WSBC May Newsletter

President’s Message Unusual times continue and the trickle down theory is beginning to impact WSBC to a degree.

With a delayed Annual Meeting and now some budgeted grant receipts canceled we need to be smart as we plan the years activities. As of today our main activity the Festival is as scheduled.

Obviously we are at the mercy of many but continue to think positive and plan accordingly.

Often the question surfaces as to why membership to WSBC is important. And why does WSBC belong to ASI( American Sheep Industry Association) . It is during times like this where we need to bond as members and as an industry. ASI has the ability to communicate directly with USDA and it is clearly going to help our industry with federal support for producers. Together as an industry we are far stronger and have a far greater chance to be on the inside not outside of the discussions. Our membership numbers are being leveraged right now to help US Sheep producers.

Your Board recently met with a full agenda of activity planning. A key item was reviewing the financial audit recently completed and the recommendations the board had received. Some action steps were completed and the recommendations prioritized.

We will look forward to seeing the membership at the September 12 Annual Meeting held during the festival. If you have not had a chance to send your 2020 membership dues please consider doing so before June 1.

Please take care of yourself and enjoy the spring weather. There is something magic about turning onto pasture and that will certainly be true this year. Doug Wilson, WSBC President

Festival Artwork Artwork selected for the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival catalog cover and promotional items is the result of hours of searching the Web and careful consideration by the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Co-op Promotion Committee of scores of designs and artists. While over the years artwork had been generously donated to the festival by Wisconsin artists, more recent designs are licensed and have come from a broad range of talent both in the US and overseas, which is the case with this year’s artwork from UK artist Valerie de Rozarieux.

About the Artist Valerie de Rozarieux lives in the beautiful Peak district of the UK, an area of valleys and moorland hills. She is a self-taught artist who enjoyed drawing as a child and who, since 2016 – her family having grown up – has been able to spend more time on her passion for painting.

She is particularly drawn to colors and how they combine and interact with one another.

“I enjoy using watercolours and exploring their fluid qualities. I love to let the pigment ‘do its own thing’ on the paper, revelling in the mixing, run back and granulations for exciting textures.

I have always had a love for nature so it was only natural for these to be the subject of my paintings. I feel that the spontaneity and fluidity of watercolours lend themselves well to capturing the beauty of animals, giving a sense of life.”

Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival

Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival http://wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com

September 11-13, 2020 http://kaywa.me/vf4Uy

Download the Kaywa QR Code Reader (App Store &Android Market) and scan your code!

Jefferson Fair Park • Jefferson, WI

Schedule of Events (P) Pre-registration required for these classes and activities. Check Map for locations.

THURSDAY NOTE 8:00 – 3:00 8:00 – 4:00 8:00 – 6:00 9:00 – 4:00 4:00 – 9:00

On Thursday the festival is open ONLY to registered Wonders of Wool fiber arts students, vendors and sheep exhibitors.

Registration Open-Pick-up pre-paid Camping Permits Lobby – Activity Center Jefferson Fair Park Office Open Purchase Camping Permits Activity Center VENDOR SET UP – VENDOR AREAS CLOSED TO PUBLIC! Wonders of Wool Fiber Arts Classes (P) Mid-American Shetland (MASS) Sheep Check-in Sheep Barn

FRIDAY

Gates Open: 7:00 a.m. - Admission charged 7:00 a.m.

Stock Exchange Open (See Map) 7:30 Registration Open Pick up pre-paid Camping Permits Lobby – Activity Center 7:30-9:30 Check-in – Mid-American Shetland (MASS) Fleece Show West Exhibit Building All Day Mid-American (MASS) Shetland Sheep Check-in Sheep Barn 8:00 – 4:00 Jefferson Fair Park Office Open-Purchase Camping Permits Activity Center 8:00 Crook & Whistle Stock Dog Trial Opens West Field Shepherd’s Choice & Silent Auction (Donations accepted until 9:00 a.m. Sat.) Activity Center 8:00 – 3:00 Quilt Raffle! Ticket Sales Lobby – Activity Center 8:00 – 5:00 Open & Shetland Skein Contest Entry Check-in Activity Center Design Challenge Entry Check-in Activity Center Youth Design Challenge Check-in Activity Center 9:00 – 4:00 Wonders of Wool Fiber Arts Classes (P) 10:00 Judging – MASS Shetland Fleece Show West Exhibit Building 10:00 Photo Contest – Entries open for viewing Activity Center 10:00 – 6:00 COUNTRY STORE OPEN 1:00 – 5:00 Silent Auction of MASS Shetland Fleeces West Exhibit Building 2:30 MASS Shetland Sheep Inspection-Evaluations Sheep Barn 3:00 – 8:00 Open – Junior - Romney Natl. Fleece Shows Check-in West Exhibit Building 6:00 – 7:30 Open - Junior – Romney Natl. Sheep Shows Check-in Sale Arena

SATURDAY Gates Open: 7:00 a.m. – Admission charged Jefferson Fair Park Office – Open 8:00 - Noon 7:00 a.m.

Stock Exchange Open (See Map) 7:00 – 9:00 Fleece Show – Open, Junior, BFL Entries – Check-in West Exhibit Building 7:00 – 8:30 Open – BFL Sheep Shows Check-in Sale Arena 7:30 Crook & Whistle Stock Dog Trial West Field 7:30 Registration Open Pick up pre-paid Camping Permits Lobby-Activity Center 8:00 – 10:00 MASS Shetland Sheep Entries Check-in Sheep Barn 8:00 Hall of Breeds Indoor Arena Newborn Lambs!

Indoor Arena Photo Contest Activity Center 8:00 – 9:00 Make It With Wool – Registration & Hospitality Lobby – Activity Center 8:00 – 2:00 Quilt Raffle! Ticket Sales Lobby – Activity Center 8:00 – 3:00 Skillathon East Exhibit Building (south end)

8:00 – 3:00 8:00 – 5:00 9:00 – 6:00 9:00

Open & Shetland Skein Contest Entry Check-in Design Challenge Entry Check-in Youth Design Challenge Check-in Junior Sheep Show Check-in COUNTRY STORE OPEN Art Under Foot Hooked Rug Exhibit Open Wonderful Wisconsin Wool Shepherd’s Choice & Silent Auction – Deadline for donations!

Activity Center Activity Center Activity Center Sale Arena Activity Center Activity Center Activity Center

9:00 – 11:00 9:00 – Noon 9:00 – 3:00 9:00 – 4:00

Judging - Make It With Wool Entry Check-in – Poster Contest Shepherd’s Choice & Silent Auction – Bidding Wonders of Wool Fiber Arts Classes (P)

Activity Center Sale Arena Activity Center

9:30 9:30

Judging – Open, Junior, Natl. Romney Fleece Shows West Exhibit Building Judging - Open Sheep - Meat & Wool Breeds, Natl. Romney Show Sale Arena Antique Shearing Equipment Display Indoor Arena 10:00 – 5:00 Private Treaty Sales – MSSBA Fleeces West Exhibit Building 10:00 & Noon & 2:00 Shearing Demonstrations Indoor Arena Noon WSBC Scholarship Winners Announced Activity Center Noon Consignments Close – Used Equipment Auction Warm-up Arena 12:30 Judging – Mid-American Shetland Sheep Breeders Show Sheep Barn 2:00 4:30 5:00 5:00 6:00 – 7:00 6:00

Used Equipment Auction Warm-up Arena Make It With Wool - Awards & Best of Wisconsin Style Show Activity Center Drawing for the MIWW Quilt Raffle Activity Center Walk & Knit-Walk & Crochet! Challenge Relay Walk & Knit Way (See map) ANNUAL MEETING – Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Co-op Activity Center Results Posted – Poster Contest Sale Arena Silent Auction of Open, Junior, Natl. Romney Fleeces West Exhibit Building Lead Line & Costume Class Competition Sale Arena

SUNDAY Gates Open 7:00 a.m. – Admission charged 7:00 a.m.

7:30 7:30 7:45 8:00 – 3:00 8:00 – 9:00 8:00 – 9:30 8:00 – Noon 8:30 – 3:00 8:00 – 3:30

Jefferson Fair Park Office CLOSED – Go to Registration Stock Exchange Open (See Map) Crook & Whistle Stock Dog Trial West Field Registration Open - Pick up pre-paid Camping Permits Lobby – Activity Center Youth Judging Contest Beef Barn Photo Contest Activity Center Check-in - Junior Sheep Show Sale Arena Weigh-in, Market Lambs Sheep Barn Weigh-in. Carcass Competition – Pen of 3 Indoor Arena Skillathon East Exhibit Building (south end) Fleece Sale - Private Treaty - Open, Junior, Natl. BFL Fleeces West Exhibit Building Hall of Breeds Indoor Arena Newborn Lambs!

Indoor Arena

8:30 – 3:30 9:00 9:30 9:00-1:30 9:00 – 3:30

Wonders of Wool Fiber Arts Classes (P) Judging - Open & Shetland Skein Competition Activity Center Judging - Design Challenge Wonders of Wool Building 1 Judging – Junior Youth Sweepstakes Showmanship Junior Breeding Sheep Show to follow Sale Arena Sheep to Shawl Competition Activity Center Art Under Foot Hooked Rug Exhibit Activity Center Wonderful Wisconsin Wool Activity Center

9:30 – 3:30 COUNTRY STORE OPEN 10:00 Building

Special Presentation – Judges Roundtable

West Exhibit

Judging – Pen of 3 Carcass Competition Indoor Arena 10:30 Judging – Market Lamb Showmanship - Show to follow Sheep Barn 10:00 – 3:00 Fiber Arts Demonstrations Wonders of Wool Building 1 Antique Shearing Equipment Display Indoor Arena 10:30 & 1:00 Shearing Demonstrations Indoor Arena Noon Farm to Table - Cooking With the Chefs!

Activity Center 1:00 Pen of 3 Carcass Competition – Live Placings Announced Activity Center 3:30 Festival Closes – Thanks for coming and have a safe trip home!

Mark your calendars for 2021 – September 10-12

We continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and no decision on possible cancellation of the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival will be made prior to June 1. The list of Wonders of Wool instructors and the classes they will be teaching is now posted on the website, along with instructor bios. We will continue to upload content onto the website and will announce when registrations/entries will open at a later date.

Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, LLC

2020 WONDERS OF WOOL INSTRUCTORS

Denise Bell – Hulbert, Oklahoma Denise is the designer behind two books, each of which draws inspiration from a specific region and its culture. Her first book, Ultima Thule, is set in the Shetland Islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland, and features incredible lacework inspired by life on the islands. Her Kailyard shawl draws gasps when it is unfurled. Her second book, Deep Roots, considers the landscape and personalities of the Flint Hills of Chase County, Kansas, a unique tallgrass prairie uninterrupted by mechanized agriculture. Along with these two books, Denise has designed lace shawls, skirts, colorwork vests, sweaters, and other interesting garments.

Her teaching experience includes events from coast to coast and border to b order at large conventions, small retreats, guilds, and yarn shops. Denise’s goal is to encourage students at all levels to be intrepid and eclectic in their knitting adventures.

Lynne Bergschultz – Fredonia, Wisconsin Lynne is a former illustrator, designer and art educator who has worked in polymer clay for many years. Her buttons have been featured in national magazines and are sold at festivals, shops and galleries. Lynne sincerely enjoys sharing her passion for polymer with her students and works h ard to encourage individual creativity.

Rhonda Berman – Omaha, Nebraska Rhonda is primarily a fiber and mixed media artist. She started designing with zippers and needle felting about 4 years ago and since has written two books on the topic as well as designing many broach patterns and framed pieces. Rhonda has taught workshops at Fiber Fairs across the Midwest including the Nebraska Scotts Bluff Valley Fiber Arts Fair, the Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival and the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival. She has also held workshops in h er home and various yarn shops in Nebraska and Iowa as well as demonstrations at local guilds. Rhonda loves sharing her passion for experimentation with others and watching the spark of creativity light up someone’s face. Examples of her work can be found at ZipplyArt.com

Melissa Bohrtz – Sobieski, Wisconsin Melissa is one half of the fiber arts duo that runs Hello Purl. She has been carding and creating textured art yarns since she began spinning in 2010 and she loves to blend colors and textures in her fiber work. She also knits, weaves, does hand embroidery and mixed media art focusing on stitching and textile incorporation. In addition to Hello Purl, her fiber arts business, Melissa enjoys spending time on h er little homestead with her husband, two boys, small flock of chickens and four cats.

Kelly Brandt – Lake Odessa, Michigan Kelly started on her wool craft odyssey in 1975 with four heritage h orned Dorset sheep that came to her five acre h omestead in Lake Odessa “just to keep the pasture down”. As an accomplished seamstress, she used her wool harvest in wool-­‐filled comforters, but soon taught herself to locker hook, spin, and felt. She first got involved in FiberFest in Hastings in the early 1980s and has been teaching since 1985 in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. She is a published author and has won artistic awards for her work using wool and llama fiber from her family flocks. Through her fiber-­‐based cottage business, Team Effort Artisans, Kelly has shown and sold fine wool craft at shows, galleries, and festivals. In 2020, she will offer private classes at her new studio/barn outside Lake Odessa. Prospective students are invited to contact her with questions about the content of her classes at kellybrandt@yahoo.com or at 616-­‐374-­‐7176.

M. Theresa Brown – Franklinton, North Carolina M. Theresa Brown is a long-­‐time professional portrait artist whose art career embraces many areas of the Arts. Her years of printmaking and color work led her to explore the fiber arts. Using many similar skills and accumulated knowledge, she evolved as a hand p ainter, felter and ecoprinter on natural fibers. She uses natural dyes and low impact synthetic dyes and merges them into unique, beautiful designs on silk, wool, paper and even leather. She turns her transformed work into artisanal clothing, accessories and art. Her articles and designs in the fiber arts have appeared in international publications such as No Serial Number and Belle Armoire. She has created many how-­‐to DVDs and eBooks in the visual arts in conjunction with the national art chain, Jerrysartarama. She h as been an instructor at many fiber art shows including Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, Southeastern Animal Fiber Fest, Carolina Fiber Fest, Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival, Michigan Fiber Fest and many upcoming new venues. She and her artist husband, Stephen Filarsky, reside in rural North Carolina with their alpacas, chickens and family dogs!

Heidi Bukoski – Sand Lake, Michigan Heidi grew up in an artistic household where she learned to sew and knit as a child. In high school her mother taught her to weave, which she studied further in college. At that time, she added dyeing and spinning to her repertoire. She has spent her life increasing her knowledge of different techniques, has experimented with most fiber processes and loves to combine them to achieve her desired end. While weaving and felting are still her main focus, the last 15 years she has become more serious about jewelry and working with wire in various ways; including making it. She conducted her first workshops in the mid-­‐1970s, took time off for family and children, and now teaches throughout the Midwest.

Penny Cetner – Richmond, Illinois Penny Cetner is an owner of Wool, Warp and Wheel along with her husband, Rob. They have been in business for 17 years and teach many forms of fiber arts. Penny is a Level One M aster Knitter and is p ressing on for Level Two. She has taught various knitting, crochet and spinning classes.

Henry & Roy Clemes – Pinole, California A lifelong woodworker and small business owner, Henry has been building fiber art equipment for almost 50 years and drum carders for over 40 years. Roy grew up working in his family’s woodshop and is the president of Lambtown Festival, the largest sheep and wool show in California. Together they have introduced many innovations to the fiber arts community and their equipment is known for being not only thoughtfully engineered but visually pleasing and durable as well. They regularly consult and instruct spinners, felters, fiber growers, and professional fiber artists in the use of drum carders for fiber prep. Their fiber equipment can be seen on their website at clemes.com and they can be found on social media as @clemesandclemes.

Christina Drennen Coghill – Merrillville, Indiana Christina Drennen Coghill is a lifelong crafter, learning to spin yarn over 20 years. Spinning led to hand processing fibers which led to dyeing. Christina is a Redding M ethod Certified Dyer and Instructor and loves dyeing a variety of items with many different materials. She enjoys spending time with her family and her dog and when she isn’t crafting Christina enjoys a glass of craft beer or a glass of wine.

Linda Conroy – Stoughton, Wisconsin Linda M. Conroy is an herbalist as well as naturalist, working with p lants to create beauty, health and function. She has been making baskets for 20 years, offering classes and workshops across the country and as well as in the Midwest. As an herbalist and community organizer, she is the founder of Moonwise Herbs as well as The Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference. For more information visit www.moonwiseherbs.com.

Danita Doerre – Stoddard, Wisconsin As a fiber artist, interior d esigner and Certified ILR-­‐SD Llama Fleece Judge, I have been involved with fiber since I purchased my first llama, Forrester, in 1996. Since then Forrest Ridge Llamas and Alpacas houses 4 llamas, 2 alpacas and 1 sheep for a variety of natural, eco-­‐friendly fibers. My specialty is needle felting soft sculptures and fiber art. The techniques I use are hand spinning, wet felting, needle felting, braiding, weaving, hand dying and dry felting, resulting in pieces with soft expression and depth. All of my designs are one-­‐of-­‐a-­‐kind, inspired by nature and the coulee regions of Wisconsin. All fiber has a purpose and my passion is to work with a variety of fleeces while being a part of our heritage culture of handcrafting with fiber. I have shared my love of fiber as a fiber artist instructor at the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, Kentucky S heep and Wool Festival, Shepherds Harvest, Tri -­‐County Fiber Studios, WTC Junior College, as well as Minnesota and Wisconsin Llama Conferences. I am a member of Three Rivers Spinning and Weaving Guild, Cameron Park Market, Midwest Lama Association, and Left Bank Art Gallery. M y art fiber booth received the People’s Choice Award at ArtSpire in La Crosse, WI in 2014.

Susan Frame – Osseo, Wisconsin Susan was inspired to learn how to weave from her Uncle Harold’s woven purses and cloth completed in the ‘50s and ‘60s. With that fascination she took her first weaving class in 1982 at UW-­‐River Falls and has continued her lessons at locations around the Midwest. For the past 22 years Susan has had the pleasure of teaching many different types of weaving techniques at the Fiber Garden in Black River Falls WI. She also will be teaching at Sievers in again in 2020. Susan is a teacher who enjoys working with students as they explore the joys and challenges of weaving. She lives on a hobby farm near Osseo, WI with her husband, a growing collection of looms and a herd of llamas.

Nancy Frantz – Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin Since 1985, Nancy has shared her love of weaving and fiber arts with h undreds of students through the Sheboygan Recreation Dept., from beginners to advanced students, ages 6 to 86! She has also presented weaving programs for various guilds and teaches during the summer at Sievers School of Fiber Arts. She has won several M erit Awards at the S heboygan County Fair and in addition she has won various awards at WHI Annual Shows and M WA Conferences, including two Weaving for the Home Awards of Excellence from Interweave Press. Her work has been juried into the JMK Arts Six Counties Shows. A very active member of the Sheboygan Shuttlecraft Guild, Nancy was also Co-­‐Chair of the 2005 Midwest Weavers Conference.

Brenna Furger – Milwaukee, Wisconsin Brenna Furger has been crocheting for over 20 years since she created the “ugliest blanket in the world”. In 2012, she took her love of crochet to new heights and b egan the Etsy business Crochet539. In 2015, she continued her connection to the craft community by creating the crochet blog, Crochet539.com where she highlights her work and her process. Brenna began teaching crochet classes through Milwaukee Recreation and fell in love with the instruction side of the craft. She finds that her students inspire her to grow as an artist as much as she hopes to inspire them. She found Freeform crochet in 2017, has been h ooked ever since and looks at Freeform as the Wild West of crochet and that her exploration of the craft is never ending.

She hopes to bring the beauty of freeform to the forefront of the crochet community.

Barb Gallagher – Guilford, Indiana I have been weaving since I stumbled upon a weaving studio in Los Angeles in the ‘70s. I was so excited, I went back to school and earned a BA in Art from Edgecliff College -­‐ now Xavier University -­‐ in Cincinnati, Ohio. I did my thesis on rug weaving, but since then I’ve enjoyed weaving functional art such as towels, scarves, shawls, and blankets and now I’ve been teaching weaving for more years than I want to admit. I also own the Weavers Loft, a retail weaving supply shop as well as the home of my weaving studio and I am an active member of the Weavers Guild of Greater Cincinnati as well as a member of several other Ohio guilds and HGA.

Robin Goatey – Sandoval, Illinois Robin is an award winning, full-­‐time, festival craftsman working Fiber Festivals in the Midwest, having recently served as Instructor at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Inspired b y Tolkien’s Legendarium, he started carving Ents, Wizards and Castles after reading the Hobbit four decades ago. Woodcarving, woodturning, hand-­‐built Ceramics, hot and cold glass, coppersmithing, enameling, broom and tool making, spinning and Navajo Style weaving are current specialties. Teaching the traditional crafts is a p assion. He also conducts a lively online trade in heirloom-­‐quality, hand made fiber tools.

Kenneth Gossard – Willow Springs, Missouri I have been knitting for the majority of my life, learning at the age of six fromfrom old world style knitters for whom it was important for them to be able to knit fast enough to keep a family clothed and for household income. Being raised with sheep, just makes it all the better. As I learned at a young age, wool is the best fiber for long-­‐wearing, warm garments. I have taught classes on the older style techniques here in the Midwest and East Coast. In my non-­‐knitting life, I raise a flock of registered Romney sheep, live in a tiny house I built from mostly reclaimed materials and have learned how to make the smallest carbon foot print that is possible.

Mary Jo Harris – Madison, Wisconsin Mary Jo Harris lives in a knitting M ecca. She has been a teacher all of her adult life and has formally taught knitting for the last ten years at various sheep and wool festivals, fiber festivals, Knit-­‐In’s, Madison College, and the Wisconsin Craft Market. For the p ast seven years, she has included chair caning classes in her teaching repertoire and has taught local classes in addition to classes at the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival, Shepherd’s Harvest, M issouri Fiber Retreat, and M ichigan Fiber Festival. Under her designer name of Jo Harris, she designs knitting patterns and has written a book entitled Double Knitting -­‐ Inside Out which is available through Amazon or Ravelry. An active member of the Madison Knitters’ Guild and an employee of the Wisconsin Craft Market, Mary Jo has an almost constant opportunity to discuss anything and everything that is knitting-­‐related.

Linda Harwood – Ionia, Michigan Linda Harwood comes from a large working cattle and sheep farm in Michigan and has raised sheep most of her life. She is self-­‐taught in the art of rug h ooking and has been hooking since the early ‘80s and teaching since the early ‘90s. Some of her inspiration is drawn from the old-­‐world animal paintings and country background. She loves working with color and starts with either recycled or new wool which she then over dyes. Linda has h ad her work published, and has also appeared on television. You can view some of her work at: www.harwoodhookedonewe.com.

Justine Heinrichs – Cedarburg, Wisconsin Justine is a musician and teacher of over thirty years. She discovered needle felting in January, 2017, and began taking commissions for pet portraits by the summer and it’s been off to the races ever since. Justine won first place in the Novelty Division of the Make it with Wool competition and Best in Show in the Design Challenge at the 2019 Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival. Her knowledge of teaching many different types of learners helps all levels of participants be successful. It is truly her joy to help others learn new things.

Maggie Howe – Adel, Iowa Maggie is a fiber artist and natural dyer living in central Iowa. She has been making glorious fiber and dye messes since 2005 and teaches throughout the Midwest. Maggie makes her living full time doing fiber arts and working with herbs. She loves to empower people to create without fear, specializing in fun, hands on classes.

Stefania Isaacson – St. Charles, Illinois Stefania has been a life-­‐long knitter, and started spinning and dying to supply h erself with “the best yarns in the world”! She got her Certificate of Excellence in Handspinning from the Handweaver’s Guild of America in 1997. Since then she has opened her own business called Handspun by Stefania and taught numerous workshops dealing in natural d yes, spinning, knitting, and basket making. She has spoken about the fiber arts to numerous groups, and has appeared on Home & Garden TV as a guest on the Carol Duvall Show. She sells handspun, natural h and dyed yarns, original knitting kits using h er own yarns and patterns, hand d yed roving dyed with natural d yes, and handmade baskets. She was previously a high school English teacher, and now enjoys teaching spinning, dyeing, and knitting to fiber enthusiasts. M ost recently, Stefania has authored a book on natural dyeing, titled In Search of the Perfect Green–And Orange, Too!

Jill Johnson – Blair, Wisconsin Jill Johnson and h er family have been p roviding high quality Cormo and Blue Faced Leicester wool to fiber artists for over 17 years from their RiverWinds Farm. In the past d ecade, Jill has focused on her own fiber art by combining the ancient art of wet felting with b eading, embroidery and other mixed media techniques.

Always an advocate of wool and sheep she enjoys sharing the joys of wool in art and shepherding with others.

Deb Jones – Black River Falls, Wisconsin Deb is an enthusiastic handspinner and teaches spinning workshops throughout the region, including at Sievers School of Fiber Arts. She is owner of The Fiber Garden, a year-­‐round fiber arts school and fiber art travel tour business that h as been featured in such magazines as American Small Farm, Impressions, and Positive Thinking. For Deb it’s a means to p romote fiber arts and combine her love of spinning, dyeing, teaching and country living!

Holin Kennen – Evansville, Wisconsin Holin is an award winning spinner with 35 years of experience in spinning and teaching about wool, spinning wheels, and fiber. She is the co-­‐coordinator of the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival Fleece Show and has been a fleece judge there from 2016 -­‐ 2019. She is the owner of The Dancing Lamb in Evansville and offers workshops on a wide variety of historic crafts and skills.

Letty Klein – Kalamazoo, Michigan Letty has been making custom braided rugs from roving for over 20 years. She h as raised Karakul sheep since 1982 on Pine Lane Farm near Kalamazoo and has judged sheep and fleece shows all across the country. She recently retired from the Michigan S heep Producers Association Board of Directors after many years of service. A graduate of Michigan State University, with a degree in Microbiology, she is a retired research scientist from Upjohn/Pfizer Animal Health. She has a regular column in the Black Sheep Newsletter and has taught rug braiding workshops across the country since the book The Shepherd’s Rug was published in 2006.

Bethanea Kottwitz – Hartford, Wisconsin Bethanea has been a crafter and artist for her whole life. Her introduction in fiber started 15 years ago when she learned how to sew. S ince then she has expanded her knowledge to many other fiber crafts. She was introduced into the world of needle felting over ten years ago at the Wisconsin S heep & Wool Festival and fell in love with wool. She now enjoys spinning, wet and needle felting, dyeing, crocheting, and her n ewest love -­‐ inkle weaving. Bethanea has raised both angora rabbits and poodles which she uses for her own “fiber” herd.

Karen Kottwitz – Hartford, Wisconsin Karen learned to sew when she was a child from her mother and has continued to add other fiber skills through the years. She enjoys sewing, crocheting, wool spinning and embroidery to name a few. Adding new skills with fiber is always a new and fun adventure and she has many on her bucket list. She enjoys sharing h er skills and the love of fiber with other people.

Kathy Krause – Clintonville, Wisconsin The Krause’s started the family’s llama farm, Pine Knoll Llamas located in Clintonville, back in 1988. Her passion for fiber started with a llama outing where Kathy saw llama fiber being combed. An “internal switch” was flipped on that she says changed her life forever! She shears her own llamas and processes her own wools/fibers. Kathy states that she loves every aspect of wool and all levels of processing, saying, “There’s n o greater THRILL than to take a fleece and to work with it to see the finished product.” She is one of the founders of fiber thing, an event that was held annually in Shawano, Wisconsin and still remains a committee member of the current fiber thing event now called Winter Weekend Warm-­‐up. In 2010, Kathy and her husband Richard, opened a retail yarn/spinning shop called The Copper Llama. The shop is located on their property in an old restored 1300 sq. ft. shed which offers a full line of yarns and accessories, rovings and fibers for the knitter/spinner/felter.

Bev Larson – Lafayette, Indiana I have been weaving since 1988 and teaching since 1999. I love to share the joy of basket weaving with those around me and have done so by teaching in Indiana, Illinois, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and the Caribbean on the Basket Weaving Cruises. Making b asket weaving fun, relaxing, and inspiring is my goal. In 2003 I won the Eiteljorg Museums Weavers Challenge. In 2009 I added broom making as an offshoot of weaving and it too is now a passion. In 2016 I received the h onor of being n amed an Indian Artisan by the State of Indiana for both broom making and basket weaving.

Melissa Leapman – New York City, New York With more than 1000 knit and crochet designs in p rint, Melissa Leapman is one of the most widely published American designers working today. She began her design career by freelancing for leading ready-­‐to-­‐wear design houses in New York City. She also created designs to help top yarn companies promote their new and existing yarns each season. Her ability to quickly develop fully envisioned garments put her skills in great demand. Through the years, Leapman has written a few dozen knitting and crocheting books. Her most recent book, Knitting Modular Shawls, empowers knitters to create their own custom shawl using the author’s basic templates. Nationally, her designs have b een featured in numerous magazines and her workshops on knitting and crochet are consistently popular with crafters of all skill levels. She has taught at major events such as STITCHES, Vogue Knitting LIVE, and The Knitting Guild Association conferences, as well as at hundreds of yarn shops and local guild events across the country. She is a frequent guest on the PBS television series Knit and Crochet Now.

Ingrid McMasters – Stoughton, Wisconsin Ingrid earned her M aster Spinner Certificate from Olds College in the fall of 2017. She and her husband Peter own Spry Whimsy Fiber Arts in Stoughton, Wisconsin where they have two daughters, a granddaughter, three dogs and hundreds of spinning and felting disciples. In “real life” she is a lighting sales representative.

Kiyoshi Mino – Rock Island, Illinois I am a needle felt artist and I d iscovered needle felting by accident when my wife and I were attending a year long organic farmer training program before starting our own farm. I immediately fell in love with it. I loved to draw as a kid but had never tried any form of sculpture before. It was very exciting to me to be able to draw in three d imensions with nothing but a needle and a clump of wool. I have always loved animals of all kinds and because wool is a type of animal fur itself, it is the p erfect medium for realistically sculpting mammal fur and bird feathers. In my work I focus on wild animal species which I try to render as faithfully as possible. I believe that almost all animals have unique personalities and emotional complexity just like humans and my goal when depicting wild animals is to try and convey this idea by capturing these unique personalities. I h ave given workshops in the US, China, Chile, Belgium and the Netherlands. My work has been exhibited in Shanghai, Boston and New York City and featured in the New York Times T M agazine, Fiber Art Now, Fast Company Design, and New York Magazine.

Chiaki O’Brien – Bloomington, Minnesota Chiaki O’Brien is a SAORI Leader Committee Certificate recipient and worked as an instructor for the SAORI head office in Japan b efore moving to Minnesota in 2004. She’s an artist-­‐in-­‐residence at schools, as well as teaching at Shepherd’s Harvest (MN) and other fiber related festivals in the M idwest. In 2012, she was awarded a Jerome Fiber Artist Project Grant, allowing her to study Bengala Dyeing in Japan and she now teaches this natural soil dye process as well. SAORI weaving taught her the way to create b y following her heart. Her teaching goal: to convey the “Joy of Exploration” to students in her classes. Chiaki is a distributor for b oth Bengala Dye and SAORI Weaving. Chiaki operates Studio FUN from her home in Bloomington, MN. Website: saoristudiofun.com .

Laura Ricketts – Rochester, Indiana Laura loves to play with color and design and the knitting of the Sámi p eoples in northern Scandinavia fits that bill while exciting her historically and culturally. She knits, crochets, spins, quilts, cross stitches, and has just started weaving and making bobbin lace. She has lectured and taught at Finnfest, Vesterheim Norwegian-­‐American museum, ASI, and the Nordic Knitting Conference in Seattle. In between writing articles and patterns, she enjoys her three kids, tries to force meaningful time and keep track of their lives.

Esther Rodgers – Mebane, North Carolina Esther is a full time fiber artist and heads Woven Heart SAORI Studio. She is known for her creative art yarns, and her unique fiber preparation, while constantly innovating her spinning techniques to create n ew textures and is on the cutting edge in terms of yarn design. She loves to design and spin concept yarns from an inspiration and tell stories with her yarns. Esther is also a S AORI weaver and creative knitter which gives her the perspective of how these extra special yarns can be used. She challenges herself by creating garments and other items out of her yarns and woven cloth. Esther is very conscious of where her fiber comes from, sourcing her wool from local and friendly farms, directly from wonderful shepherds with happy animals, and is often seen lugging, pulling and otherwise schlepping as many bags as she can manage from the fleece shows she visits. She is a master of packing fleeces into suitcases, boxes and otherwise figuring out how to get it all home since she “never plans to buy any”. She is an enthusiastic and patient teacher; p ossessing both national and international teaching experience. She enjoys the adventure of traveling around, sharing her techniques and fun. Some of the events she has taught at include Iceland spinners group, M AFA, John C. Campbell Folk School, Interweave YarnFest, PlyAway, New York Sheep and Wool (Rhinebeck), Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival (SAFF), Stitches South and Stitches Midwest and for both Ashford Wheels and Looms and Majacraft Camp in New Zealand. She loves to challenge her students to embrace their design elements rather than “mistakes” and to learn from each new spin. Esther has 2 streaming videos through Interweave Press -­‐ Expressive Weaving on a Rigid Heddle Loom and Colorblending the Spectrum, along with 2 d ownloadable Interweave videos -­‐ How to Spin Art Yarn and Carding and Combing wool for Color progressions. She also has a Bluprint class on Fiber Preparation for Spinning. Esther is a regular contributor to PLY, Spin Off and now Handwoven magazine, and was included in Ashley Martineau’s 2013 book, Spinning and Dyeing Yarn and Lexi Boeger’s 2012 book Handspun, New Spins on Traditional Techniques. You can find Esther’s workshop schedule and peruse her tutorials and general chatter at www.jazzturtle.com. She also sells her yarn and fiber at www.jazzturtle.etsy.com.

Kim Specht – Monticello, Iowa Kim recently retired from teaching b ut still can’t find enough time in the d ay for the knitting, spinning, and felting she loves to do. And weaving is ‘looming’ in the not-­‐too-­‐distant future! Kim’s Romney and Border Leicester fleeces have won awards at festivals in six states. At these festivals, she regularly attends classes taught by nationally known artists. Kim loves combining her love of teaching and the fiber arts.

Amy Tyler – Interlochen, Michigan Amy has degrees in modern dance, kinesiology, and physiology. Her art and science backgrounds give her a keen understanding of learning movement skills, composition, pattern recognition, and systematic exploration. The result is her focus on spinning and knitting technique, texture, three-­‐dimensional structure, and knit designs that exploit handspinning techniques. She teaches spinning and knitting at venues across the country and is well known for her animated and engaging teaching style. Amy has published articles in Spin Off, Interweave Knits, and PLY Magazine. You can find out more about her work on her website, www.stonesockfibers.com and on her blog, stonesockblog.blogspot.com .

Diana L. Armes Wallace – Alton, M issouri Living on a farm that is mostly wooded has provided lots of natural dyes for my use. From trees, (hickory, black walnut, Osage orange, etc) to flowers (Biden, golden rod, Rose O’ Sharon, etc). These, along with many natural dye books that I have, was my start into natural dyes. I also purchase things not native to my area, such as cochineal and Alkanet. Am I addicted? Oh certainly so!

Elizabeth Whitton – Ann Arbor, Michigan Elizabeth is a fiber lover who turned her love of wool into a thriving needle felting business called Felted Sky. She has a knack for designing beautiful small projects that she has made into a line of kits suitable for beginners. Her kits are now sold in nearly fifty shops throughout the US and Canada and she enjoys teaching both in person and online. Her video tutorials have over 180,000 views and many positive reviews on YouTube.

Emily Wohlscheid – Battle Creek, Michigan Emily has loved fiber, jewelry, and sparkly things since she can remember. After receiving her BFA from Adrian College where she studied metalsmithing and textile techniques, she learned to spin as a way to get back in the classroom. Now she creates handcrafted jewelry and hand dyed fiber goods for her business, Bricolage Studios, and teaches classes and workshops throughout the United States on spinning, fiber preparation, and jewelry/metalsmithing.

OUR INSTRUCTORS

Denise Bell 405 -­‐ Icelandic Yokes -­‐ The Sweater Class

Lynne Bergschultz 660 -­‐Make Your Own Drop Spindle 840 -­‐Polymer Pattern Bracelets

Rhonda Berman

501 – Zipply Art 602 – Zipply Art

Melissa Bohrtz 540 -­‐ Fiber Art Textile Pendant 560 -­‐ Carding For Texture

Kelly Brandt 541 -­‐ Introduction to Locker Hooking 561 -­‐ The Beaded Dorset Button 601 -­‐ Caped Crusader Brimmed Hat

M. Theresa Brown 404 -­‐ Ecoprint on Silk and Wool 502 -­‐ Ecoprint in Color on Silk and Wool 640 -­‐ Easy Dye Silk Scarves

Heidi Bukoski 503 -­‐ Naalbinding M ittens 603 -­‐ Chinese Knotted Frog Closures

Penny Cetner 463 -­‐ Toothbrush Rug

Henry & Roy Clemes 406 -­‐Exploring the Drum Carder 504 -­‐ Breed Sampler: Shave ’Em to Save ’Em 604 -­‐ Color Theory: Carding for Fractals

Christina Drennen Coghill 543 -­‐ Cobweb Felted Scarf 562 -­‐ Dyeing Gradient Yarns & Self-­‐Striping Yarns – The Easy and Repeatable Way

Linda Conroy 605 -­‐ Coiled Baskets: Pine Needle and Sweet Grass 841 -­‐ From the Garden: Herbal and Milk Based Soap Making

Danita Doerre 842 -­‐ Needle Felting: Grimm, Gotland Black Sheep

Susan Frame 801 -­‐ Learning Kumihimo, Lucet & Slentre To Make Braids/Cords

Nancy Frantz 402 -­‐ Beginning Weaving On 4-­‐Shaft Loom

Brenna Furger 505 -­‐ Introduction to Freeform Crochet

Barb Gallagher 407 -­‐ Doubleweave Basics

Robin Goatey 544 -­‐ Introduction to Tapestry 563 -­‐ Intermediate Tapestry

Kenneth Gossard 641 -­‐ Spinning for Fair Isle 661 -­‐ Knitting With A Shetland Knitting Belt 802 -­‐ Knitting Fair Isle Gloves

Mary Jo Harris 545 – Portuguese Style Knitting 564 – Two Color Knitting – Portuguese Style

Linda Harwood 408 -­‐ Rug Hooking

Justine Heinrichs 805 -­‐ Felt A Beautiful Scene With Wet and Needle Felting

Maggie Howe 440 -­‐ Botanical Inks and Paints 460 -­‐ Introduction to Ecoprinted Papers

Stefania Isaacson 506 -­‐ Dyeing W ith Natural Indigo 843 -­‐ Spinning for Socks

Jill Johnson 803 -­‐ Embellished Felted Vessels

Deb Jones 409, 507, 606, 804 – Beginning Spinning

Holin Kennen 546 -­‐ “Muppet Barf”-­‐ Simultaneous Spinning of Multiple Rovings

Letty Klein 403 -­‐ The Shepherd’s Rug

Bethanea Kottwitz 844 -­‐ Needle Felted Ornaments

Karen Kottwitz 642 -­‐ Penny Candle Mat

Kathy Krause 643 -­‐ Over Dyeing that “Odd” Skein 662 -­‐ Wool Appliqué Plus

Bev Larson 410 -­‐ The Crazy Fiber Woman Basket or The Plain Jane

Melissa Leapman 547 -­‐ M osaic Knitting: Color Knitting the Easy Way 565 -­‐ Mosaic Crochet 644 -­‐ Shawl Builder Workshop 663 -­‐ Best of Tuck!

845 -­‐ Tramonto Wrap

Ingrid McMasters 664 -­‐ Spinning Dog Fibers

Kiyoshi Mino 401 -­‐ Needle Felted Wolf

Chiaki O’Brien 542 -­‐ Kaleidoscope Designed Furoshiki Dyeing 566 -­‐ Bengala Stenciled Tote Bag 607 -­‐ SAORI Weaving-­‐-­‐-­‐Discover Yourself!

846 -­‐ SAORI Weaving-­‐-­‐-­‐Learn to LET GO!

Laura Ricketts 645 -­‐ Introduction to Sámi Knitting 665 -­‐ Advanced Sámi Knitted Mitten Techniques

Esther Rodgers 411 – Art Yarn 201 – Spin Art, Expressive Spinning and Yarn Design 508 -­‐ Twisted Together -­‐ Crepe, Cables and the Endless Possibilities of Layered Plying 646 -­‐ Extreme Plying Study – Singles and Construction 666 – Tailspinning – The Long and Short of It!

Kim Specht 647 -­‐ Drop Spindling -­‐-­‐You Can Do It! 667 -­‐ Beginning Wet Felting

Cheryl Stegert 548 -­‐ Twisted Stitches (Bavarian Traveling Stitches) 567 -­‐ Bead Weaving 608 -­‐ Double-­‐Faced Tablet Weaving 847 -­‐ Gloves From the Top Down

Amy Tyler 441 -­‐ Extended and Manipulated S lip Stitches 461 – Knitting Ribs and Welts 568 -­‐ Mechanics of Your Wheel 609 -­‐ Matching Yarn to Project and Project to Yarn 806 -­‐ Blending Board: Basics and More

Diana L. Armes Wallace 610 -­‐ Discover Alkanet 807 -­‐ 24 Colors with Onion Skins

Elizabeth Whitton 462 -­‐ Beginner Needle Felted Landscape: Lavender Fields 509 -­‐ Intermediate Needle Felted Landscape: Choose Your Own Picture

Emily Wohlscheid 412 -­‐ Wash & Dye: Sampling Wool Washes & Acid Dyes 611 -­‐ Spinning Textured Batts

Poster Contest ________________________________________________________ New Location- Sale Arena

A Youth Sweepstakes Event!

Annual

Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival

Poster Contest!

Open to all ages (Age as of January 1, current year) Color Book Ages 3 – 6 Beginner Ages 7 – 9 Junior Ages 10 – 12 Intermediate Ages 34 - 16 Senior: Ages 17 – 21 Adult: 22 and up 3 Categories Educational Promotional Color Book Picture – Ages 3-6 only Poster Requirements: • Posters must be a minimum of 14” x 22” in size – either vertical or horizontal.

• You may enter up to two (2) posters total – one each, in two different categories.

• For Color Book Pictures – This year’s color book picture can be downloaded from the WSWF website or by contacting Nancy Burton (contact info below) • You may use a variety of materials in making your poster, such as markers, tissue paper, natural fiber material, colored pencils, etc.

• Promotional posters can be about your flock, farm, breed, products such as wool, lamb or sheep dairy products, or about Wisconsin’s or the national sheep industry.

• Educational posters must be instructional and should either teach something about sheep, sheep products or inform or teach viewers about the sheep industry.

• Judges have the option of moving posters to another category.

• Posters must have name, address, phone number, age/age division, and category legibly written on the back. (Age as of January 1, current year) • Posters/Color Book pictures should be brought to Nancy Burton in the Sale Arena from 9:00 a.m. until Noon on Saturday.

• Judging will take place Saturday afternoon in the Sale Arena.

• Posters can be picked up at Noon Sunday.

• If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Burton by phone, 715 584-1093 or by email, nzernicke@gmail.com.

All participants will receive a participation gift compliments of Heart Prairie Sheep and Cattle Company, Argyle, WI and the top two posters from each category/age group and Color Book pictures will receive an additional prize.

Winning entries may be reproduced by the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, LLC or by the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative.

Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival Shepherds Auctions The Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival will continue to hold its annual Used Equipment auction in the same location. Consigners are encouraged to drop off items no later than noon on Saturday.

New for 2020: The annual Shepherds Auction will be in combination with the silent auction held in the activity center at the festival. The new “Shepherds Choice” auctions will showcase donations from a wide variety of businesses. We hope by making this a silent auction format we can accommodate those who are unable to make it over to the live auctions to purchase items.

The Shepherds Choice auctions will include similar items seen in the past shepherds auctions including sheep equipment, lambing and show supplies, and much more! Anyone who is interested in contributing or has someone in mind as a donor is encouraged to reach out to Ryan Bingen or Lynn Lee. We hope 2020 will be our best auction year yet!

Wild and Woolly Photo Contest – On Display in the Activity Center A panel of judges will select the winning photos based on theme, clarity, content, composition and appeal. Each class winner will receive a cash or merchandise prize, and premiums will be awarded to the top photographer in each class based on the number of contest entries. Entries must be postmarked

by August 15, 2020.

CONTEST RULES: Enter photographs in the following classes: Scenic Photo Just Lambs Kids and Sheep Wisconsin Shepherd Cover Photo - (Photo taken in vertical/portrait format suitable for magazine cover. Magazine title will cover approximately the two inches.)

Photo Taken by Youth (only for youths aged 18 and younger as of August 15).

Photos will not be returned via mail, but contestants may pick up their photos at 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 13, in the Activity Center at the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival.

MAIL PHOTO CONTEST ENTRIES BY AUGUST 15, 2020 TO: Lynn Lee N8950 Midland Dr Campbellsport, WI 53010 Questions? Contact Lynn at (414) 828-9757 or loneroosterfarm@outlook.com See full details at https://wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com/competitions/photo-contest

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8810898353147695120 1.

Tuesday, June 16, 2020 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM CDT Presenters: James Robb, Senior Agricultural Economist Katelyn McCullock, Director, Senior Economist Livestock Marketing Information Center Host: Dr. Jay Parsons, Department of Agricultural Economics University of Nebraska-Lincoln Time: 8:00 PM Eastern; 7:00 PM Central; 6:00 PM Mountain; 5:00 PM Pacific Description: This webinar will provide an overview of the current U.S. lamb market situation, including the drivers of turbulence so far this year. A brief lamb price outlook discussion will follow to provide a look at future expectations. Key factors to monitor will be highlighted along with some management considerations. To wrap-up, there will be a live moderated question and answer session with the presenters.

This webinar is made possible with funding support from the Let's Grow Committee of the American Sheep Industry

Welcome and thank you for viewing our sale!! To say we are in the midst of some challenging times is quite an understatement. Be assured this is NOT a dispersal sale! The University of Wisconsin Madison Sheep Program has seen some challenges after the retirement of Dr. Dave Thomas. With challenges in funding and lack of faculty directly utilizing sheep for research and teaching programs the sheep unit has been vulnerable for some time now. After many lengthy discussions and support from state and national breeders and organizations a commitment has been made to keep the Arlington Sheep Unit operational and continue all three flocks, maintaining diversity to support research, teaching and outreach activities. A considerable long term project is currently underway utilizing the bulk of our Polypay flock. A second project is in the planning stages that will use a smaller group of the Hamps! Lastly the Targhee flock will be retained but at a much reduced level mostly for teaching and outreach. With all that said this sale was planned and will be used to reduce and maintain the Targhee and Hampshire flocks. The UW Madison Targhee flock has a long successful history starting with the introduction of the breed into Wisconsin and much of the Midwest

by Jim Elphick, continuing to be successful under the guidance of Rob Zelinsky and I have managed the flock since 2001. Many high placing ewes and rams have been exhibited over those years at the National Show as well as the Wisconsin State Fair. UW Madison genetics can be found in many Targhee flocks throughout the country! Don’t miss the chance to snatch up some proven brood ewes and some young genetics that will work in the show ring but more importantly in the lambing barn!

As for the Hamps, before the reduction had been discussed I invested in a new ram from Miller Hampshire’s in Texas. Bred to some of our top ewes we have a great set of ewe lambs that also could be fun to see in the show ring whenever shows open up. I wanted to get a few out earlier than our traditional fall production sale! Watch for more ewe lambs and a few mature ewes in our Fall Badger Production sale the end of September! All ewes on this sale are enrolled in NSIP and are registered with the Targhee and Hampshire associations. Our ewe flock has been OPP free for over 3 years now.

All brood ewes have raised lambs and udders have been inspected, deemed sound after dry up! A few ewes have lambed consistently in our fall program and have been exposed for early October lambing (see comments within the lot). These lots will sell “exposed” with no guarantee of live lamb! Feel free to contact me with any questions. Thanks for your support. Todd Taylor

The American Lamb Board's (ALB) new consumer social media contest is all about inspiring increased at-home usage of American Lamb. The Great American Lamb Challenge has consumers preparing 2 different lamb recipes as they explore the adventurous appeal of our great product while supporting America’s farms and flocks and helping raise funds for Feeding America. #TheLambChallenge runs May 1 through June 30.

ALB designed #TheLambChallenge to make lamb more approachable and encourage America to get cooking with lamb! Hosted on ALB’s Instagram page, consumers are getting the tools to experiment with retail cuts and increase their confidence in cooking with American Lamb. As more meals are being prepared at home, consumers are seeking variety and are more willing to try new recipes. Many consumers are picking up lamb at the grocery store and preparing it at-home for the first time.

Every Friday at 1 PM MDT throughout the campaign, a variety of sheep producers and food bloggers are “taking over” the ALB Instragram page, @FanOfLamb. They are going live to share stories about raising sheep and tips for cooking with American Lamb for #TheLambChallenge. Ryan Mahoney of Emigh Livestock in California was the first ALB Instagram guest and were excellent! Ryan and his daughter talked with viewers about their sheep operation and ranch lifestyle, and cooked up both American Lamb shanks and lasagna.

Want to get involved? Help us spread the word about #TheLambChallenge, including the Friday Instagram live segments. Share your favorite lamb recipes and photos on your own Facebook and Instagram pages to encourage America to get cooking with lamb. Be sure to tag us (@FanOfLamb and @AmericanLamb) and insert #thelambchallenge into your posts!

About #TheLambChallenge Consumers are being challenged to prepare 2 different American Lamb dishes, one for enjoying at home and one that is easily portable to share with family, frontline workers or anyone who cannot get out to shop. To enter the contest, consumers must share photos of their 2 prepared lamb dishes on Instagram and tag ALB (@FanOfLamb) by June 30th for a chance to win prizes. For every person that completes the challenge, ALB will donate to Feeding America – you can help us meet our $10,000 goal!

Hungry for more industry information?

Lamb Resource Center - LambResourceCenter.com Lamb Resource Center - Lamb Checkoff Lamb Resource Center - Info@AmericanLamb.com

USDA Announces Details of Direct Assistance to Farmers through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which will provide up to $16 billion in direct payments to deliver relief to America’s farmers and ranchers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to this direct support to farmers and ranchers, USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box program is partnering with regional and local distributors, whose workforces have been significantly impacted by the closure of many restaurants, hotels, and other food service entities, to purchase $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy, and meat and deliver boxes to Americans in need.

Beginning May 26, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the Farm Service Agency (FSA), will be accepting applications from agricultural producers who have suffered losses.

Background: CFAP provides vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-­‐percent-­‐or-­‐greater price decline due to COVID-­‐19 and face additional significant marketing costs as a result of lower demand, surplus production, and disruptions to shipping patterns and the orderly marketing of commodities.

Farmers and ranchers will receive direct support, drawn from two possible funding sources.

The first source of funding is $9.5 billion in appropriated funding provided in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability (CARES) Act to compensate farmers for losses due to price declines that occurred between mid-­‐January 2020, and mid-­‐April 2020 and provides support for specialty crops for product that had been shipped from the farm between the same time period but subsequently spoiled due to loss of marketing channels. The second funding source uses the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act to compensate producers for $6.5 billion in losses due to on-­‐going market disruptions.

Non-­‐Specialty Crops and Wool Non-­‐specialty crops eligible for CFAP payments include malting barley, canola, corn, upland cotton, millet, oats, soybeans, sorghum, sunflowers, durum wheat, and hard red spring wheat.

Wool is also eligible. Producers will be paid based on inventory subject to price risk held as of January 15, 2020. A payment will be made based 50 percent of a producer’s 2019 total production or the 2019 inventory as of January 15, 2020, whichever is smaller, multiplied by the commodity’s applicable payment rates.

Livestock Livestock eligible for CFAP include cattle, lambs, yearlings and hogs. The total payment will be calculated using the sum of the producer’s number of livestock sold between January 15 and April 15, 2020, multiplied by the payment rates per head, and the highest inventory number of livestock between April 16 and May 14, 2020, multiplied by the payment rate per head.

Eligibility

There is a payment limitation of $250,000 per person or entity for all commodities combined.

Applicants who are corporations, limited liability companies or limited partnerships may qualify for additional payment limits where members actively provide personal labor or personal management for the farming operation. Producers will also have to certify they meet the Adjusted Gross Income limitation of $900,000 unless at least 75 percent or more of their income is derived from farming, ranching or forestry-­‐related activities. Producers must also be in compliance with Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation provisions.

Applying for Assistance

Producers can apply for assistance beginning on May 26, 2020. Additional information and application forms can be found at farmers.gov/cfap. Producers of all eligible commodities will apply through their local FSA office. Documentation to support the producer’s application and certification may be requested. FSA has streamlined the signup process to not require an acreage report at the time of application and a USDA farm number may not be immediately needed. Applications will be accepted through August 28, 2020.

Payment Structure

To ensure the availability of funding throughout the application period, producers will receive 80 percent of their maximum total payment upon approval of the application. The remaining portion of the payment, not to exceed the payment limit, will be paid at a later date as funds remain available.

USDA Service Centers are open for business by phone appointment only, and field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with producers by phone and using online tools whenever possible. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with the FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or any other Service Center agency are required to call their Service Center to schedule a phone appointment. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

Questions?

Please contact your local FSA Office.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-­‐9410 or call (866) 632-­‐ 9992 (Toll-­‐free Customer Service), (800) 877-­‐8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-­‐8642 (Relay voice users).

Covid-­‐19 Resources

https://sheepusa.org/covid-­‐19-­‐resources

Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative would like to honor the “Graduates of 2020” in our June newsletter.

If your child/grandchild is graduating from high school or college/vocational school this spring, please send the following information to… dspetzel@gmail.com.

Name of graduate Parent/Grandparent names (Members of WSBC) Activities, honors, leadership roles and awards earned within your school, church, and community organizations.

Hobbies/interests Educational goals and future plans

Please attach 2-­‐3 pictures in addition to the information listed above by June 10.

Apply today for the WSBC Scholarships! https://wisbc.com/scholarships.php

Calendar of Events

May 23-­‐24

June 2

June 6

June 9

June 13-­‐14

June 12-­‐13

June 16

Great Lakes Fiber Show, Wayne County Fairgrounds, Wooster, OH. www.greatlakesfibershow.com CANCELLED Sustainable Management of Internal Parasites in the Upper Midwest and Northeast, Session 1, Online at 7 p.m. Commerce.cashnet.com/msu_3645 or email Erin Recktenwald at ebr@msu.edu.

39th Annual Wisconsin Spring Preview Show, Wisconsin Livestock Breeders Assn.

Jefferson County Fair Park, Jefferson, WI. wisconsinlivestockbreeders@gmail.com 608 743-­‐9080.

Sustainable Management of Internal Parasites in the Upper Midwest and Northeast, Session 2, Online at 7 p.m. Commerce.cashnet.com/msu_3645 or email Erin Recktenwald at ebr@msu.edu 21st Annual WLBA/Purina Wisconsin Livestock Show Camp. Wisconsin Livestock Breeders Assn. Jefferson County Fair Park, Jefferson, WI. wisconsinlivestockbreeders@gmail.com 608 743-­‐9080.

NOTE LOCATION CHANGE Interstate Livestock Show Camp and Show, Polk County Fair Park, St. Croix Falls, WI https://www.facebook.com/interstatelivestockshow CANCELLED Sustainable Management of Internal Parasites in the Upper Midwest and Northeast, Session 3, Online at 7 p.m. Commerce.cashnet.com/msu_3645 or email Erin Recktenwald at ebr@msu.edu

June 22 – 27 Midwest Stud Ram Sale, Missouri State Fairgrounds, Sedalia, MO https://www.midwestsale.com/ CANCELLED

June 23 Sustainable Management of Internal Parasites in the Upper Midwest and Northeast, Session 4, Online at 7 p.m. Commerce.cashnet.com/msu_3645 or email Erin Recktenwald at ebr@msu.edu

July 2-­‐5 All American Junior Show https://allamericanjuniorshow.com/ POSTPONED – Oct 9

July 6-­‐11

July 16-­‐18

American Rambouillet National Show & Sale, Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, Springfield, MO. www.countryloving.com/ARSBA/ Katahdin Hair Sheep National Expo & Sale, Hardin County Extension Center, Elizabethtown, KY. www.katahdins.org Catalog/registration in early June.

July 25

15th Annual Center of the Nation NSIP Sale, Clay Co. Fairgrounds, Spencer, IA. www.nsip.org or Rusty Burgett, 515 708-­‐8850.

August 6-­‐16 Wisconsin State Fair, Wisconsin State Fair Park, West Allis. www.wistatefair.com

August 6-­‐16 Wisconsin Wool Works! 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. daily, Wisconsin State Fair Sheep Barn. Info: wisbc.com or Carol Black, Manager, carol@ewesfulgifts.com , 920 296-­‐ 0326.

August 22 11th Annual Wisconsin Summer Spectacular Show, Wisconsin Livestock Breeders Assn. Central Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, Marshfield, WI.

wisconsinlivestockbreeders@gmail.com 608 743-­‐9080

Sept. 11-­‐13 Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, Jefferson County Fair Park, Jefferson, WI. www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com

Sept. 12 Annual Meeting, Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Co-­‐op, 5:00 p.m. Activity Center, Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, Jefferson County Fair Park, Jefferson. Stay updated at www.wisbc.com

Sept. 12 Wisconsin Make It With Wool State Contest, Jefferson County Fair Park, Jefferson, WI. Contact: Wynn Wittkopf, State Director, 262 370-­‐1433, wynnwittkopf@gmail.com www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com

Sept. 12 National Bluefaced Leicester Show, Jefferson County Fair Park, Jefferson, WI. www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com or www.bflsheep.com.

Sept. 12 Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Co-­‐op Used Equipment Auction, Jefferson County Fair Park, Jefferson, WI. www.wisbc.com www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com .

608 743-­‐9080 (weekdays after 5:00 p.m.) wisconsinsheepbreeders@gmail.com

Sept. 18-­‐19 Missouri Sheep and Goat Conference -­‐ Columbia, Mo. www.mosheepgoat.com

Nov. 6-­‐7 10th Annual Ozark Fiber Fling -­‐ Steelville, Mo. -­‐ www.ozarkfiberfling.com

Do you have an event coming up? Let us know!

Debbie Petzel – dspetzel@gmail.com