Sheep producers celebrate 25th anniversary
DENVER, Colo. -
Familiar faces, fleeting
names, and fond memories
were in abundance last
weekend in Denver as the
American Sheep Producers
Council celebrated its 25th
anniversary in the annual
meeting of ASPC delegates
and directors.
Many people reminisced
past events as the Council
gave tribute to its founders,
former presidents, directors
and friends.
The two-day meeting was
opened with a theme setting
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large-screen multi-media
presentation which paid
tribute to the Council’s early
years and then moved
smoothly into a presentation
showing the Council’s
personnel m action - a look to
the future and the impact of
its Blueprint Program on the
American sheep industry.
Opening session guest
speaker, Tim Prior, director
of Marketing And Research
Counselors, reported the
results of the first phase of a
multi-stage market research
program. The objective of
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the research was to pm-pomt
what influences the
American consumers’ meat
and lamb purchasing
decision and to help deter
mine ways in which greater
consumption of lamb can be
promoted among American
Spnsumers.
The Council moved into
the research program
seeking new information
about American consumer
attitudes toward the usage of
meat since most of previous
market research results
were from research done 15
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to 20 years ago. Much has
taken place m the market
place since that time, par
ticularly in terms of
economic change and
consumer knowledge m the
areas of nutrition and health.
The United States is
considered a special market,
not only by American sheep
producers but also by New
Zealand.
Adam Begg, president of
the New Zealand Meat
Producers Board, em
phasized this fact when he
addressed the ASPC
audience. “United States is a
market to which we send
only the very best quality
lamb which has been
specially prepared for this
market,” Begg stated.
“This situation will con
tinue,” he said, “no matter
what happens in other world
markets - particularly the
Middle East.”
Begg pointed out to the
audience that New Zealand
has spent a lot of effort and
money to develop a regular
trade in high quality frozen
cuts. New Zealand has been
exporting lamb for nearly
100 years and they are in
terested in building up
markets, not destroying
them.
In his closing remarks,
Begg congratulated the
Council for its 25 years of
leadership and extended the
hand of friendship and
goodwill.
Luncheon speaker, Robert
B. Delano, president of the
American Farm Bureau
Federation, stated that there
are some signs that
Washington regulators are
becoming gun-shy of the
more fanatical en
vironmental proposals.
“Eveir the blowout of
Mount St. Helens has a
bright side,” Delano con
tinued, “we are reminded
that Mother Nature herself
is the world’s greatest
‘polluter,’ ... and she isn’t
finished shaping this planet
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yet ...tremendous natural
forces remain at work.”
Delano emphasized the
growing network of en
vironmental regulations is
no laughing matter. Federal
regulatory nonsense means
higher cost of produc
tion... which means less
production and reduced net
income. Environmental
overkill, and the locking of a
large part of the country’s
land away from state and
local tax polls, results in
lowered standards of living
for everybody.
The American Farm
Bureau Federation, at the
request of its membership
now has six major legal
activities in process, most
interesting to sheepmen, is
the “coyote” case. This
recent Farm Bureau suit
was filed with mid-
September against the
Secretaries of Interior, and
Agriculture, Fish and
Wildlife Service, and the
Forest Service on behalf of
the American, and Wyoming
Farm Bureaus, and in
dividual ranchers.
In this suit, it is noted that
80 percent of the sheep m the
United States are raised m
the Western states where
uncontrolled predation has
allowed the coyote
population to explode.
When a lamb - or calf - is
taken by a federally
protected predator - whether
that ‘protection’ is extended
by mismanagement or
actual law - surely con
stitutes private property
damage. The Farm Bureau
suit insists that the farm or
ranch owner is entitled to the
protection of efficient
federal mangement or ‘just
compensation’ if that
management fails. 7
ASPC Executive Director
Richard D. Biglm, ad
dressed the Council’s
delegation to the opening of
its business session. While
reminiscing of the major
events of the Council’s first
25 years, Biglm spoke en
thusiastically of the Coun
cil’s role in the future...and
the next 25 years of
unlimited potential of the
American sheep industry.
One area of development
in which Biglin concentrated
upon was that of the
development of better
marketing systems.
Producers will be able to
gam bargaining leverage for
the products they produce.
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producer must take the
initiative to learn new
marketing methods and use
the marketing tools which
are now available in our high
technology business world.
And the Council will be
helping in this vital area - a
marketing symposium will
be held in March of ‘Bl to
help set the stage for a new
marketing concept for the
American sheep industry.
Even though the Council’s
past activities with packer
and retailers have been
considered extensive, Biglm
said such activities will be
even more intensified in the
future in order to provide
producers more information
on that are the then current
market demands.
“We are confronted with
many problems,” Biglm told
his audience, “but, in truth,
for the American sheep
industry, they are actually
new opportunities.
“Take for example,
today’s emphasis on
nutrition. We have a meat
that not only has less fat and
cholesterol, but can be
grown on grass and forage
and milk in a totally
recyclable process. We have
the best animal...the best
mdustry...the best people.
With the launching of the
second stage of the Blueprint
Program, the second 25
years of die American Sheep
Producers Council and the
American sheep industry
should be the most
progressive and profitable in
America,” Biglm said.
The Council’s two most
prestigious recognition
awards - Silver Ram Award -
were presented to George K.
Hislop, of Yakima,
Washington, and Merle R.
Light, of Fargo, North
Dakota.
George K. Hislop, a sheep
producer, was recognized
for his many years of
dedication to the American
sheep industry, back beyond
his days as president of the
National Wool Growers
Association, and as chair
man for many industrywide
committees on lamb, and
wool, for being a major force
behind the Sheep Industry
Development Program since
its inception in 1967, and for
having been re-elected as
Chairman of the Lamb
Committee of the National
Live Stock and Meat Board.
Merle R. Light, Professor
of Animal Science at North
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