Sheep have always been a vital industry in the West, even though numbers have been dropping over the years. Despite all of the hurdles of raising sheep, there is still a strong interest in them.
In the early days of statehood, Wyoming – among other Western states – was largely built by sheepmen, and thousands of sheep grazed the mountains and open plains.
At one time in Central Wyoming, one could travel for hundreds of miles and mostly see sheep. Nowadays, the shearing pens and other sheep facilities have been replaced by cattle corrals.
For the last few years, I’ve noticed a stronger tone for raising sheep. There has always been pride in raising sheep but there is new excitement lately with festivals and events showcasing sheep in the region.
I had the privilege of having one set of grandparents who were sheep people and the others who were cattle people. I only knew raising cattle, but when I was small, I lived in the middle of sheep operations, learned to ride on older sheepherders’ horses and was buddies with many sheep producers.
One even gave us a newborn orphaned antelope to raise, much to the dismay of my parents. Looking back, I realize the sheepherders I knew were not just herders, but were also shepherds of the sheep. It is still true today.
Among other issues, I think the loss of infrastructure is the biggest hurdle facing sheep producers. With fewer feeding and processing facilities in America now, it is harder to finish lambs and older sheep. It hasn’t stopped people from raising sheep, it just makes it more of a challenge.
The last few years have brought on a number of positives in the sheep industry. Institutions like Montana State University and the University of Wyoming, College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources (CALSNR) have growing sheep programs.
The Wyoming Wool Initiative (WWI) is “a flagship endeavor of CALSNR, which fosters innovative collaborations between public and private sectors within Wyoming’s sheep industry to address contemporary challenges.”
They have a number of key fundraising efforts like the Lamb-A-Year program where people can donate a lamb or lambs to support a number of student projects, both on the range and at the university.
WWI also sponsors the Wyoming State Fair Wool Show and sheep seminars.
The university has an excellent staff and the best leadership to support the initiative. This program is attracting more students every year and is just what Wyoming needs.
Thanks to CALSNR for their leadership and upholding the mission of a land-grant university.
Large imports of lamb are currently hurting America’s sheep industry, we need to somehow find a solution for the issue. As consumers, we should never buy foreign lamb products – America’s lamb is the best in the world, hands down.
A great story is how America found lamb during the pandemic. From the oven to the grill, lamb had strong support among consumers during the meat shortage.
Another growing success story is how the sheep industry is tracking performance of lambs through feeding and processing. Improved genetics is making producers money on their lambs, which should attract more producers to raise sheep and keep current producers in business.
Dennis Sun is the publisher of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, a weekly agriculture newspaper available online and in print.
