Local Lamb Lessons

Program Overview

This series of workshops and related site visits is aimed specifically at the farmer who is beginning or interested in building a profitable sheep enterprise. Registration for the Local Lamb Lessons has ended. To review the lesson materials or view videos of the classroom sessions and site visits please follow the class links below.

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Planning a Successful Sheep Business - 12/07/2017

Public Sector Programs - 01/18/2018

Dairy - 02/01/2018

Fiber Processing - 03/01/2018

Meat Production - 04/05/2018

Breed Selection - 4/19/2018

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Curriculum

• Evaluation of the direct to-consumer local market and the potential benefits it offers in cheese, fleece/wool, and lamb production. This education module will explore product pricing strategies such as cost plus and marketplace pricing models and will offer pricing considerations for different farm management plans – one emphasizing meat, one emphasizing wool, one emphasizing sheep milk/cheese.

      Presentation outline and presenter bio

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• The two vibrant market segments for meat:

  • The ethnic market, with its own demands for particular lamb characteristics, and

  • the high-end, white table-cloth restaurants, who also have very unique, and very specific requirements for lamb.

       Presentation outline and presenter bio

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• Determination of what types of fleece and/or wool market opportunities exist. Insights from  Hudson Valley experts who have created successful direct-to-consumer businesses from these products. 

      Presentation outline and presenter bio

• A comprehensive overview of dairying:

  • Flock management. 

  • Creating proprietary cheese products on a small local scale. 

        Presentation outline and presenter bio

• Discovery of which sheep breeds offer the best potential, with a focus on those best suited to the local climate, topography, and soil types. 

       Presentation outline and presenter bio

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