meet your board of directors
WHAT IS ONE POSITIVE THING YOU REALIZED UPON YOUR VOLUNTEER COMMITMENT TO THE USSA BOARD? USSA members are dedicated to continuously improving the Suffolk breed. USSA Board members are doers, who each lend their strengths to the organization, volunteering to help support the work of our organization and our dedicated Executive Secretary, Amanda Everts, and our UJSSA Junior Coordinator Isaac Lewis. WHAT OTHER SHEEP RELATED ORGANIZATIONS ARE YOU CURRENTLY OR PREVIOUSLY INVOLVED WITH? Past Director, Iowa Department of Agriculture’s Sheep Division, who helped launch the Iowa Sheep Industry Association (ISIA) and its lamb stand at the Iowa State Fair, lamb and wool promotions and the Iowa lamb and wool checkoff. Howard Wyman Sheep Leadership School presented by National Lamb Feeders, American Sheep Industry Association (ASI), Past President, Iowa Suffolk Sheep Association, Past President Iowa FFA Alumni Association, sheep and goat judge, showmanship and contest judge. LLOYD MCCABE, DIXON, CALIFORNIA HOW DID YOU ORIGINALLY GET EXPOSED TO SUFFOLK SHEEP? I first started raising Suffolks when I was a freshman in high school in 1966. My agriculture instructor and his wife Marge took me to Fred & Marion Cobles ranch and selected three bred Registered Suffolk ewes. I raised and showed Registered Suffolk sheep from 1966-71. In the fall of 1971, I became the Assistant Shepherd at the CSU-Fresno Sheep Unit and lived and managed the flock of 170 Hampshire, Columbia, and Rambouillet ewes under the direction of Glen Maddux who was the shepherd. In 1975, I started my career as a high school agriculture teacher and taught for 14 1/2 years. During my agriculture teaching career, I was responsible for managing the school flock of Suffolks and sheep show team that went to eight shows a year. In 1989, I was hired by the California Department of Education (CDE) as an agricultural consultant and was stationed in Southern California to help 72 agriculture programs with 14,000 FFA students from 1989-99. I was not directly involved with the sheep industry during that time. However, I did help agriculture teachers purchase feeder lambs for their students. In 1999, I was transferred to the CDE Headquarters in Sacramento and purchased a 120-acre farm in Dixon, California. A year later I resumed my love of raising registered Suffolk sheep and have been raising them ever since. Presently, I own 35 registered Suffolk brood ewes, 23 yearling ewes, 16 yearling rams, 5 stud rams, and 32 fall and spring lambs.
WHY WERE YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING AS A VOLUNTEER ON THE USSA BOARD? To help advance and promote the value of the Suffolk breed by working together with others who share that dedication and commitment. To give back to our industry by encouraging others to get involved and enjoy the many benefits of USSA and UJSSA membership. WHAT IS ONE OF THE BEST BENEFITS A USSA OR UJSSA MEMBER RECEIVES? Digital Suffolk is a comprehensive online tool provided by USSA that makes it so quick and easy to register your sheep, plan and track breeding programs, prepare sale catalog entries, research pedigrees of your flock and others, track progeny records and so much more. It’s a tremendous time- saver. Connecting with others who enjoy raising Suffolks is another key benefit. Many friends today are people I’ve grown to know through raising Suffolks over the years. It’s rewarding to see so many junior members and young families carrying on the tradition of raising Suffolks for future generations. WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO A NEW USSA MEMBER OR SUFFOLK BREEDER? You get out of your association what you put into it. Get involved. Volunteer. Be curious. Ask questions. Take part in the diverse range of educational programs and soak up all the information USSA offers. Attend The Suffolk Event in Springfield, Illinois, to meet veteran Suffolk breeders and new members. You’ll learn, connect, see and be able to purchase top USSA registered Suffolks in the USSA’s National Suffolk Sale, and be able to cheer on junior members in the UJSSA Show. It’s more than just a show or a sale. It’s THE event for Suffolk supporters of all ages. Take part in USSA online sales and events, too. WHAT DO YOU SEE ARE POTENTIAL AREAS OF GROWTH FOR THE SUFFOLK BREED OR THE USSA ORGANIZATION? Today’s Suffolks feature outstanding genetics, and the breed continues to improve in its ability to produce multiple lambs that hit the market faster in less time on feed. Suffolks are strong choices for those who choose to raise purebred sheep, as well as commercial and range producers seeking terminal sires that quickly pay for themselves by producing more pounds of gain more rapidly. Today’s Suffolk ewes are good mothers that can easily raise multiple lambs that get up and grow. USSA is continuing to promote the many ways it pays to raise Suffolks through the value they deliver to farm flocks, purebred breeding programs, as well as range operations and ultimately consumers who enjoy dining on big cuts of lean, meaty American lamb.
investigated and liked what we found.
WHY WERE YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING AS A VOLUNTEER ON THE USSA BOARD? I was interested in serving as a volunteer on the board because I was farming and had recently retired as a lawyer and saw the positive direction of the association. Thought it would be a way to contribute and learn. WHAT IS ONE OF THE BEST BENEFITS A USSA OR UJSSA MEMBER RECEIVES? One the best benefits of USSA is the technological assistance and dedication of the breed secretary and leadership of those involved in moving the breed forward. WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO A NEW USSA MEMBER OR SUFFOLK BREEDER? One piece of advice to a new Suffolk breeder is to seek and find a long-time breeder with experience and expertise raising the kind of Suffolks you want to raise. The long-time breeder should be honest, straight forward about his sheep and willing to answer questions. Getting the right genetics with good advice will get the novice breeder started on the right foot. Darn! I wish someone would have told me that years ago! WHAT DO YOU SEE ARE POTENTIAL AREAS OF GROWTH FOR THE SUFFOLK BREED OR THE USSA ORGANIZATION? Potential areas of growth for the Suffolk breed is identifying and marketing the strengths of the breed. WHAT IS ONE POSITIVE THING YOU REALIZED UPON YOUR VOLUNTEER COMMITMENT TO THE USSA BOARD? The positive thing I have realized upon commitment to the board is the quality and talent of other board members. We are in a good place with work to do. WHAT OTHER SHEEP RELATED ORGANIZATIONS ARE YOU CURRENTLY OR PREVIOUSLY INVOLVED WITH? We are currently members of the Iowa Sheep Industry Association and the Iowa Suffolk Sheep Association. KATHY KRAFKA HARKEMA, MONTEZUMA, IOWA HOW DID YOU ORIGINALLY GET EXPOSED TO SUFFOLK SHEEP? I started with five purebred Suffolk ewe lambs my first year in 4-H, served on the Iowa Junior Suffolk Association Board in my youth, and have been raising, showing, judging and selling them ever since.
56
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online