Now that autumn has arrived in North America, dairy sheep producers are turning their attention to fall breeding... and at DSANA, planning for the annual Dairy Sheep Sympoisum is kicking into high gear. Consider registering now for the 2019 DSANA Dairy Sheep Symposium which is just around the corner, Nov. 7-10.
Below you'll find three more descriptions of topics that will be covered in workshops and panel discussions at the 2019 gathering. A full list of speakers can be found on the registration page.
Hope to see you in Idaho,
-- The newsletter team (Carrie, Bee) and the DSANA board
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Symposium Info At-A-Glance
When? November 7-10, 2019
Where? In Idaho Falls, in southeast Idaho; venue is the Hilton Garden Inn (special room rates available until Oct. 16)
How? Idaho Falls is about 4 hours north of the Salt Lake City airport; other travel options, including carpooling arrangements, are on the website.
Who? Attendees come from across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; see the website for details about our fantastic speakers and presenters.
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Cheesemonger Panel
Some of our DSANA members who are producer-processors of farmstead cheeses describe U.S. sheep-milk cheeses as facing “headwinds” when positioned alongside European imports in the wholesale marketplace. The “headwinds” include consumer and cheesemonger perceptions of American vs. European cheeses, seasonal North American cheeses vs. the year-round supply of European cheeses, and the landed cost of both groups of cheeses at retailers’ counters. At the 2019 Dairy Sheep Symposium will be some cheesemongers and fromageophiles from the West Coast and Intermountain West, including cheesemonger Sarah Zediker of Jackson Whole Grocers and specialty cheese distributor Greg Hessel (pictured here) of Portland’s Cowbell LLC, to give us their perspective on what North American farmstead cheese producers might do to make their position stronger. We’ll ask them our burning questions, such as “What is the market potential for domestic sheep-milk cheeses?” and “Are blended-milk cheeses our future?” See the Symposium page for more info.
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Nutrition for High-Production Dairy Animals
Butch Cargile is a vet specializing in dairy cow nutrition at Progressive Dairy Solutions. He is also setting up a sheep dairy in southern Idaho. Butch (pictured here) believes that his performance as his dairy clients’ nutritionist is the “single largest factor in their economic success.” In traditional sheep flocks many follow a rule of thumb at lambing, which is to withdraw grain for a day, to give the ewe’s gut time to settle and to avoid diarrhea. However, it is starting to look like this rule of thumb is not at all a good idea for our higher-producing dairy sheep. Some producers, whose Lacaune-sired yearlings can produce close to 8 pounds of milk a day at peak, are actually seeing ketosis -- sometimes fatal -- a week or 10 days after lambing. The high-producing dairy animal clearly has unique nutritional needs. We have asked Butch to speak at our 2019 Dairy Sheep Symposium on the metabolic and nutritional requirements of high-producing and lower-producing dairy cows, and how commercial cow dairies measure and monitor their animals’ metabolic status. This can help us understand the very different metabolism of the high-producing dairy ewe. See the Symposium page for more info.
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Tour of Winter Winds Farm
The second stop on our Farm Tour day (Saturday, November 9th) is Winter Winds Farm in Victor, Idaho, a goat dairy and creamery. Nate and Ginny Ray will give us a tour of operations, discuss the process of setting up a new farm and creamery, and talk about how they market their seasonal goat-milk cheeses. They will also explain the transitional buy-out process of their turn-key operation, with the young prospective buyer who is living and working on the farm with them. Winter Winds Farm is cradled by the Grand Tetons, and rumor has it that the drive to Victor is breath-taking. See the Symposium page for more info.
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Some other topics to be covered at the 2019 Symposium::
Selling bottled milk direct to consumers
Managing a milk-supplier network
Hiring H-2A agricultural workers
Sheep-milk component testing
Pricing U.S. vs. European sheep-milk cheeses
Using manure analysis to indicate forage quality
Manufacturing custom pellet for dairy sheep
Developing a plan for climate change and weather extremes
... plus a cheese & wine tasting, banquet dinner, farm tours, and more!
Register today... current DSANA members receive a discount
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Thank you to our Symposium sponsors!
Ms. J & Co.
Meadowood Farms
Head Honchos
Page & Pederson
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RENEW YOUR DSANA MEMBERSHIP
Or join for the first time...
As of July 1st, ALL CURRENT MEMBERS must renew their DSANA membership for the 2019-2020 membership year. There is no automatic renewal. If you've never been a member before, consider joining today.
For $75 you get:
- Access to members-only technical content on the website: 20 years of Symposia proceedings, plus interviews with successful producers;
- Your own listing in the Member Directory, searchable by the public
- A discount on registration for the 2019 Dairy Sheep Symposium, to be held November 7-10 in Idaho Falls, Idaho;
- Up to 4 additional people at your farm or business can be "bundled" into your membership for no additional charge; they, too, can receive discounts and member-only access on the website, plus they will receive this newsletter
Join or renew today, knowing you will support the work of DSANA, which is run entirely by volunteers and seeks to strengthen and expand the North American dairy sheep industry through gatherings of like-minded members and the sharing of technical information.
The new website makes it easy to join or renew your membership.
Thanks for your attention and support.
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