While grazing through the Sunbelt Ag Expo this year, you will be able to experience regenerative agriculture, a topic of growing interest where you will also be able to experience many hands-on, physical, and social activities through seminars with many experts in the sheep and goat industry.
Sheep and goats can fit into regenerative practices in several ways. Henry Dorough, a long-time sheep farmer who recently retired from the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, will talk more about regenerative production. Explaining how these ideas may just be coming back around from back in our grandfather’s day or great grandfather for some of us. He will also discuss mandatory governmental programs that are important for sheep and goat producers or owners to follow. Some examples of these mandatory governmental programs are Scrapie, Lamb Check off, and more.
Henry’s wife and business partner, Paula Burke, Carroll County Extension Coordinator and Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent for the University of Georgia, will give an introduction to sheep and goats and things to think about before getting started with them. For those interested in where to sell animals or animal products from small ruminants, Dr. Clarissa Harris of Tuskegee University or Dr. Niki Whitley, Fort Valley State University, the Georgia Sheep and Goat Specialist and coordinator for the Sheep and Goat Section at the Expo, will be glad to help during the Meats and Marketing talk right after lunch.
If you would like to test your skills with sheep and goat equipment identification for the chance to win prizes, a skill-a-thon will be offered daily in the morning just for fun. You will also be able to watch and learn more about handling sheep and/or goats through hands-on demonstrations and information provided by Dr. Angela McKenzie Jakes, Florida A&M University Specialist, and Dr. Niki Whitley. Browse around to the milking demonstration, by FVSU’s Carlton Green, Small Ruminant Research Center manager.
If you would like to watch and learn more about handling sheep and/or goats, come by for the hands-on demonstration and information provided by Dr. Angela McKenzie Jakes and Dr. Niki Whitley or stop by for the milking demonstration by FVSU’s Carlton Green, Small Ruminant Research Center (and goat dairy) manager.
Free fact sheets, recipes and other information/giveaways will be available at the Sheep and Goat Section and live animals will be on display, so come on down and visit!
