Maggie, donor Brenda Lelli of Beechtree Farm, and Greystone

By Maggie Hoffman
Hi, my name is Maggie Hoffman and this year I won a Bluefaced Leicester yearling ram through the Youth Conservation Program. The Youth Conservation Program’s mission is to encourage the youth to raise and show heritage breeds of sheep such as the Bluefaced Leicester. A heritage sheep is a breed of sheep that has low numbers in the United States and may even face extinction. Every year to encourage youth breeders to raise these heritage breeds of sheep the Youth Conservation Program gives away several sheep to inspiring shepherds. These sheep are donated by farms all across America that raise heritage breeds of sheep.
To win one of these sheep I had to enter and essay contest. I had to write a little bit about me and my experience with animals than I had to answer the question: ‘Why would I like to raise a heritage breed of sheep?’ You then can request what kind of sheep you would like to recieve and I choose Bluefaced Lecesters because that is the breed that I raise.
I was so excited when the Youth Conservation Program called me and told me I was in the top 15 contestants to recieve a sheep. I would be traveling to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festible to pick up my new sheep. Usually the Youth Conservation Program gives away yearling ewes, but because I only had ewes they talked to the breeder that was donating the ewe decided that it would best to donate a Bluefaced yearling ram this year. The ram, Beechtree’s Greystone, was donated by Brenda and Mark Lelli from Beechtree farm in Michigan.
The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival was a lot of fun. I got to meet Greystone and Brenda and Mark from Beechtree Farms. After the presentation and I recieved my ram I got to participate in The Parade of Breeds. Greystone is such a beautiful ram and he behaved really well throughout the whole ordeal.
Now that I’ve recieved my ram I have to fill several obligations throughout the next year. Once I got home from the festival I sent Mark and Brenda Lelli a thankyou note and I will keep them updated on what Greystone is up to. For Christmas I will use Greystone’s wool to make a Christmas present for Greystone’s breeders. I will also be keeping two scrapbooks on all the fun things that Greystone and I are doing. One of the scrapbooks goes to the donater while I get to keep the other after it is shown at theMaryland Sheep and Wool Festival next year. This fall I will also be breeding him to three regitared Bluefaced ewes and hopefully be showing their lambs this coming year at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festible.
I had a lot of fun writing my essay and receiving my new ram. I encourage any young shepherd to give it a try.

After YEARS of working toward the goal of having BFL classes at MS&W festival rather than showing in the white longwool classes, this year, the goal was realized!   There were 26 white, and 13 natural colored BFLs shown at the festival.  The natural colors showed in the longwool classes, and won both champion ram and champion ewe.  Here are the results of the white BFL classes.

Yearling Ram

1^st – Sarah Vezzetti

2^nd – Hannah Vezzetti

3^rd – Brenda Lelli

4^th – Brenda Lelli

5^th Kyle McCleary

6^th Kyle McCleary

Junior Ram Lamb

1^st – Cindy Cieciwa

2^nd – Cindy Cieciwa

3^rd – Cathie Shiff

4^th – Kyle McCleary

5^th Kyle McCleary

                                       Champion BFL ram

Champion Ram – Sarah Vezzetti

Reserve Champion Ram – Cindy Cieciwa

Pair of Ram Lambs

1^st – Cindy Cieciwa

2^nd – Kyle McCleary

Yearling Ewe

1^st – Cindy Cieciwa

2^nd – Paul & Jolene Vezzetti

3^rd – Sarah Vezzetti

4^th – Cathie Shiff

5^th – Brenda Lelli

6^th – Cindy Cieciwa

7^th – Meredith Myers

8^th – Brenda Lelli

9^th – Meredith Myers

10^th – Hannah Vezzetti

Champion natural colored longwool (BFL) ewe and champion BFL ewe.             Natural colored ewe shown by Brenda Lelli

Champion Ewe – Cindy Cieciwa

Reserve Champion Ewe – Paul & Jolene Vezzetti

Pair of Yearling Ewes

1^st – Cindy Cieciwa

Junior Ewe Lamb

1^st – Cindy Cieciwa

2^nd – Cindy Cieciwa

3^rd – Sarah Vezzetti

4^th – Kyle McCleary

5^th – Kyle McCleary

Pair of Ewe Lambs

1^st – Cindy Cieciwa

2^nd – Kyle McCleary

Flock

1^st – Cindy Cieciwa

Photos by permission by Marcus Skeel

Mark Soper and I (and our wonderful sheepdogs) perform the Working Sheepdog Demonstrations at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival each year, and we use yearling Bluefaced Leicester ewes from my flock in the demos.  These young BFLs are probably the classiest ”demo sheep” around, and they certainly catch the attention of the festival crowds.  People love the regal look of the BFLs, and their flowing fleeces are a big part of their appeal.

“RESDA Member Wins Sheep Family of Year Award”

By Redwood Empire Sheep Dog Association

Members of the Redwood Empire Sheep Dog Association (RESDA) often say, “first, you get a border collie, then you get a pickup truck, then you start looking for sheep property.”  RESDA member Sue Gustafson and her family are an exception to this rule.  They began raising market lambs in 1992 when Sue’s daughter, Julie, joined the Valley Verde 4-H Club and acquired their first border collie, Kate, in 2000.  Sue notes, “Before we had border collies, we herded the sheep ourselves, moving pretty much the same way the dogs do.”

When Julie left home for college in 1998, Sue decided to continue raising sheep herself.  While traveling with RESDA member Claire Burson to the 2002 World Sheep Dog Trial, Sue visited the UK farm of herding expert, Derek Scrimgeour, where three, friendly, unusual-looking rams greeted her.  Sue had met her first Bluefaced Leicesters (BFL,) a wool sheep known for the high quality fiber produced from their fleece.

After returning home, Sue began investing in the work required to build her own BFL flock.  Her investment has included purchasing breeding stock from the limited number of BFL breeders in the Western US and participating in the USDA Scrapie program so she is approved to import semen for artificial insemination from the UK.  Sue has learned how to shear, spin, knit, felt and braid the light, stretchy BFL wool, in both dyed and natural colors, into all manner of garments, rugs and wall hangings.  With a flock of 24 adults and ten lambs, Sue’s Sebastopol-area, Four Oak Farms is now one of the largest BFL producers in California.

Sue regularly enters both sheep and fiber arts in competitions at the Sonoma County Fair; the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival; Lambtown, USA; and the Mendocino County Fair and Apple Show.  She has won numerous awards for her sheep as well as yarn and items she produced from their wool.

In 2012, the Sonoma County Purebred Sheep Breeders Association www.socosheep.com) recognized the Sue Gustafson Family as recipient of their Sheep Family of the Year Award.  The last name Sue expected to hear when the award was announced was her own, because Four Oaks Farm is one of the only members of the Association specializing in fiber production.  Most member farms specialize in meat production.

With four border collies and three livestock guard dogs now living and working on their property, the Gustafson’s are not neglecting the canine members of their family.  However RESDA warmly congratulates a member who provides such exemplary care for her sheep as well.

Your Bluefaced Leicester Union has begun work on researching and reporting the North American BFL Flock’s micron statistics using Texas A&M AgriLife Wool and Mohair Research Lab and testing with the OFDA2000. Currently, the statistics in our flyers and brochures are for the UK flock.

Following is the outline and requirements for collecting and reporting the results. Please read it over, and contact any board member if you have any questions.  BLU will cover the cost of the tests and report up to 10 samples per flock.*  We encourage you to participate and thank you in advance. micron+testing

The board met by teleconference the evening of Wednesday, January 2^nd.

The results of the December election were announced, with President Lisa Rodenfels, and board members Kristen Barndt, Robina Koenig and Jolene Vezzetti all winning re-election to their second terms of office.

A treasurer’s report for the period of January to December, 2012 was submitted by treasurer Cindy Cieciwa for the board’s approval.  The budget for 2013 was reviewed; the association is on good financial footing.

Secretary Kris Barndt presented the minutes from the previous meeting in August.

The possible venues for the 2014 show were reviewed.  Three proposals had been received by the board.  Each one had it strong points and weak points.  Based on its larger attendance with more opportunity for BLU members to reach customers of both sheep and wool, and its proximity to more breeders who wish to exhibit their sheep, the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan MI was selected.  The dates are August 16^th and 17^th, 2014.  The website of the festival is www.michiganfiberfestival.info/

Please start making plans now to attend the show next year!  There will be opportunity to assist on the planning committee, and to sponsor awards in the coming months.

The board approved the application for 501(c)(5) status for the breed association.

The board reviewed the reformatted registration forms and work order which were requested by ASR to make data entry easier and help avoid errors.  There are a few tweaks to be made to the forms, and then they will be posted to the BLU website.  Please watch for notification that they are available, and the print the new forms, discarding any old forms that you may have.   The rules for registry as well as the procedure to register or pay annual dues remain unchanged.

A new program to benefit the membership was presented to the board for its approval.  BLU has begun work on researching and reporting the US BFL flock’s micron statistics using Texas A&M AgriLife Wool and Mohair Research Lab and testing with the OFDA2000. This will benefit members by giving them an idea of the range of fleece characteristics within their own flock, and help them in selecting for those qualities they desire in their flock.  And the data collected will be used in promotional materials used by BLU.  This program was approved by the board, and information will be released to all members in the near future.

The next scheduled meeting of the board will be in April.

2012-JantoDec

Photo by Jared Lloyd