New funding projects accepted

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Agriculture’s Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Program (Indiana S&W) is funding several new projects this year to promote the state’s lamb and wool industry.

Indiana S&W, administered by the Office of Agricultural Research at Purdue, accepted six funding requests this year, which were reviewed at their recent spring meeting. The council accepts funding requests year-round for any program or project focusing on educational, promotional and research efforts supporting Indiana’s sheep industry. This year, Indiana S&W will sponsor these events and projects:

* The All-American Junior Sheep Show

* Indiana State Fair Sheep Shears’ Contest

* Whitley County Lamb and Wool Ambassador Pageant

* 2018 Hoosier Sheep Symposium

* Indiana State Fair “Make it with Wool” contest

* Indiana State Fair Wool Room renovations

Anyone with project ideas for consideration by the Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Program may fill out and submit a funding application, found on the program website. The council will also consider proposals at its fall meeting in November.

Dawn Parks, contact administrator for Indiana S&W, said the council is pleased and excited about the new proposals.

“The mission of the Indiana Sheep and Wool council is on promoting the industry,” Parks said. “Many of these projects are designed to engage the general public who may not be aware of the products coming from Indiana sheep farms. This is especially true of events and contests hosted at the State Fair. We are always interested in projects, big and small, that can build awareness of this industry.”

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 https://iswcheckoff.wixsite.com/indianasheepandwool.

Writer: Emma Hopkins-O’Brien, 765-494-8415, dpack@purdue.edu

Source: Dawn Parks, 765-496-7550, dparks@purdue.edu