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A Publication of the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative
Spring 2012 Volume 24 Number 2
Yves Berger Receives Members Elect Art Pope Award New Directors The recipient of the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative Art Pope Award for 2012 is Yves M. Berger, internationally respected sheep researcher at the Spooner Agricultural Research Station of the University of WisconsinMadison since 1988. In addition to supervising the sheep work at the Spooner Station, Yves has served as the Assistant Superintendent and later as the Superintendent of the Station. Yves is recognized both nationally and world-wide as an expert in sheep production and management. He conducted the first comparison of the Finnsheep and Romanov breeds of sheep in North America where it was shown that the Romanov was superior to the Finnsheep in all aspects of lamb production. The artificial lamb rearing system that he developed at the Spooner Station has been adopted by sheep producers throughout the U.S. Yves and the sheep crew at Spooner artificially rear 500 to 600 lambs on milk replacer each year. Lambs are successfully weaned off milk replacer at an average age of thirty days after having consumed 18 pounds of
The recipient of the 2012 Art Pope Award is Yves Berger, internationally recognized sheep researcher at the Spooner Agricultural Research Station at Spooner, Wisconsin since 1988. Berger (l.) is shown receiving the award from Dave Thomas, Professor of Sheep Management & Genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The award is presented by the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative and Berger was recognized at the co-op’s annual meeting on March 10. Photo by Don Hessler milk replacer powder. Since 1995, Yves has supervised the operation of the only dairy sheep research farm in North America. The results of dairy sheep studies from the Spooner Station have been very important to the successful
establishment of the dairy sheep industry in North America. Yves is a native of France where he received the B.S. degree in Agriculture. He received his See Pope Award on Page 3
Nevens Family Carries On Tradition Few people can point to a longer history in the sheep business than Jeff and Leslie Nevens, who were honored at the recent recognition and awards dinner of the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative as Master Shepherds, Purebred—Wool Division for 2012. Leslie, a fifth generation shepherdess, and husband Jeff have carried on a tradition of producing top-quality Targhees that began on her family’s farms fifty years ago. The flock currently numbers around twenty five NSIP registered breeding ewes and has produced NSIP champions at two national USTSA shows. While the Targhee breed is a relative newcomer to Wisconsin, it has been staunchly supported and promoted over the years, but probably no more enthusiastically than by the Nevens Family. Jeff is See Nevens on Page 3
The Nevens Family (l-r Leslie, Jeff, Joelle, Andy) of Lodi was the recipient of the 2012 Master Shepherds, Purebred Wool Division Award at the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Co-op annual recognition dinner, representing over fifty years of producing purebred Targhees.
Arlington, WI—The Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative board of directors for 2012: (front row, l-r) Alan Thorson, Columbus; Sue Rupnow, President, Wausau; Gary Klug, Denmark; Jill Alf, Secretary, Edgerton; Elmer Held, Oakfield. (back row l-r) Jeff Nevens, Lodi; Keith Schultz, Vice President, Fort Atkinson; Laura Meyer, Watertown; Steve Bingen, West Bend; Bill Keough, Manawa. WSBC File Photo Arlington, WI—Members of the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative elected three experienced candidates to the board of directors at their annual meeting on March 10, replacing retiring director Todd Taylor, who had served two terms and Troy Antoneiwicz, who had decided not run for a second term. Returned to the board for a second three-year term was Elmer Held, whose service to the cooperative covers over three decades and who has owned sheep for over sixty years. In addition to being a member of the 1978 WSBC board that put together the first Wisconsin Sheep Industry Conference, Held has been a part of the planning committee for the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival and served on the Wisconsin Scrapie Board; Blueprint for Expansion Committee; Wisconsin Ram Test Board; Wisconsin Suffolk Association and Northeast Sheep Breeders boards and on the board of the Wisconsin Livestock Breeders Association. Held and his wife Etta reside in Oakfield and manage a flock of forty registered Suffolk ewes. One of his primary goals is to “promote the sheep industry through shows, sales, sheep conferences and seminars.” Keith Schultz, Fort Atkinson, returns to the WSBC board after serving as a director from 2004-2010. He and his family have been involved with the sheep industry for 25 years and currently have a flock of thirty registered Southdowns. In addition to his service to the cooperative, Schultz has been a member of the Jefferson County Meat Animal Board and is a member of the Wisconsin Southdown Association. He has also been active in assisting with the Wisconsin State Fair Junior and Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival shows and on the festival planning committee. He has been a shearing demonstrator for Busy Barns Adventure Farm, a shearing/fitting demonstrator for Nasco and emphasizes that he wants to help the WSBC “continue in the positive direction” in its support of sheep and wool products. Jeff Nevens of Lodi is starting his first term as a WSBC board member, but brings his experience with the state and National Targhee associations to the table. Nevens has served on the U.S. Targhee Sheep Association (USTSA) board of directors and is currently its Vice-President. He co-chaired the 2010 USTSA National Show and currently co-chairs the USTSA Starter Flock Program, as well the Wisconsin Junior Targhee Sheep Association Starter Flock program. In addition he is a Columbia County Junior State Fair leader. He feels that youth are “at the heart of keeping this industry alive and fresh,” and looks forward to helping promote and encourage youth involvement at all levels throughout the state. The Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Co-op has over 300 members statewide and around the upper Midwest.