BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to welcome Ryan Spurling as a new assistant professor and Small Ruminant Production Specialist.
In his role, Spurling will bring research to sheep and goat producers across South Dakota, while assisting them with new management best practices that help improve sustainability and operational health and success. He is based in Brookings.
“I am excited for the opportunity to put on workshops and field days that bring research to producers with the goal of increasing the knowledge of new producers and offering novel techniques to veteran ones,” Spurling said.
Spurling grew up on his family’s farm in Missouri, where they raised goats, hair sheep, cattle and row crops. He was active in 4-H, showing rabbits, cattle and meat goats. He has earned bachelor’s degrees in agricultural business and animal science from Northwest Missouri State University, and his graduate and doctoral degrees from Utah State University focused on sheep and goat production with an emphasis in nutritional management.
His experience includes helping with extension workshops and field days in Utah, lamb clinics in Utah and Idaho and work with the Utah Department of Natural Resources on using sheep and goats to control invasive plants. He has also helped conduct a statewide mastitis survey, grazing trial using sheep and goats to control invasive weeds, a feeding trial for wethers and work with protein supplements on rangelands.
"Ryan Spurling comes to SDSU with a strong academic background in sheep production. His PhD work focused on mineral supplementation of sheep grazing rangeland forages in Utah,” said Sandy Smart, professor and SDSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Director. “He will be an excellent fit working with producers in the extensive rangeland production environment we have in western South Dakota and the farm flock environment we have East River."
For more information, contact Ryan Spurling, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Small Ruminant Production Specialist.
