meet your board of directors
WHY WERE YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING AS A VOLUNTEER ON THE USSA BOARD? I was first approached by several members who urged me to run for a board position. It is my hope and expectation to help improve the Suffolk breed. WHAT IS ONE OF THE BEST BENEFITS A USSA OR UJSSA MEMBER RECEIVES? I believe their outstanding website, suffolks.org, has a lot of valuable information to help you market, improve and meet outstanding Suffolk breeders in the United States. WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO A NEW USSA MEMBER OR SUFFOLK BREEDER? Learn all you can about raising Suffolk sheep. Don’t become frustrated when you encounter obstacles. When you are not sure how to handle a given problem i.e. feeding, health issues, caring for newborn lambs, buying breeding sheep, etc., contact Suffolk breeders in your area and learn from them. WHAT DO YOU SEE ARE POTENTIAL AREAS OF GROWTH FOR THE SUFFOLK BREED OR THE USSA ORGANIZATION? Back in the 1970s the two national associations were registering over 85,000 Suffolks. Currently, we register around 5,000 head. Somehow, we need to figure out how to provide value to registering Suffolks in the country. I am not sure what that looks like, but we need to reverse the downward trend of registering Suffolks! WHAT IS ONE POSITIVE THING YOU REALIZED UPON YOUR VOLUNTEER COMMITMENT TO THE USSA BOARD? Meeting Suffolk breeders from across the nation and learning their secrets on how to improve the Suffolk breed. WHAT OTHER SHEEP RELATED ORGANIZATIONS ARE YOU CURRENTLY OR PREVIOUSLY INVOLVED WITH? I am currently on the Board of Directors of the California Wool Growers Association and serve as the Member Services chairperson for 10 years. I am also a member of the State Ram Sale committee. I am a member of ASI and serve on their Genetic Improvement committee for four years. I also served as a Board member of the California Suffolk and Hampshire Sheep Breeders Association for eight years and served as their treasurer. DIANE RUSSELL, EATON, INDIANA HOW DID YOU ORIGINALLY GET EXPOSED TO SUFFOLK SHEEP? As a youth, I raised and showed Corriedale sheep, but as I was competing in 4-H, I began to cross our Corriedale ewes on Suffolk rams. My husband and I purchased registered Suffolk ewes and rams in the
mid 1970s. Our flock also contained ewes that were Dorset, and speckle-faced ewes purchased from the Western range. Because of their superior traits, we gradually grew the flock into a primarily Suffolk flock, most of which were registered. WHY WERE YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING AS A VOLUNTEER ON THE USSA BOARD? I believe in giving back to those things which have benefited me and others. I enjoy engaging with and learning from other Suffolk breeders. I care deeply about the success of the breed and volunteered to be on the board so I could have a voice in impacting the decisions that affect the association. and its members. WHAT IS ONE OF THE BEST BENEFITS A USSA OR UJSSA MEMBER RECEIVES? The benefit I value the most is the relationships I have formed over the years. WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO A NEW USSA MEMBER OR SUFFOLK BREEDER? Connect with other breeders and take advantage of all the benefits the membership offers. The USSA is much more than a registry service. WHAT DO YOU SEE ARE POTENTIAL AREAS OF GROWTH FOR THE SUFFOLK BREED OR THE USSA ORGANIZATION? I am pleased that we are welcoming in so many new members. Their interest in The Event and participation in shows, webinars, the UJSSA indicates that there is a building excitement within our breed. WHAT IS ONE POSITIVE THING YOU REALIZED UPON YOUR VOLUNTEER COMMITMENT TO THE USSA BOARD? I quickly learned about the diversity within the breed, and I learned to appreciate the positives that come from having that diversity. JOHN SCOTT, KILKENNY, MINNESOTA HOW DID YOU ORIGINALLY GET EXPOSED TO SUFFOLK SHEEP? Back when I was in High School, my older brother was in an Ag college, and he brought home six Suffolk ewe lambs that he bought from one of his animal husbandry professors. Our family has had them ever since. WHY WERE YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING AS A VOLUNTEER ON THE USSA BOARD? My friend and sheep mentor Jeremy Geske suggested that I had talents which would be of use to the board and the Suffolk breed. More importantly, I believe in the Suffolk breed and desire the organization to have and bring value to everyone who has sheep, no matter how many or
few they have.
WHAT IS ONE OF THE BEST BENEFITS A USSA OR UJSSA MEMBER RECEIVES? To me, Digital Suffolk has been a game changer for record keeping and keeping track of my sheep. WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO A NEW USSA MEMBER OR SUFFOLK BREEDER? As you ask other sheep mentors and breeders for advice, keep in mind that the experiences and opinions of sheep breeders will vary. Certain things are consistent from farm to farm with the biology and physiology of sheep, but what works best for someone will not be what works best for you, so don’t be afraid to ask more than one person, ask people in your geographical area, and don’t stop reading or learning about your sheep. WHAT DO YOU SEE ARE POTENTIAL AREAS OF GROWTH FOR THE SUFFOLK BREED OR THE USSA ORGANIZATION? I would like to see a united front on tracking production data that everyone can grab onto and is easy to understand. WHAT IS ONE POSITIVE THING YOU REALIZED UPON YOUR VOLUNTEER COMMITMENT TO THE USSA BOARD? I have gotten to know other Suffolk sheep owners and breeders across the country, and all of them are committed to the Suffolk breed and have pride in the sheep they raise. WHAT OTHER SHEEP RELATED ORGANIZATIONS ARE YOU CURRENTLY OR PREVIOUSLY INVOLVED WITH? Right now, none. As an attorney in a rural Minnesota area, I am involved with other types of non-profit associations focused on benefiting the community, the local watershed, and other organizations including agriculturally focused that affect our community. DENNIS SORENSEN, CHEBANSE, ILLINOIS HOW DID YOU ORIGINALLY GET EXPOSED TO SUFFOLK SHEEP? Growing up, there was never a time when my family didn’t have sheep. We primarily had crossbred ewes with Suffolk rams built into the breeding rotation. During my early 4-H years I convinced my parents to let me purchase a few registered Suffolks ewes from some local breeders. I’ve been raising Suffolks since that time. WHY WERE YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING AS A VOLUNTEER ON THE USSA BOARD? Even though I have always had an interest in raising Suffolks, having been a smaller Suffolk breeder, I never really considered the opportunity. However, upon my retirement I was encouraged to
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