Skip to main content

Search

A flock of white sheep grazing in a small pasture.

Sheep Breeds

Everyone has heard the fairytale “Baa Baa Black Sheep Have You Any Wool?” but what about the double-coated California Red, the multi-colored Katahdin sheep with hair, or the East Friesian dairy ewe that produces over 1,100 pounds of milk a year? Sheep come in different shapes, sizes, and colors and all of them provide different functions and uses for producers. These can range from meat, wool, and milk production or a combination of characteristics.

small group of sheep standing in a pasture

National Sheep Improvement Program: Performance-based data you can rely on

Sheep producers continually look for opportunities to improve their flocks through the introduction of genetic traits that will contribute to both improve the performance and physical appearance of the offspring. For hundreds of years, producers used the phenotype or physical appearance traits to select replacement stock, followed by performance trials and wool testing to quantitatively define the traits a specific animal may possess.

filed of sunflowers in bloom

Why Add an Agritourism Enterprise to Your Farm or Ranch?

Agritourism is the practice of touring agricultural areas to see farms and often to participate in farm activities.

Julie Ross, Co-owner, Good Roots Farm & Gardens, Brookings, SD

Agritourism and Value-Added Agriculture: Legacy of a Tired Old Barn and 40 Acres

Driven by consumer interest, a growing numbers of farmers across the United States are embracing agritourism to improve their economic sustainability.

female 4-H youth with her white dog and their pink rosette

4-H Dog Project

Are you a dog person? Want to learn how to train and handle a dog like a pro? Join the dog project!

male 4-H youth holding a model rocket

4-H Aerospace & Rocketry Project

Want to design, build, and launch your own rocket? Always been interested in airplanes and flight? Blast off to the aerospace and rocketry project area!

front end of a heavy ford truck

4-H Automotive, Small & Tractor Engines Project

Start your engines and get excited about the automotive, small and tractor engines 4-H project area! Explore your interest in tractors and cars and learn how engines work, what problems can occur and how to fix those problems, and even build your own small engine.

female 4-H youth showing a red cow

4-H Beef Project

Through the 4-H beef project, members can learn how to feed, care for, and keep accurate records of one or more head of cattle.

a group of five 4-H youth. two males and one female are on bicycles. two female youth are standing in the background.

4-H Bicycle Project

Riding a bicycle is great for transportation and a fun way to exercise! Whether you like biking with friends, riding for transportation, or fixing bicycles, the 4-H Bicycle Project could be the perfect match for you!

a small group of 4-H youth painting over graffiti with their 4-H youth advisor. Photo courtesy of National 4-H.

4-H Character Education Project

Good character is the foundation for everything positive in your life. Put your upstanding values to good use and share what a reputable citizen looks like with your peers.