WSSP Toured the Islands at the 2021 Annual Convention

Submitted by Carmen Barkley

Farmers may like their alone time out away from people, but even we need to get together occasionally to connect with friends and share stories. With COVID cancelling the 2020 annual convention, we were more than ready to get together and talk about sheep – and the 2021 convention on San Juan Island did not disappoint! Even with the ferry system on the fritz, everyone made it to the Earthbox Inn by Friday morning for a day full of updates on all the happenings in the sheep industry as a whole and here in Washington state. We heard from our president, Dr. Jill Swannack about what she’s been seeing on her farm and in her vet practice – this year a major issue across eastern Washington was Bluetongue making rams temporarily infertile, interfering with breeding schedules and plans for lambing. We also learned what’s going on in ASI from Sarah Maki Smith, got a video update on the American Lamb Board, and heard from Dr. Nancy Irlbeck of WSU on current sheep-related research that is ongoing in the Animal Sciences Department. Cameron Lauwers of Superior Farms gave us a brief synopsis of what they are currently focusing on. After a delicious lunch of creamy squash soup, the WSDA Interim State Veterinarian, Dr. Amber Itle, gave a presentation on what the State Vet’s office does to help sheep farmers. She also focused on farm sanitation and techniques for keeping diseases out of our flocks. Saturday, our group enjoyed (mostly) beautiful weather as we visited some fun locations and farms across the island. We started at the Farmer’s Market, where we were able to find some great homemade baked goods, teas and salts from the islands, beautiful artwork, and much more! Next, we visited Amaro Farm, owned and operated by Lance and Rami Amaro. We got to see their ingenuity in action as they work to create an income through agritourism at their farm. They had a beautifully remodeled barn that had been transformed into an adorable farm shop, and their pastures were filled with cute Valais Blacknose sheep, which visitors can pay to feed and interact with. We also got the chance to see Lazy G Ranch, run by Rex and Lisa Guard, and hear about their long history farming on San Juan Island. They discussed the struggles they have faced over the years making farming work for their family and inspired us with their stories of resilience. The third farm we had the opportunity to tour was Aurora Farms, owned by artist and farmer Lori Ann David. She has a herd of purebred Katahdin sheep that she uses to produce organic meat as well as rejuvenate and maintain the soil. We also got to walk through the greenhouses on the farm where they grow a range of vegetables, herbs, fruits, and more. Finally, a last-minute addition to our tour was Oak Knoll Farm, run by Adam Greene and Sarah Pope. Everyone was impressed to see their beautiful group of North Country Cheviots up near the house that were (hopefully) bred with imported semen to improve their genetic