Old Gjerpen Farm Founder Richard Larson talks about business, the basics of grading sheep, revealing the true hair color and the benefits of showing sheep in competition during From Service to Stewardship a two-day workshop in Remington, Va., on Friday, May 20, 2016.
Mr. Larson breeds Milking Devon cattle and Leicester Longwool sheep, and is twice winner of the Supreme Champion Fleece award. The Livestock Conservancy, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Lakota Ranch, are holding this workshop to help educate military service veterans about rare breed animal and poultry options for farming enterprises. Some of the topics include, getting started, networking, marketing, poultry processing, breeding, husbandry, scything, rotational grazing and pasture management, tractor selections, milking and oxen, and electric fence building.
In 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the availability of more than $9 million in outreach and technical assistance for minority farmers and ranchers and military veterans that are new to farming and ranching. The funding, provided through the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program, also known as the 2501 Program, will enable community-based organizations and other partners to work directly with these groups to successfully acquire, own and operate farms and ranches and equitably participate in all USDA programs. The 2014 Farm Bill reauthorized the program and expanded targeted communities. For more information please see: www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdamediafb?contentid=2014/0... USDA Media by Lance Cheung.
. Original public domain image from Flickr
