Wyoming Wool Initiative launches third annual Lamb-A-Year program
The Wyoming Wool Initiative, in partnership with the University of Wyoming (UW) College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, is now accepting donations to support its 2024-25 Lamb-A-Year program.
This flagship program, now in its third year, offers UW students valuable industry experience and provides regional sheep producers with individualized lamb quality data.
“Lamb-A-Year is a value discovery program where producers donate lambs. We feed out those lambs here at the Laramie Research and Extension Center, collect performance and meat quality information and give the information back to producers,” says Dr. Whit Stewart, UW Extension sheep specialist. “Lamb-A-Year is an investment in the sheep industry in the state of Wyoming.”
How it works
Participating producers are asked to donate feeder lambs of 70 to 90 pounds to be picked up by the Wyoming Wool Initiative in the fall.
In order to receive meaningful results, donors are encouraged to enter at least two lambs into the test, which begins in mid-October and runs through February 2025.
Last year, 25 producers donated a total of 107 lambs to the program.
“Some producers have shared data from Lamb-A-Year with potential buyers as a means of marketing the genetic potential of their lambs,” Stewart notes. “Others have used the lamb quality information to better understand the optimal finishing weight of their lambs.”
The Wyoming Wool Initiative will coordinate with donors to arrange drop-off and pick-up locations this fall, with all lambs delivered to the Laramie Research and Extension Center by Oct. 9.
The Wyoming Wool Initiative also accepts cash and in-kind donations, such as feed, to support the Lamb-A-Year program.
Benefits of the program
In addition, lamb sales help support educational programming for students and producers, workshops at the annual Wyoming Sheep and Wool Festival, meat science curriculum, lamb quality research and more.
Producers receive a tax-deductible charitable gift receipt based on the market value of their lambs.
A total of more than 160 youth and university students from UW and other institutions benefited from educational opportunities related to the 2023-24 Lamb-A-Year program, the Wyoming Wool Initiative reports.
“Lamb-A-Year funds enhance our ability to deliver curriculum in a unique way,” Stewart comments. “I think this is when we’re doing things right – when we’re getting students out of the classroom.”
Brooke Ortel is a writer and editor for UW Extension. This article was originally published by UW Ag News on Aug. 5.
