Purdue Agriculture News

January 7, 2000 Purdue to honor 15 during Ag Fish Fry WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A record 15 recipients of the Agricultural Alumni Association's Certificate of Distinction will be honored at the annual Ag Fish Fry on Friday, Jan. 21, at Purdue University. The event gets under way at 11:30 a.m. in the Purdue Armory. The award is the association's highest honor and recognizes individuals for their service to agriculture beyond the call of duty, according to the association's executive secretary, Donya Lester. This year's honorees are Marion F. Baumgardner, West Lafayette; Robert L. Benson, Noblesville, Ind.; R. Leroy Brammer, Patriot, Ind.; Larry Curless, Wabash, Ind.; Thomas E. Diener, Reynolds, Ind.; Robert F. Fields, Battle Ground, Ind.; Gary J. Geswein, Palmyra, Ind.; Norman D. Long, West Lafayette; Morgan Miers, Greensburg, Ind.; Harry L. Pearson, Indianapolis; Hugh B. Pence, Lafayette; Lee R. Rulon, Arcadia, Ind.; William E. Swern, Rockville, Ind.; Howard M. Unger, Carlisle, Ind.; and Shirley Woody, Estero, Fla. According to Lester, the large number of honorees – typically four are selected each year – reflects the growing number of quality nominations being submitted. "For the last two years we have received a tremendous number of exceptional nominees for the Certificate of Distinction award," she said. "At the rate of honoring only four per year, it was clear that many extremely deserving people would not be honored in a timely fashion." Tickets for the fish fry are $12 each and must be purchased in advance. They are available at all Purdue Cooperative Extension Service county offices or through the Ag Alumni office at (765) 494-8593. CONTACT: Lester, (765) 494-8593, dcl@agad.purdue.edu Sheep organization provides youth leadership, learning WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – With the birth of the Indiana Junior Sheep Association, young sheep enthusiasts from across the state have the chance to learn more about the sheep industry and develop leadership skills. The IJSA is a collaboration between Purdue University and the Indiana Sheep Breeders Association. The organization is for sheep exhibitors and 4-H members in Indiana who are between 8 and 24 years old. "I hope this association provides opportunities for youths to learn more about the sheep industry, make friends and gain leadership skills," said Mike Neary, Purdue Extension sheep specialist. Currently, the organization is planning a pizza party and activities for youths who register for the Indiana Sheep Symposium, which will be Jan. 22 at the West Lafayette Holiday Inn. Other activities planned for this year include a lamb camp and show this summer. Youths interested in joining the IJSA may get membership applications from Neary at the Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1151. Annual membership dues are $10 per person or $15 per family. The IJSA held its first meeting at the 1999 Indiana State Fair. Since that meeting, the IJSA executive committee has been formed. The 1999-2000 IJSA officers, all from Indiana, are: • President – Anna Day, Noblesville. • First vice president – Kraig Bowers, Centerville. • Second vice presidents – Heather Browning, LaPorte, Christina Scheurich, Hillsboro. • Secretary – Amy Eizinger, Rochester. • Treasurer – Megan McMicheal, Scottsburg. • Fund-raising chairman – Dawn Fox, Merrillville. • Youth activities chairmen – Amanda Gillespie, West Lafayette, and Jessie Cline, Kirklin. • Show and sale chairman – Chris Holliday, Wilkinson. • Public relations chairman – Amy Johnson, Warsaw. CONTACTS: Neary, (765) 494-4849; mneary@purdue.edu, or Janelle Sommers, coordinator of IJSA, (765) 463-7463; jlsangus@purdue.edu Purdue lambing school set for later this month WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Both new and veteran sheep producers can benefit by attending the Purdue University Lambing School on Jan. 29. The school will cover various lambing procedures including gestation, lactation and care of newborn lambs. Topics will include nutrition, reproduction, health considerations, lambing barn obstetrics and necessary management practices. The school will be from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the sheep unit of the Purdue Animal Sciences Research and Education Center. The center is 10 miles northwest of Lafayette, on County Road 500 North. The cost is $35 per person, which includes lunch and educational materials. Class size is limited to 40 persons. Registration deadline is Jan. 21. To register, contact Michael Neary, Purdue Extension sheep specialist in the Department of Animal Sciences, Lilly Hall, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907. Instructors for the school are Neary; Dawn Frank, veterinarian with Horizon Veterinary Services; Gerald Kelly, manager of the sheep unit at Purdue; and Wayne Singleton, Purdue Extension livestock specialist. The lambing school is sponsored by the Purdue Department of Animal Sciences and the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with the Indiana Sheep Breeders Association. CONTACT: Neary, (765) 494-4849, mneary@purdue.edu Compiled by Beth Forbes, (765) 494-2722, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page