If you are interested in learning more about sheep shearing or becoming certified for wool classing, plan to attend the schools the North Dakota State University Hettinger Research Extension Center is co-hosting Nov. 17-19.

The North Dakota Sheep Shearing School will be held at the Adams County Fairgrounds and the Certified Wool Classing School will be at the Hettinger Armory.

The topics to be covered during the sheep shearing school are:

• Professional shearing patterns
• Tagging and eyeing
• Equipment maintenance and repair
• Wool handling and preparation

Instructors for the school are Wade Kopren, a South Dakota professional sheep shearer; Mike Hagens, North Dakota professional sheep shearer; and Alex Moser, Iowa professional sheep shearer.

The school is open to those who are experienced or nonexperienced in sheep shearing. To allow for one-on-one instruction, registration is limited to 20 participants per school. The registration deadline is Nov. 5.

The registration fee is $150. The fee includes tuition, a handbook, DVD and wool beanie. The North Dakota Lamb and Wool Producers Association (NDLWPA) is providing $250 in scholarships to state residents 16 and older. The scholarships will be distributed evenly among qualified applicants.

Topics to be covered during the wool classing school are:

• Wool fiber growth, development and production
• Objective wool measuring
• Genetic selection programs
• Hands-on wool grading
• Wool contamination and handling practices
• Wool classing, packaging, labeling and marking
• Test for level 1 certification

Ron Pope, Level IV wool classing instructor, will teach the school.

The fee for the program is $150, which includes tuition and materials. The classing school is limited to 16 students and the registration deadline is Oct. 31.

For more information on both schools, contact Christopher Schauer at 701-567-4323 or email at christopher.schauer@ndsu.edu. Entry fees for both schools can be sent to the Hettinger Research Extension Center, P.O. Box 1377, Hettinger, ND 58639.

Sponsors for the sheep shearing school are the NDLWPA, NDSU Hettinger REC and NDSU Extension. The NDLWPA, Hettinger REC, NDSU Extension and the American Sheep Industry Association are sponsoring the certified wool classing school.

Schauer, director of the Hettinger REC, and Travis Hoffman, NDSU and University of Minnesota Extension sheep specialist, are coordinating both events.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Oct. 17, 2018