Meet your CHRIS AUVILLE, MT. SIDNEY, VIRGINIA HOW DID YOU ORIGINALLY GET EXPOSED TO SUFFOLK SHEEP? I only somewhat knew and strengthening that friendship and supporting Amanda in any way possible. She is the best!!!!
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WHAT IS ONE POSITIVE THING YOU REALIZED UPON YOUR VOLUNTEER COMMITMENT TO THE USSA BOARD? Increased opportunity to connect with other Suffolk breeders and expand my knowledge and ability to draw on the experience of others. WHAT OTHER SHEEP RELATED ORGANIZATIONS ARE YOU CURRENTLY OR PREVIOUSLY INVOLVED WITH? I serve as a director of the Oregon Purebred Sheep Breeders Association (2022 to date) and as the Oregon FFA state contest tabulator (livestock HOW DID YOU ORIGINALLY GET EXPOSED TO SUFFOLK SHEEP? Like many others with sheep, I bought my first ewe, a Hampshire actually, from a neighbor when I was nine years old to show and sell at the county fair. I bought a Suffolk ewe a couple of years later, and the disposition was so much better that I sold the three Hampshires and began to keep the Suffolk ewe lambs and bought a few more Suffolks. Not long after, I took a show string to the state fair, not my own, but of another breeder in our area, and he said whatever premium the sheep won, I could keep. These animals did well earning a premier exhibitor award and I was hooked. I began to only keep the registered ewe lambs from our small herd. The sheep helped pay college expenses and I began selling rams at our state ram sale. WHY WERE YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING AS A VOLUNTEER ON THE USSA BOARD? I really didn’t know I was interested in volunteering until I visited with a couple board members that needed some positions filled for the West. I honestly didn’t think about the Suffolk board as something I could help guide and direct until that time. I just paid my membership and registered the females in our herd. Once I began to learn about all the programs Suffolks were involved in, and the good that came from them, that I started to actually enjoy being a part. Not all my ideas are agreed upon, but that makes the discussions very rich and valuable. judging, among others) since 2017. JACK BLATTNER, KUNA, IDAHO WHAT IS ONE OF THE BEST BENEFITS A USSA OR UJSSA MEMBER RECEIVES? We don’t have children young enough to participate in the youth shows, but if we did, that is definitely one benefit. The United Suffolk Association Foundation also awards thousands of dollars in scholarship money to young people interested in Suffolk sheep and are attending college. Also, being able to use Digital Suffolk as a database to keep
WHAT OTHER SHEEP RELATED ORGANIZATIONS ARE YOU CURRENTLY OR PREVIOUSLY INVOLVED WITH? Virginia Sheep Producers, West Virginia Purebred Sheep Association, Virginia Junior Sheep Breeders Association JOHN BAGLIEN, JEFFERSON, OREGON HOW DID YOU ORIGINALLY GET EXPOSED TO SUFFOLK SHEEP? I started raising sheep in 4-H when I was nine. That fall, my family lambed out our first three ewes but the next year we wanted to start raising purebred sheep. We watched the 2000 Oregon State Fair open class shows and were impressed with Suffolks and purchased our first two Suffolk ewes and ram from Brenda Miller that fall; the rest is history. WHY WERE YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING AS A VOLUNTEER ON THE USSA BOARD? I am passionate about raising high quality sheep and have benefitted from the labors of many past board members. I appreciate the opportunity to give back and try to aid in the development and growth of the Suffolk breed. WHAT IS ONE OF THE BEST BENEFITS A USSA OR UJSSA MEMBER RECEIVES? Digital Suffolk is awesome - the ability to research sheep from other flocks, register your own sheep on a moment’s notice as well as explore potential matings for line-breeding purposes. WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO A NEW USSA MEMBER OR SUFFOLK BREEDER? Find a mentor that raises the kind of Suffolks that you want to raise and leverage their knowledge to aid you in your Suffolk sheep raising journey. Tap into their knowledge and experience and don’t be afraid to bounce questions off of them. WHAT DO YOU SEE ARE POTENTIAL AREAS OF GROWTH FOR THE SUFFOLK BREED OR THE USSA ORGANIZATION? We have the opportunity to leverage the strong current momentum of many interested junior and younger breeders to grow and expand the breed. The Event and Digital Suffolk are a good start, but it needs to be just the start to more. They are many lapsed Suffolk sheep with valuable genetics that we need to get reincorporated into the registry and active.
When our oldest daughter was nine, she wanted to show lambs at our county fair. Back then they showed a single and a pair. Our youngest daughter helped all summer and was ready to help show the pair. We were told she was too young – melt down – an ag teacher that raised Suffolks told us about the open sheep show with no bottom age. We went the day after the fair to his farm and purchased our first Suffolk ewe. Been out of control since! WHY WERE YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING AS A VOLUNTEER ON THE USSA BOARD? For many years we have reaped the benefits of this organization from the many people serving before me. I felt it was time that I put in some work for the next generation of Suffolk enthusiasts. WHAT IS ONE OF THE BEST BENEFITS A USSA OR UJSSA MEMBER RECEIVES? The network of other breeders. Getting to know people from all over the country and see how their management practices are similar or differing from your own. Creating new friendships with people with the same interests no matter what they do with their animals – we all have Suffolks. Also, the Digital Suffolk program is a game changer. Having all your information in one place is fantastic and being able to register your own sheep is fabulous! WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO A NEW USSA MEMBER OR SUFFOLK BREEDER? Make friends! There is so much good information out there that will save you so much heartache. Don’t be intimidated just because some have been doing this for years and you haven’t. We all love to get questions from newcomers. We are one big community. WHAT DO YOU SEE ARE POTENTIAL AREAS OF GROWTH FOR THE SUFFOLK BREED OR THE USSA ORGANIZATION? The juniors! Our breed has more to offer our juniors than any other. We, of course, have shows but also the Suffolk Event as a learning experience and meeting a lot of new people and the scholarships. Our juniors are so fortunate to have all these opportunities and there are so many more in the works! WHAT IS ONE POSITIVE THING YOU REALIZED UPON YOUR VOLUNTEER COMMITMENT TO THE USSA BOARD? Getting to be part of the planning for all the activities we do is fulfilling at the least. Working with people
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