Ag Alert April 28, 2021

Annual ram sale returns to an in-person operation

“They had some guidelines for us to follow, and we were able to comply with those,” Patton said. TheAgri-Center is also the siteof a large- scaleCOVID-19testingandvaccinationsite, whichwas inoperationduringtheramsale. EdAnchordoguy of Sebastopol, the 2021 CWGApresident,saidmarketsandfeedcon- ditionsalwaysplayapart inramsaleprices. “While lamb prices have been good, there is uncertainty in the market in the future,” he said, adding that the quality of the rams offeredat the sale is always good, but markets play a part in the amount of money a bidder will pay. Feed conditions on grazing land are not optimal this year due to drought, and that played a part in the prices, Anchordoguy said, especially for thewhiteface rams that are purchasedmainly formaking replace- ment ewes. Anchordoguy also cited concern with California overtime-wage legislation, whichhashadaneffect onthecommercial sheepbusiness.Herders, themenhired to staywith the flocks, would have to be paid overtime, and that would drive many out of business, he said. “That was one reason for fewer white- face rams to sell,” he said. The 2021 sale featured nearly 400 head of rams from California, Idaho, Utah, Colorado and Nevada. Many of the rams will be placed in flocks this spring, to pro- duce fall-born lambs. Therewere27consigners at the sale this year, selling a total of 372 rams. The sale average per headwas $668.

79720 Two other ram sales were sched- uled following the Tulare event : The Bakersfield Ram Sale was held last week, and theCloverdaleRamSale is scheduled May 1. (Cec i l ia Parsons i s a repor ter in Du c o r. Sh e ma y b e c on t a c t e d a t ceciliaparsons8@gmail.com.) Show organizers said sale prices for rams with a positive index were higher on average: $693, compared to an average $654 for a negative index. Thehighest-indexingblackfaceramwas consigned by David Hansen of Utah. The overall top consignment was consigned by Phillips. The top Suffolk consigners were Kurt and Carol Heupel of Colorado. The ramwith the largest loineyewas con- signed by BrianOlsen of Utah. 79720 Thehigh-sellingpenof five Suffolk rams, consigned by Mike and Kandi Duff of Blackfoot, Idaho, sold for $975 a head. The high-sellingindividualSuffolkramwascon- signed by John and Anita Phillips of Paul, Idaho, andsold for $1,500. The sale has continued the practice of indexing rams, tohelp identify the individ- ual’spotential geneticmerit.All rams inthe sale receive ultrasound tests, along with undergoing veterinary andquality sifts. The ram index is a tool to help in the selection of breeding rams and is calcu- lated using the loin eye area, loin depth, fat thickness and ramweight. The index is calculatedusingabase valueof 100. Rams withan indexofmore than100haveapos- itive index and are expected to sire lambs with carcass characteristics that add to their value.

ByCeciliaParsons Although the commercial sheep busi- ness faces multiple challenges, the 101st California RamSale returned as an in-per- soneventthatdrewoldandnewbuyersalike to the International Agri-Center inTulare. RamSaleCommittee co-chairmanWes Patton of Orland said rambuyers come to the traditional California Wool Growers Association spring event to find top-qual- ity rams for their flocks, aswell as visitwith therams’ consigners.Manyof these friend- ships gobackgenerations, andPattonsaid the camaraderie at the ramsale each year is a vital component of its success. There were new buyers at the sale this year and thatmadeasignificant difference in the prices bid on the rams, he said. “Under the circumstances—no rain, less feedavailableand the labor issue—we think the salewent OK,” Patton said. Last year’s sale was virtual, due to pan- demic restrictionsongatherings:Videosof

the sale rams were offered to prospective buyers, who placed online bids for ani- mals. Due to thenatureof the commercial sheep business in California, Patton said that was a hurdle formany buyers. “We were able to pull that off, but this sale needs to be face to face,” he said. The Ram Sale Committee was able to secureavenue toaccommodate that need at the International Agri-Center. In years past, thesalehasbeenheldinPorterville,as well asHanford, StocktonandSacramento. “The management at the Agri-Center deemed that the sale was essential to ag- riculture, and theywere veryhelpful inar- ranging thesalesite,”Pattonsaid. “Weused the horse stalls to house the rams, andwe had an outdoor sales ring.” He said Agri-Center management con- sidered rams essential for the viability of the sheep business in California and for supplying thenation’s largest lambproces- sor, SuperiorFarms inDixon,withproduct.

Dairy groups provide cooler bags to help schools serve milk

California dairy farmers and proces- sors, with the support of the California Milk Advisory Board andDairy Council of California,areprovidingschools inthecen- tral and southern regions of the state with portable, insulatedcoolerbags tokeepmilk a part of school-meal service. When the pandemic forced California schools to close for in-person learning, many continued to provide meals via a drive-through service. The service con- tinues despite schools reopening and, as weather warms, the CMAB said, many school food-service professionals ex- pressed concernabout keepingmilk cold. To address the issue, theMilk Advisory Boardcreatedandpurchasedcustom, por- tablecoolerbags that caninsulateandhold up to two crates of milk. The cooler bags are being distributed toCalifornia schools throughapilotprogramtohelpensuremilk

can stay on the dailymenu, CMAB said. “School meals are an essential resource to promote healthy growth and develop- ment andsupport academicachievement. With the disruption of COVID, vulnerable students have faced limitations on access tohealthyfoods,”saidMikeGallagher,busi- ness andmarket development consultant forCMAB. “BysupplyingCaliforniaschools with cooler bags tohelp solve theproblem of keepingmilkcold,wecanhelpensureall children are able to accessmilk with their schoolmeals.” ThreeCaliforniaprocessors—Producers Dairy Foods, Crystal Creamery and Hollandia Dairy—took part in the test to help fund anddistribute about 5,000 cool- er bags for schools. Distribution by these processorswill continue until supplies are exhausted in the districts of the pilot pro- gram, CMAB said.

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April 28, 2021 Ag Alert 15