The 2017 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium offers something of value to all classes, categories, and experience level of sheep producers.  The theme of this year’s program is “Improving Profitability of the Sheep Operation through Nutrition, Reproduction, Economics and Marketing”. A pre-Symposium “Shepherd’s College” is offered on Friday afternoon, December 1 and the all-day Symposium program will be held on Saturday, December 2.

The Friday afternoon program runs from 2:00 to 5:00 pm at Fisher Auditorium on the OARDC campus in Wooster. The program features Dr. Erin Recktenwald of Michigan State University and Dr. Francis Fluharty of The Ohio State University Department of Animal Sciences.

The Saturday December 2nd Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium program is held at the Shisler Conference Center on the OARDC campus and begins with registration, trade show and continental breakfast from 7:30 am to 9:00 am.  The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association (OSIA) annual meeting will be held from 8:00 -9:00 am. The educational sessions begin at 9:15 am.  Morning breakout topics include Principles of Sheep Reproduction, Principles of Lamb Marketing and Managing the Sheep Flock on An Annual Calendar Basis.

Following a lamb luncheon, the afternoon includes comments from Dr. Cathann Kress, Dean of the OSU College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and Dr. John Foltz, OSU Department of Animal Sciences, presentation of awards and another round of breakout educational sessions that include the topic of lamb marketing and lamb cooking demonstrations.

Pre-registration for both the Friday Shepherd’s College program as well as the Saturday symposium program is required to attend.   A discounted registration fee is available for registrations postmarked by November 17. A 2017 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium flyer containing a detailed agenda of times, topics and presenters as well as a registration form is available on the Wayne County Extension web site at http://go.osu.edu/2017BSSinfo. 

For more information about the 2017 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium program contact the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association at 614-246-8293 or email ahurst@ofbf.org.