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Lameness in sheep can be a significant health and economic issue in some flocks.  Your opinion is important to the sheep industry to help gather baseline industry information to determine whether lameness and in particular footrot is a significant health issue in Alberta sheep flocks.  The results of this survey will determine future directions in research in sheep, including whether Alberta research dollars should be invested in Canada in developing an effective footrot vaccine for sheep.  The Alberta Lamb Producers would appreciate it if you would complete this survey that is funded by RDAR (Results Driven Agriculture Research).

This survey is voluntary, and your responses will be kept confidential. For completing the survey your name will be entered into a producer lottery for a free Sheepbytes subscription for a year, or one of 2 cash prizes of $500! They will also send you a copy of the final results of the survey.

Please complete the survey through this web link   https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/6GC8358  or complete the survey fillable pdf form and return it by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Closing date for the survey is December 31, 2021. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Dr. Joyce Van Donkersgoed at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Read the update here

The ALP office will be closed from Wednesday, December 22, 2021 until Monday, January 3, 2022, resuming regular business hours on Tuesday, January 4, 2022. If you require immediate assistance during this time, please visit our website: https://ablamb.ca/index.php/about-alp/contact  for Director contact information.

From everyone at ALP, we would like to wish our producers and other industry stakeholders, a wonderful holiday season!

ALP is excited to announce that there is a new website available to producers, with the aim to provide locally relevant and up to date information regarding sheep parasites in western Canada and also serve as a platform to present and help translate our research results going forward.

You can check out the new website here: https://vet.ucalgary.ca/research/sheep-parasite-control/home

A big thank you to Dr. John Gilleard, BVSc, PhD, DipACVM, DipEVPC, FCAHS, MRCVS, Michel Levy, DVM, Dipl ACVIM Camila de Queiroz, PhD Student, along with a number of their summer students over the past few years for creating this great new resource for producers!

The Alberta Lamb Producers Board of Directors has an opening for two interim Director-at-Large positions. Director-at-Large positions may be filled by producers living in any area of Alberta (i.e. no zone requirements).  Application deadline is February 4, 2022.

These positions will be filled through appointment by the board. As it is an interim position, an election will be required for the position at the ALP Annual General Meeting in November 2022. Serving on the board is an exciting and challenging opportunity to advance your industry. 

If you are interested in a position on the ALP Board, please submit your resume and/or the completed application form to theThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Interim Director Application

Position requirements:

• Must be a sheep producer residing in Alberta
• A keen interest in improving processes and resources for the industry
• Ability to work with other board members for the benefit of other sheep producers
• Ability to make the minimum time commitment of 3-4 in-person board meetings, as well as bi-monthly conference calls
• Per diem and expenses are provided
• No previous board experience is required
• A strong commitment to collaboration and growth is important, as is a solution-oriented focus

In addition to contributing to your industry, serving on the Board has other positive benefits such as gaining:

• a broader perspective and greater knowledge of the sheep industry.
• important local, provincial and national contacts.
• skills that enhance other areas of business and life, such as experience in board governance, leadership, project management, communication and interpersonal skills. 

Elections for the ALP executive and committee positions were held on November 21, 2021 during the first Board meeting following the 2021 AGM.   Elections results were:

Chair: Brittany Walker
Vice-Chair: Emilie Rowe
Finance Chair: Judy Buck
Finance Vice-Chair:  Richard Boscher

Brittany Walker,  Judy Buck and Richard Boscher will be representing ALP on the National Sheep Network (NSN). 

In their 18 months of operation, WeCAHN has launched three species/sector animal health surveillance networks: beef, dairy, and poultry. The core activity of each is a videoconference every 3 months involving a relatively small number of people, to discuss the animal health events in that sector, in western Canada, over the previous 3 month period. An overview of their activities are available on their website:   www.wecahn.ca  

Please find below the links to their one pager and longer summary of their first small ruminant network meeting in October, 2021 for producers to access.

One Pager Document

Longer Summary Document

Autonomous Agriculture Education Series (November 1 & November 15, 2021)

Olds College and TD Banking Group are teaming up to deliver a three-session education series that’s all about discovery!  You will take a journey that highlights automation in Agriculture and helps producers visualize where automation can reduce labour, environmental impacts, and guess work.

Session 1: Introduction to Autonomous Agriculture (Available online)

This session focuses on discovery. Exposing the audience to the concepts and possibilities of automation will create a sense of relevance, interest and understanding that inspires producers to picture automation within their own operation. 

Session 2: Real-World Experience with Autonomous Equipment and Data Analytics (November 1, 2021)

With all digital agriculture comes an overwhelming amount of data. Knowing how to collect, manage, and interpret this information to make management decisions is key to maximizing the benefits of automation. Using real-life experiences from the Olds College Smart Farm, participants will learn more about automation related data and how it can be used.

Session 3: Adopting Autonomous Agriculture (November 15, 2021)

In the final session of the series, we will call on the expertise of those who’ve adapted and adopted automation on their operations, and not always at ‘new’ price. Return on investment is real and needed, so let’s explore the innovation of other producers to learn what’s possible.

To learn more or to register, click here.

Alberta Lamb Producers Plebiscite on Service Charge Model Refundability

In September 2021, the Government of Alberta declared a state of public health emergency due to increasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. With new measures to protect the health care system and decrease the spread of the virus, the Alberta Lamb Producers (ALP) decided to move its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on November 20, 2021, from in-person to online (virtual).

A plebiscite on ALP’s service charge model refundability was planned for Alberta’s lamb industry to occur in conjunction with the AGM on November 20, 2021, with two methods for voting (electronically from November 1-20, 2021, and in-person at the AGM).

Due to concerns with voting in-person and moving to an online AGM, on September 30, 2021, the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council (Marketing Council), in consultation with ALP, decided to shift the voting period for this plebiscite to ALP’s 2022 AGM, which is anticipated to be held in November 2022.

Marketing Council and ALP recognize the importance of the plebiscite for Alberta’s lamb industry. Collectively, they have determined that this is the best path forward to ensure all eligible lamb producers have an opportunity to vote in the plebiscite.

Further details about the plebiscite for fall 2022 and voting methods will be available to producers in the coming months.

Please direct any questions or concerns regarding this change to ALP at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via phone at 403-948-8533 or Marketing Council at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.