Skip to Main Content

Sheep checkoff to hold 4th annual shearing school at Purdue

The Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Program will sponsor a shearing school, hosted by the Indiana Sheep Association (ISA) on March 5 at Purdue University’s Sheep Center.

The statewide workshop, also sponsored by the Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Program, will take place at 5480 ASREC Drive, West Lafayette, and run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Anyone is welcome to register, regardless of experience level, to learn the skills and methods required to successfully shear a sheep. All instructors present will be experienced shearers, including organizer and master shearer Steve Kennedy, whose family has been instructors for shearing schools going back to Kennedy’s grandfather.

A registration fee of $50 will cover the cost of the workshop, lunch and required shearing equipment, though participants are encouraged to bring their own equipment if they have it.

Registration forms, must be mailed to ISA Executive Director Bob Benson at 3506 Heathcliff Ct. Westfield, IN 46074. The completed registration form with the fee enclosed must be received by March 1. The class is limited to 10 participants. As part of registration, attendees must sign a liability waiver.

“There is a continuous need for young and new sheep shearers as the older generations retire,” said Gerald Kelly, manager of the Purdue Sheep Center and shearing school co-organizer. “Producers and 4-H’ers benefit from being able to shear their own sheep efficiently instead of trying to find a professional shearer. The Purdue folks are happy to help the industry just as we have for the last 150 years.”

The Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Program was created to support educational, promotional and research efforts involving sheep in Indiana. Funds for the council are collected from the sale of all sheep in Indiana — 0.5% of the net market price of each sheep sold. All funds collected by stockyards, sale managers, producers and others should be sent to the council’s business office at Purdue. More information is on the program’s website.

Featured Stories

Bryan Pijanoski with sound equipment
The sound of the world

It’s summer, but Bryan Pijanowski is as busy as ever. He’s working on several grant...

Read More
ag econ
Trey Malone named as Boehlje Chair in Managerial Economics for Agribusiness

“A business newspaper published an interview with me a few years ago titled, ‘Ag...

Read More
Purdue College of Agriculture.
Virtual Tour Brings Forest Management for the Birds to Life

How does forest management affect wildlife, specifically birds? Which birds prefer which types of...

Read More
Students on the Sweden study abroad trip stand in front of a church
FNR Field Reports: Lucas Cacula Offers Week 2 Update from Sweden Study Abroad Program

Throughout the 2024 Sustainable Natural Resources study abroad course in Sweden, FNR...

Read More
Wilford tends to Gracie the cow.
Fields of Discovery: From track to trough— leaping into research

This summer, Rieko Wilford is making big leaps researching methane emissions; on the track,...

Read More
Linda Prokopy
Horticulture and Landscape Architecture department head honored by Conservation Technology Information Center

Linda Prokopy, department head and professor of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Purdue...

Read More
To Top