The SDSU Emerging Sheep Producers program was a yearlong course to
foster the development or improvement of sustainable, financially successful
sheep operations. All five areas of risk management were covered: production,
marketing, financial, legal, and human. We had 17 operations, or 23 people participated
in the program. These individuals were 18 years of age or older with less than
10 years of experience managing or owning sheep and were from a couple
different states (South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska). Program
delivery was a combination of seminars/webinars, hands-on field days, and
networking opportunities to increase knowledge of all aspects of the sheep
industry and improve skills needed to be successful shepherds. In addition, throughout the program we focused on developing a network community for these beginning producers that they could rely on after the program finished.