In addition, Joyce Burnham of Custom Stock Dogs will present demonstrations of Border Collies going through their paces throughout the weekend.

Live and silent auctions

The Used Equipment Auction will take place at 2 p.m. on Sept. 8. Producers wishing to consign equipment to the sale should do so by 1 p.m. that day. A list of early-consigned items will be posted on the Festival website in advance of the Festival, so shepherds are urged to make consignments as soon as possible.

The Shepherds’ Auction is an opportunity to purchase everything from quilts to spinning wheels, framed prints and sports memorabilia to sheep-production equipment, roving and yarn. Bob Johnson of Badger Auction Service and Real Estate begins the bidding at 4 p.m. on Sept. 8. The auction, made up of donations from Festival exhibitors, vendors, WSBC members and supporters, helps raise funds for many educational and scholarship programs of the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative.

A Silent Auction, which runs from noon until 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 8, likely will feature unique gift items, sheep supplies and fiber-arts equipment. To donate items to either the Shepherds’ Auction or Silent Auction, contact Dick and Sylvia Roembke at 262-377-1491 or rsrmke@nconnect.net or donate items on the morning of Sept. 8.

Sheep and Wool Shows

Martin Dally of California and Neil Kentner of Michigan will serve as judges for the Festival’s fleece competition, and the judging is open to the public. One of the most popular features of the Festival, participation in the fleece show grows yearly as shepherds increasingly appreciate the value and rewards of producing a quality fleece. The Shetland fleece show starts at 9 a.m. Sept. 8, and the judging of remaining fleeces begins at 12:30 p.m. The sale of fleeces begins at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 9, and many of the fleeces in the previous day’s fleece show will be offered for sale to spinners and other fiber artists. For shepherds wishing to enter fleeces, advance registration is encouraged but not required. The show features divisions for commercial market, handspinning white, handspinning natural colored and Shetland fleeces.

The Festival is host to four sheep shows on Sept. 8 and 9. Sept. 8 shows start with the 10 a.m. Open Sheep Show, where wool and meat breeds will vie for top honors. At noon, the Midwest Shetland Sheep Show will draw exhibitors from throughout the Midwest and beyond. Sept. 9 starts with the Market Lamb Show at 10:30 a.m., followed by the Junior Breeding Sheep Show at around noon. The Junior Showmanship Contest, where some of the Midwest’s finest youth exhibitors compete for coveted showmanship honors, concludes the shows.

For More Information

With so many activities the best place for up-to-date information is the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, website http://www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com. For class registrations or additional information, contact Jill Alf at 608-868-2505 or wisbc@centurytel.net.

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