Sheep checkoff calls for nominations, approves projects

In compliance with IN S&W’s regulation to hold elections for three council members each year on a rolling basis, the organization is also looking for representatives from the following districts:

• District 2: Consisting of Elkhart, LaGrange, Steuben, Kosciusko, Noble and DeKalb counties.
• District 5: Consisting of Cass, Carroll, Howard, Clinton, Boone, Tipton, Hamilton, Grant and Madison counties.
• District 8: Consisting of Sullivan, Knox, Daviess, Marten, Gibson, Pike, Dubois, Posey, Vandenburgh, Warrick, Spencer, Clay, Owen, Monroe and Greene counties.

Anyone interested in becoming a district representative or in nominating someone for a district representative position should contact IN S&W Purdue advisor Meredith Cobb at 765-426-1195 or mcobb2@purdue.edu by April 15. There is also a fillable form on the website one can submit to be included in all mailings and emails related to the checkoff, along with an option to submit your name for nomination in the upcoming election.

At the most recent meeting of the IN S&W Council, nine new projects were accepted for funding. These include a sheep shearing contest at the Indiana State Fair, the Indiana Sheep Association’s 2023 Symposium, the 2023 Indiana Make it With Wool Competition, the Indiana State Fair’s Taste from Indiana Farms, administrator and communications support, the Delaware County Farm Festival, the Randolph County Sheep Producers education workshop, and the Indiana Forage Council’s Stockmanship for improved Animal Handling and Health workshop.

Background: The Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Program was created to support educational, promotional and research efforts involving sheep in Indiana. Funds for the council are collected from the sale of all sheep in Indiana – 0.5 percent of the net market price of each sheep sold. All funds collected by stockyards, sale managers, producers and others should be sent to the council’s business office at Purdue. More information is on the program’s website at https://indianasheep.com/checkoff.php.