Sheep checkoff funds 2019 projects and seeks nominees for Council

For immediate release

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Agriculture’s Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Program (Indiana S&W) is funding new projects this year to promote the state’s lamb and wool industry and is preparing to hold elections for three district seats in 2019.

At the checkoff’s biannual meeting last fall, Indiana S&W accepted four new funding projects:

* “Lamb Jam” event with Central Indiana chefs

* Formation of a state Shearer’s School and Certification Program

* Organization of a state-wide tour of sheep producers’ farms

* A donation of meat to be used for Scottsburg High School’s Home Ec. curriculum

The council asks that producers and others continue to submit funding requests for projects involving the promotion of or research about the Indiana Sheep Industry. More information can be found at iswcheckoff.wixsite.com/indianasheepandwool.

Indiana S&W will also be holding elections for three district seats in 2019:

District 3: Miami, Wabash, Whitley, Allen, Huntington, Wells and Adams County

Contact Valynnda Slack at valslack@gmail.com if interested in running for the district 3 seat.

District 6: Blackford, Jay, Delaware, Randolph, Henry, Wayne, Rush, Fayette and Union counties. Contact Duane Sickels at sickels@globalsite.net if you are interested in running for the district 6 seat.

District 9: Perry, Orange, Lawrence, Washington, Jackson, Harrison, Floyd, Clark, Scott, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Switzerland, Ripley, Dearborn, Franklin, Crawford, Brown, Bartholomew and Decatur counties. Contact Ken McMichael at kenmcmichael@gmail.com if you are interested in running for the district 9 seat.

Voting will occur in March of 2019. Candidates must declare their intent to run before March 15.

Background: 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.