DENVER — Outstanding U.S. sheep industry members were honored for their contributions to the industry at an awards luncheon held Jan. 23 at the American Sheep Industry Association/National Lamb Feeders Association Convention in San Diego.
Environmental Stewardship Award
John and Jim Anderson, owners of Lambshire Polypays in Shreve, Ohio, were the recipients of the Environmental Stewardship Award for their stewardship goals of preserving the forests and natural beauty of their farm while developing a relatively low input forage base that enhances the health of the sheep flock, soil and water.
This father and son team, whose families have an environmental goal of year-by-year improvements in soil quality, erosion control, wildlife habitat and overall farm health, have spent a great deal of time, money and effort to develop their sheep operation with environmental stewardship in mind.
They carefully plan ahead to assure any management practices implemented on their farm will be environmentally sound.
The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, one of their nominators, said the Andersons believe if they can do their part to protect the land and the environment around them, these resources will be around for the many generations to come.
McClure Silver Ram Award
Burrows ‘Pep’ Hamilton from Rio Vista, Calif., received the McClure Silver Ram Award for being one of the true anchors of the U.S. sheep industry and demonstrating a life-long commitment to the organizations that provide the leadership for its survival.
His operation, Hamilton Brothers Livestock, plays host to ranch tours and educational seminars for many agriculture groups.
Camptender Award
The Camptender Award was presented to Les Oesterreich of Davis, Calif., for his work to put American lamb at the center of the plate in the U.S.
Oesterreich joined Superior Farms in 1981 as its general manager, and now serves as the chief executive officer.
ASI Flock Guardian Award
Rodney Kott of Bozeman, Mont., was awarded the ASI Flock Guardian Award for his almost 30 years of implementing sheep and wool educational programs throughout Montana as the Montana State University extension sheep specialist.
Broadcast media
Winning the Shepherd’s Voice Award for Broadcast Media was Diane Peavey from Hailey, Idaho.
Peavey is a sheep producer and writer whose stories about the life of ranchers have received wide recognition.
Print media
Receiving the Shepherd’s Voice for Print Media was Ron Daines of Logan, Utah.
Daines is the former editor of the Utah Western Farmer Magazine where he covered sheep-related topics on a regular basis.
Read Farm and Dairy’s feature story on the Andersons here.
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