Connecticut Sheep Breeders Association, Inc.

Saturday February 25, 2012

Download BRF Program

Download 4-H Program

The Blue Ribbon Forum is an annual one-day educational symposium co-sponsored by the Connecticut Sheep Breeders Association, the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension. All ages are welcome but youth would be better suited by attending the program sponsored by the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension 4-H that day. There will be a Famacha certification workshop this year. 

The Blue Ribbon Forum program includes lectures, interactive discussions and hands-on activities, all focused on topics of interest to those who keep sheep as a business, hobby or pets and to those who produce or use wool fiber. Topics vary from year to year and have included: sheep husbandry, predator control, business entities, tax issues, Wool 101, Ask the Vet, FAMACHA card system for parasite evaluation, nutrition, farm insurance, the Make it With Wool program, USDA scrapie program, CT Blanket Project, fecal analysis, meat cutting demo, shearing equipment care, fleece skirting and preparation, basic spinning wheel repair, introduction to fiber processing and much more. This program is free and open to members of the Association as well as the public. Attendees will be provided free lunch with RSVP. The program is held in and near the Ratcliffe Hicks Arena at the U Conn campus in Storrs, CT.

FAMACHA TRAINING

Attendees of the morning workshop, Integrated Parasite Management, with Susan Schoenian may continue in the afternoon with Joyce Meader to complete the requirements for FAMACHA training with hands on instruction on use of the color coded card to check for anemia (bring $11 for card).  Purchase of the card is not mandatory. Attendance at Joyce's portion of the workshop will qualify those farms for free fecal sampling this summer for parasite testing, if a survey is completed this spring.  It would be helpful to Joyce if you would email her with your intention to attend and buy a card so she can bring enough of them with her that day.