Reminder to Register for Sheep Grazing Workshops
The rapid development of utility scale solar farms across the country has stimulated a significant need to utilize sheep grazing for vegetation management. Opportunities for sheep grazing contracts in wildfire-prone areas and vineyards are also expanding. Sheep grazing helps to eliminate dried plants that might otherwise become wildfire fuel, while grazing in vineyards and other areas helps clear weeds while reducing or eliminating the need for herbicides.
These paid grazing contracts present tremendous opportunities for growing sheep flocks across the country, improving the availability and price competitiveness of American Lamb, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through green energy production and biological vegetation management. These grazing opportunities offer current and emerging sheep producers the opportunity to increase their profitability and grow flock numbers.
Training is needed to ensure sheep producers are prepared to capitalize on these grazing contract opportunities. “Improving the sustainability of the US sheep industry through profitable growth is a top priority of the American Lamb Board (ALB),” says ALB Chair Jeff Ebert, “ALB is committed to ensuring new and experienced shepherds receive education and resources to become successful contract grazers.”
ALB’s grazing workshops are designed to outline new and existing opportunities through targeted grazing across the US, including fire suppression, vineyards, and solar grazing. Producers who attend these workshops will learn about the in-depth process of using sheep to provide a grazing service. From animal performance to contracts and business set-up, the goal is to provide producers with the tools necessary to be successful service providers and profitable shepherds.
The three grazing workshops in 2024 will be in:
Temple, Texas, May 8th-10th
Roxboro, North Carolina, May 20th-22nd
Fresno, California, Summer 2024
Attendance is limited to 50 producers and registration costs $200. For more information and to register, visit https://lambboard.com/grazing-workshops, or contact Camren Maierle at Camren@americanlamb.com