Lessons To Be Learned
They say life is an ongoing process by which we acquire knowledge and wisdom, but from which we never graduate, or cease the process we call learning. And so it is with the most recent cases of disease outbreaks in Europe's animal agriculture.

As I watch the developments of animal agriculture in Europe, I can=t help but be thankful that we in America are free of the two most recent diseases to devastate animal husbandry in many decades or perhaps even centuries. And at the same time I feel great empathy, sadness and compassion for the producers affected by the spread of hoof and mouth disease. I watched the ABC version of the story as it unfolded one night and saw a young couple absolutely devastated by the loss of a registered dairy herd. No amount of indemnity would cover the cost and years of breeding and selection that these people had invested in their herd. The woman seemed to take it the hardest, as she stood sobbing and watched the slaughter and burning of their herd. My thoughts drifted back to my flock. What would I do if I were in their situation? How would I handle the depopulation of my flock? Would I get back in the business? Many questions flowed back and forth. But the one conclusion I came to was that we are so lucky not to be affected.

I thought back to my college days when all my professors said so plainly and in unison "Isolate all flock or herd additions for at least 30 days". I thought of my own operation and recognized that I did not always follow their advice. On different occasions I have brought different animals or groups of animals onto the place and for whatever reasons room or what, did not isolate them from the rest of the flock. Fortunately I have not had to deal with any out breaks as severe as the one in Europe. But I have paid my dues so to speak a time or two. This all serves to remind us how important it is to properly mange our flocks. In today's global world with both people and animals crossing continents and oceans in only a matter of hours, we must stay on guard. We must support leaders and efforts to help contain the spread of diseases like these, by doing our part to manage our own herds or flocks to the best of our ability. The bottom line is this. We are fortunate to have been spared on this round. Who knows what will come in round two? Lets do our part to ensure we remain free. And most importantly we should show our support and compassion for our brotherhood abroad. We are a vanishing breed of people; the one's committed to production agriculture. We are descendants of a proud group who have chosen agriculture as our way of life. So let us stay united to support our cause and support the cause of one another.

Minutes from NDLWPA Board Meeting February 7, 2001 Seven Seas, Mandan, ND
The Board of Directors meeting of the North Dakota Lamb and Wool Producers Association was called to order by Burton Pfliger at 10:00 am. Members present: Steve Copenhaver, Jeff Strand, Dave Merwin, Brent Stroh, Jane Horner, Burdell Johnson, Roger Haugen, Jim Marshall, Burton Pfliger and Lyle Warner. The minutes of the Convention meeting were approved as read. Treasures report: The current checkbook balance is $6014.59. It was moved and seconded to approve the treasures report.

OLD BUSINESS:
2000 Convention Financial Report: After discussion, it was moved to keep the registration fees the same for next year. The combination of registration fees and the share of the Hettinger Ram sale came very close to covering the entire costs of the convention. The convention auction brought in $2263.00 this year. We would like to thank everyone who contributed and purchased the items for sale, the auction was a tremendous success.

Make it With Wool Report: Jane Horner
ND had first National winner in 54 years of competition. All participants from ND received recognition at the national contest, a tremendous accomplishment and a credit to the tremendous work Jane is devoting to the project. This past year there were 39 sponsors for the state event, 26 of them new sponsors, most of whom Jane secured by herself. She would appreciate any cooperation in soliciting donations and or prizes for next years competition.

Marie Lefeldt, National Director of MIYWW and Jane will visit NDSU and Fargo schools to promote the program.

ASI Delegate Report: Burdell Johnson
ASI rezoned from 7 regions to 8 regions to provide better balance. They are also looking at changing the dues structure to make it more fair for all sheep producers.

Dakota Lamb Growers Progress Report: Dave Merwin
Roger Haugen and Wes Limesand put on a school in Fargo addressing critical issues concerning Co-op members. The co-op has established an account in NE US to distribute lamb. They have also developed a data base of Members: number of lambs, additional lambs, lambs delivered and best estimate of delivery dates.

Futurity Update: Lyle Warner
The ND State Fair has been added to the list of futurity sites for 2001. The shows will be: breeding - Monday evening and market - Tuesday morning of the State Fair. We will contact several other fairs to see if they want to participate. Fair dates will be distributed in the near future.

NEW BUSINESS
Membership drive: Burdell and Theo Johnson will be sending out membership applications to individuals involved in the sheep industry. If anyone asks about the dues, organization etc. please encourage them to become members. We have received many rewards the past few years form NDLWPA and ASI.

2001 Convention Committee:
Burton Pfliger, Dave Merwin, Roger Haugen and Brent Stroh will be the convention committee. There is some concern about room sizes at Americ Inn in Valley City. Several people will check this out and make a final decision soon. The alternative sites proposed are Bismarck and Jamestown.

Hettinger Sheep Day and Booth:
Burton Pfliger and Wyman Sheets will represent NDLWPA at Hettinger for Sheep Day..

State Fair Meeting and Program:
It was moved and seconded that NDLWPA donate $50.00 toward the social. All other costs would be borne by those attending.

ASI Convention:
Lyle Warner moved, Jim Marshall seconded a motion to pay Burton Pfliger=s plane ticket to the ASI Convention.

Budget:
It was moved and seconded to do a mass mailing for membership.
It was moved and seconded to advance Jane $600.00 for the MIYWW Contest and leave the budget open for additional money should it become available.

Committee Assignments:
Legislative, Research and Resolutions: Burton P. Chair., Jeff Strand, Lyle Warner
Ways and Means/Audit: Theo Johnson Chair., Scott Bredahl, Dave Merwin, Jim Marshall
Marketing: Jim Ostlie Chair., Dave Merwin, Brent Stroh, Steve Copenhaver
Membership and Producer Information, Promotion & Consumer Education: Roger Haugen Chair., Don Lawson, Harvey Dawson, Rodney Hickle

2001 Make It Yourself With Wool Results by Jane Horner, ND MIYWW Director
North Dakota Lamb and Wool Producers can be proud of the contestants that you sent to represent North Dakota at the National Make It Yourself with Wool contest. By now you know that Ruth Zacher, ND adult winner, won the Adult competition. This was the first time that North Dakota has won the competition in the 54 years of the contest. She certainly did North Dakota proud! Our other representatives, Hector Matthys, senior ND winner, placed in the top 13 and Elizabeth Horner, junior ND winner, won 3rd runner up. It was an exciting show especially with North Dakota represented so well with NDLWPA directors and parents in the audience. The National Make It Yourself with Wool was the highlight of my year as North Dakota's MIYWW director. Thank you for giving me this opportunity and thank you for supporting this important contest.

Dakota Lamb Growers Cooperative
Greetings from Jim Ostlie, President of the Dakota Lamb Growers Cooperative. The moment we have been waiting for has arrived. The DLGC had 88 lambs slaughtered the week of March 19. These lambs are on the way to Boston and are just the beginning of weekly shipments to that area. The interesting, and very noteworthy, aspect of this shipment is the fact that we are displacing some Australian lamb. The Roche Brothers of Boston are filling 10% of their shelf space with DLGC lamb.

Wool Payments Authorized, Sign-up Period Ends April 13, 2001
The Farm Services Agency (FSA) announced that the sign-up deadline for payments for the 2000 wool clip is Friday, April 13, 2001. Qualified wool producers are eligible for payments of up to 40 cents a pound for the 2000 clip. The payments are available through the Wool and Mohair Market Loss Assistance Program II and are for wool sheared in marketing year 2000 (Jan.1, 2000 - Dec. 31, 2000). The shorn wool does not need to have been sold to be eligible for payment. Contact your local FSA office for more information on qualification and application details.

Canada=s Sheep Numbers Up
According to Statistics Canada's estimates for January 1, 2001 (released February 15), Canada sheep population was above a year ago. Sheep in Canada were estimated at 842.2 thousand head, 21.2 percent more than 2000's and the largest Canadian sheep population since the early 1960's. The number of ewes in Canada was estimated at 543.6 thousand head, 16.8 percent more than a year ago. The rise in sheep numbers was attributed to improved demand for lamb meat and higher prices for lambs. Some of the higher Canadian lamb price was due to shrinking supplies of U.S. lambs.

Grazing Fees to Remain the Same
The federal government announced Feb. 22, 2001, that it will not raise the price it charges Western ranchers to graze their livestock on public land. The grazing fee will be $1.35 per animal unit month (AUM) in 2001, the same amount that has been charged for the past six consecutive years. An animal unit month is the amount of forage needed to sustain one cow and her calf, one horse, or five sheep or goats for a month. Under the 1986 Presidential Executive Order, the grazing fee cannot fall below $1.35 per AUM. The $1.35 per AUM grazing fee applies to lands in the West administered by the Bureau of Land Management and to national forests and national grasslands administered by the Forest Service. The grazing fee is effective March 1, 2001, through Feb. 28, 2002.

Just how much wool is in a baseball?
With the baseball spring training season upon us and the regular season not far behind, one might wonder (or not) just how much wool is in a baseball. The answer is, according to Yale University professor of physics Robert K. Adair, 121 yards of blue-gray wool yarn, 45 yards of white wool yarn, along with 150 yards of fine cotton yarn. Batter up!

Average sheep operation received ~ $900 in 2000 through higher prices & payment programs
The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) estimates that the average sheep producer received slightly more than $900 in 2000 from higher lamb prices of between nine and 10 cents per pound and $20 million paid out through U.S. government lamb and wool industry assistance programs. (Note: the $900 figure is based on an average operation consisting of 62 head of ewes one year and older or 78 head of breed ewes and lambs.) ASI also estimates that the Section 201 trade action and the resulting tariffs and government programs have generated to date $100 million in increased revenue for the U.S. sheep industry.

Goat milk production nearly outpacing cow milk production
According to statistics from the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization, goats now produce milk for 49 percent of the world's population. Goat products have since 1934 been taking an ever bigger part of the market, says the American Dairy Goat Association. The association cites a variety of reasons for the increasing popularity of goat milk, including that millions of Americans are allergic to cow's milk.

Educational Information

NORTH DAKOTA SHEEP STATISTICS - 20 Years in Review
                                                  Lambs Number Ave  Value
            All                      Ewe        on        of    Flock    per
            Sheep     Ewes     Lambs   Feed   Farms  Size   Head
1980   236,000   135,000   39,000   46,000   2,100   83   95.50
1981   272,000   153,000   39,000   62,000   2,100   91   70.00
1982   280,000   165,000   46,000   50,000   2,200   96   54.50
1983   222,000   138,000   25,000   47,000   2,000   82   47.00
1984   219,000   134,000   21,000   54,000   2,100   74   48.00
1985   215,000   140,000   15,000   50,000   2,000   78   55.00
1986   180,000   120,000   13,000   40,000   1,800   74   66.00
1987   185,000   120,000   29,000   25,000   1,900   78   79.50
1988   169,000   114,000   20,000   27,000   1,800   74   94.50
1989   164,000   111,000   22,000   21,000   1,900   70   89.50
1990   186,000   120,000   23,000   34,000   1,900   75   84.00
1991   222,000   138,000   22,000   55,000   1,900   84   67.00
1992   214,000   142,000   19,000   44,000   1,800   89   61.00
1993   180,000   140,000   18,000   37,000   1,700   93   69.00
1994   166,000   104,000   14,000   41,000   1,400   84   69.00
1995   127,000    79,000   11,000   34,000   1,200   75   78.00
1996   125,000    77,000   11,500   34,000   1,100   80   85.00
1997   135,000    91,000   11,500   30,000   1,200   85   95.00
1998   131,000    78,000   15,000   35,000   1,150   81  105.00
1999   134,000    79,000   16,000   36,000   1,200   79   79.00
2000   135,000    86,000   14,000   32,000   1,100   91   93.00
*North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service Reports

Articles for the June Newsletter
The next newsletter will be published the end of May for June 1 delivery. I invite anyone to submit articles to be included. I will need them by the middle of May. Thank you! Roger Haugen, Extension Sheep Specialist, Hultz Hall, NDSU, Fargo, ND 58105. Phone: 231-7645; Fax: 231-7590; Email: rohaugen@ndsuext.nodak.edu

Highlights of 2000-2001 Dakota Ram Test
The Dakota Ram test is conducted at the Hettinger Research and Extension Center under the direction of Dr. Jeff Held, Extension Sheep Specialist at SDSU and managed by Dave Pearson from the Hettinger station. Completing the test were 43 Rambouillets, 3 Columbias and 2 Corriedales.

Ram growth performance was at 0.82 pounds per day. Two Rambouillet rams provided the highest growth rate on-test at 1.07 pounds per day. A Rambouillet ram finished the test at 300 pounds.

Wool data showed the expected trait(s)strength for each breed represented on this year's test. The Rambouillets excelled in fiber diameter (finer), the Columbias for clean pounds of wool and the Corriedales for staple length.

Animal fat depth and ribeye area was measured as indicators of carcass merit. These were determined using ultrasound technology at the beginning and end of the Dakota Ram Test. The average ribeye size for all breeds was 3.58 square inches.

For a complete report on the test contact Dr. Jeff Held at SDSU (605-688-5433).

Calendar of Events:
April 20: Bismarck Invitational Club Lamb & Pig Sale at Missouri Valley Fairgrounds in Bismarck at 6:00 PM. Contact 701-728-9572
April 21: Schmidt Suffolk Lamb Sale at Oliver County Fairgrounds in Center starting at 9:30 AM (CT). Contact 701-794-3118
April 21: S/S Lamb & Pig Sale at Fairgrounds in West Fargo at 6:00 PM. Contact 701-297-0302 or 232-1632
April 22: North Central Club Lamb Sale at Northern Livestock in Minot at 2:00 PM. Contact 701-453-3107
April 28: KT Livestock Club Lamb & Prospect Pig Sale in Surrey from 11:00 AM -12:30 PM. Contact 701-728-9572
June 14: SDSU Sheep Day at Brookings, SD
July 22-23: 4-H/FFA Sheep Shows at ND State Fair
July 25-27: Open Sheep Shows at ND State Fair
August 2-4: Open Sheep Shows at SD State Fair
September 19: State Ram Sale in Hettinger
November 30: NDLWPA Ewe Sale in Valley City
November 30, December 1: Annual Sheep Convention in Mandan
November 30, December 1-2: North Star Classic Livestock Show & Sale at Winter Shows Building in Valley City

Attention Board Members!!
President Burton Pfliger has called a board of directors meeting for April 18th at the Seven Seas in Mandan starting at 10:00 am CST. PLEASE PLAN ON ATTENDING.