Sheep shearing schools: North Dakota Nov. 18-20, 2017 and South Dakota Dec. 6-8, 2017
BROOKINGS, S.D. – Sheep shearing and wool classing schools will be held in Hettinger, North Dakota November 18-20, 2017 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (MST).
A sheep shearing school will also be held in Brookings, South Dakota, December 6-8, 2017 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (central).
“Competent shearers and wool handlers are an important infrastructure components to the growth and development of the sheep industry,” said David Ollila, SDSU Extension Sheep Field Specialist.
The sheep shearing schools are co-hosted by SDSU Extension and North Dakota State University Extension and will provide education and resources for sheep producers to improve the quality of their wool clip as well as an opportunity to network with professionals within the sheep shearing and wool marketing circles who could provide service to the producer.
Instructors for the shearing school include: Mike Hagens, Professional Sheep Shearer, North Dakota; Wade Kopren, Professional Sheep Shearer, South Dakota; Alex Moser Professional Sheep Shearer, Iowa and Travis Hoffman, Ph.D. North Dakota and Minnesota Sheep Extension Specialist.
Instructors for the classing school include: Lisa Surber, Ph.D., Level IV Wool Classing Instructor. North Dakota State University Extension is the sole sponsor of this school.
Specific topics covered during the shearing schools include :
● Professional shearing pattern
●Tagging and eyeing equipment maintenance and repair
● Wool handling and preparation
Topics covered during the wool classing school include:
● Wool fiber growth, development and production
● Objective measurement of wool
● Genetic selection programs
● Hands-on wool grading
● Wool contamination and handling practices
● Wool classing, packaging, labeling and marking
● Test for Level 1 certification
The Sheep Shearing school in Hettinger will be held at the at the Adams County Fairgrounds (4th Avenue) and the Wool Classing school in Hettinger will be held at the Hettinger Armory (4th Avenue).
The Sheep Shearing school in Brookings will be held at the SDSU Sheep Research and Teaching Unit 2 miles North of SDSU Campus on Medary Avenue/77.
To register
The registration deadline for the schools is November 3, 2017. Cost for the shearing school is $125 per person and includes; tuition, a handbook, DVD and wool beanie. Cost for the wool classing school is $150 per person and includes tuition and materials.
Experienced and nonexperienced are encouraged to attend. The shearing schools are limited to 20 students per school and the wool classing school is limited to 16 students. Class size allows for one-on-one instruction.
Scholarships are available.
For more information and to register for the North Dakota schools, contact Chris Schauer at 701-567-4323 or christopher.schauer@ndsu.edu.
For more information and to register for the South Dakota school, contact Jeff Held, Professor & SDSU Extension Sheep Specialist at 605-688-5165 or Jeffrey.Held@sdstate.edu.
–NDSU Extension
