Sheep checkoff to hold 2nd annual shearing school at Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. –The Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Program will be sponsoring a shearing school, hosted by the Indiana Sheep Association (ISA) on Saturday March 7, at Purdue University’s Sheep Unit.

The statewide workshop, also sponsored by the Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Program, will take place at 5675 W. County Road 600 N. West Lafayette, 47906, and run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. Check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Anyone is welcome to register, regardless of experience level, to learn the skills and methods required to successfully shear a sheep. All instructors present will be master shearers, including lead organizer and professional shearer Steve Kennedy. Kennedy’s family have been great instructors for shearing schools going back to Kennedy’s grandfather, Don, who helped instruct many shearing schools at Purdue with other professionals.

A registration fee of $50 will cover the cost of the workshop, lunch and required shearing equipment, though participants are encouraged to bring their own equipment, if they have it.

Registration forms, found at http://indianasheep.com/, must be mailed to ISA Executive Director Bob Benson at 3506 Heathcliff Ct. Westfield, IN 46074. The completed registration form with the fee enclosed must be received by February 22, 2020. The class is limited to 20 participants. As part of registration, attendees must sign a liability waiver.

“There is a continuous need for young and new sheep shearers as the older generations retire,” said Gerald Kelly, manager of the Purdue Sheep Unit and shearing school co-organizer. “Producers and 4-Hers benefit from being able to shear their own sheep efficiently instead of trying to find a professional shearer. The Purdue folks are happy to help the industry just as we have for the last 150 years.”

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

Media contact: Maureen Manier, (765) 494-8399, mmanier@purdue.edu Source: Emma Hopkins-O’Brien, (317) 607-5664, emmaellenhopkins@yahoo.com