The Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium is the highlight of the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association’s membership year; an educational program is held and annual membership and industry awards are also presented during the symposium.

The 2011 Buckeye Shepherd’s Symposium will concentrate on “Small Ruminant (Sheep and Goat) Nutrition”. With the diversity of the sheep and goat industry, this meeting is an intense small ruminant nutritional education program, with all segments of the sheep and goat industry in mind.

Keynote Speaker – Dr. Francis Fluharty, ruminant nutritionist, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center,  Ohio State University: “Meeting the Challenges of Supply and Demand and Consumer Expectations for Food Animal Products.”

In addition, Dr. Steve Loerch and Dr. Bill Weiss, ruminant nutritionists, also of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Ohio State University will be a major part of this educational program. Andy Korb, Feed Sales Representative, Kalmbach Feeds, will also be a breakout speaker during the program; Andy brings experience from the mainstream feed industry to the program.

The small ruminant nutrition topic speakers have expertise in basic ruminant nutrition, the small ruminant digestive system, feeding alternative grains such as dried distiller’s grains, feeding stored forages to small ruminant animals, and practical ration balancing for a small ruminant animal.  The program is designed for sheep and goat farmers that are involved in every segment of the industry.

The Symposium also will offer a youth program session for the first time in several years, led by Dr. Carrie Pickworth, ruminant nutritionist, formerly with Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute.  This youth session will include nutritionally related topics aimed for a youth learner.  Recommended ages for the youth program are 7 years old to 18 years old. Pre-registration is required, but there is no additional cost for the youth program.

Contact Roger A. High at [email protected] for more information about the Symposium.