BROOKINGS, S.D. - In January 2021, the South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension small ruminant team, in collaboration with colleagues throughout the United States, kicked off a survey inviting sheep and goat producers to share their interests and needs to help direct future Extension programming. After receiving significant responses nationwide, the SDSU Extension small ruminant team would like to invite producers, allied members and academia to join them for an online discussion as they continue to the results.
“The National Sheep and Goat Producer Needs Assessment gathered responses from small ruminant operations across 47 states. Knowing that topics like parasite management and breeding stock nutrition are the top priorities for producers is pivotal for small ruminant Extension efforts across the country,” says Jaelyn Quintana, SDSU Extension Sheep Field Specialist. “During the webinar, we will share producer interests and demographics nationwide as well as within each region of the country and South Dakota specifically. We will also share insights into how this survey will influence future Extension programs.”
The Sheep and Goat Needs Assessment Summary webinar will be held Friday, Dec. 17 at noon CST and will include information on producer preferences on production and management topics, educational program delivery methods, challenges to raising and marketing animals or animal products, and current industry demographics.
Quintana says this information will be of interest to sheep and goat producers, industry professionals, academia, 4-H and FFA educators, government agencies, or organizations supporting sheep and goat producers. All are welcome to join the discussion.
The webinar will be presented via Zoom, and a recording will be made available soon after on the SDSU Extension YouTube channel. To register, please visit the SDSU Extension Events page.
For more information, please contact Quintana at Jaelyn.Qunintana@sdstate.edu or Heidi Carroll, SDSU Extension Livestock Stewardship Field Specialist, at Heidi.Carroll@sdstate.edu.
