Starting the New Year with a Bang
The pace of life these days seems to be moving too fast. We all seem to have so many different things going on at the same time, without nearly enough down time to stop and appreciate the small things.
The month of January epitomizes this for me. The month starts off with an AgriLife agency conference in College Station, then we have our sheep shearing school in San Angelo and, to wrap things up, there’s the annual American Sheep Industry Association conference in New Orleans. Not to mention that January kicks off the start of stock show season.
At the AgriLife conference, our leadership team explained how we in agriculture are going to see a change in philosophy. It is not enough to produce an abundance of food to feed the world. We must also provide the world with research and education to improve human health. Plus, build stronger connections between consumers and producers. This will shift us from a “feeding the world” to a “nourishing the world” mindset.
Our fourth annual sheep shearing school was held Jan. 12 to 14 at the AgriLife Center in San Angelo. Our goal is to provide the necessary foundation of knowledge to anyone who aspires to shear. The industry needs more qualified shearers and we aspire to help fill this void.
Although most of the school attendees won’t end up shearing professionally, students tend to enjoy learning about the trade and experiencing the reward of acquiring a new skill. The physical demands of shearing can be intimidating, but it’s a lifestyle that allows a person to aid in the husbandry of livestock, work with their hands and travel all over the world if they so choose. It can also be financially rewarding, whether a person shears full-time or is a weekend warrior. If you know of someone who might find that appealing, encourage them to apply or have them contact us for more details.
By the time you read this, the ASI convention in New Orleans will be over. This convention is the annual meeting place for ASI and many other industry leadership organizations, such as the American Lamb Board, American Goat Federation and the National Sheep Improvement Program.
Texas has some great folks who routinely attend this convention, but there is a need for more Texans to get involved. I highly encourage you to consider attending next year’s event in Scottsdale, Ariz. which will run from Jan. 22-25.
I have attended the convention each year since 2010. During that time, I’ve developed some lifelong friendships and I look forward to reconnecting with my friends and colleagues each year. For a sheep guru, it’s like Christmas comes in January!
Given my January schedule, it’s not surprising that my New Year’s resolution to slow down and enjoy the small things isn’t going very well so far. I hope that you are having better luck with your resolutions!
To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, contact me at reid.redden@ag.tamu.edu or 325-653-4576. For general questions about sheep and goats, contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county office. If they can’t answer your question, they have access to someone who can.