News

Stay up to date on all things sheep related with the most recent edition of our N'ewesletter.  

Current and Past Editions are available here.

Save the Date!  November 14-15, 2025.

We'd love to have you join us for our Annual General Meeting and Conference in Lethbridge this year! 

Plan to take in two days filled with engaging speakers, a producer panel, Keynote presentation by Shaun Haney of RealAgriculture, and a Friday night social.  Connect with fellow producers and make your voice heard at the AGM.  New this year will be a farm tour to two Southern Alberta sheep operations - be sure to take advantage of this unique opportunity!

For more information and the registration form - click here!

Two learning opportunities are coming up - check them both out!

Necropsy Workshop

June 22 - Take this opoortunity to learn one of the most knowledgeable sheep vets in the province, Dr Lynn Tait.  Register today!

Cache Valley Virus Workshop

June 28 - A great educational opportunity on this virus with Dr Lynn Tait and a producer panel.

Attend in Person or Attend Virtually

The Canadian Sheep Federation (CSF) has been designated as the new responsible administrator for sheep traceability, succeeding the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency. CSF intends to provide a traceability system specifically tailored to the needs of sheep producers.

For more information, please see the press release.  

Alberta Lamb Producers is updating its resources and tools to better support producers. We’re looking for farm-related information to enhance our business tools—especially cost of production resources—and we need your help!

Are you willing to contribute to the development and improvement of cost of production tools? If so, please contact Jolene at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by May 31.

We’re also collecting data from a wide range of operations through a short survey. Your input is greatly appreciated!

Alberta Sheep Industry Revitalization Project- Producer Survey

The Alberta Sheep Breeders Association and Alberta Lamb Producers have teamed up to host an informative workshop on Cache Valley Virus! This in-person and virtual event will be held at the Agriculture Centre, 97 East Lake Ramp NE Airdrie. Learn from Dr. Lynn Tait and a producer panel. See you there!

Click Register to attend in person at the Agriculture Centre in Airdrie, Alberta

Click Here to attend virtually via Zoom

Check Presentation at Farmfair 2024. Pictured L to R are Jack Francis, Emily Yaremko and Judy Clarkson

submitted by the Sheep Producers of North Central Alberta Educational Foundation

There must be two Emily Yaremkos out in the world because one person cannot possibly do
everything this young lady delivers. As a result, Emily is the 2024 winner of the $1000 Sheep
Producers of North Central Alberta Education Foundation bursary.

As spring weather is here, controlling those gophers now is crucial!  March-April have shown to be the best time to implement measures to reduce the gopher population in your pastures.  

Early intervention crucial in managing Richardson's ground squirrels | Alberta.ca

written by Trevor Wallace Nutrient Management Specialist at Alberta Agriculture and Forestry

In Oct 2024, the estimated soil moisture reserves for approximately 65% of the province tended to
be near to above normal for that time of the year. Large parts of the eastern portions of the
Central and Southern Regions were estimated to be above normal. (Map 1). However, throughout much
of the North West Region, western portions of the Central Region and the western and northern
portions of the Peace Region soil moisture reserves ranged from once in 3 to once in 12-year lows.
Soil moisture in a large area south and east of Red Deer is trending toward a once in 25-year lows.

The winter or cold season, from November through March, is usually the driest time of the year in
Alberta. The cold season precipitation accumulation (Map 2), to date, is near normal across much of
the east half of the province, north and east of Edmonton and north into the Peace. A large area
running west of Lethbridge, north to Edmonton, then east to Lac La Biche County as well as around
Peace River and High Level continue to report moderately low (once in 3 to 6-year lows), and low
(once in 6 to 12-year lows) moisture accumulations relative to normal.

Looking back over the past 365 days, precipitation accumulations continue to remain below normal
across a large area from Mountain View County, north to Yellowhead County and then extending
east to the Saskatchewan border (Map 3). Similar below normal conditions are being recorded through
much of the Northern Peace Region and around Grand Prairie. Once in 25-year lows continue to
persist in areas in and around Red Deer. Once in 6 to 12-year lows extend around Red Deer,
northeast of Edmonton, around and west of Grande Prairie, as well as north in the Peace
Region to the border with the Northwest Territories. This area is reporting, relative to average,
year- over-year precipitation accumulations 70 to 90% of normal (average) with some areas only
receiving 50 to 70% of annual average precipitation.

Registration is now open for farms and ranches to be part of the 13th annual Open Farm Days on August 16 and 17.
Alberta Open Farm Days is an annual 2-day summer event that presents Albertans with an opportunity to experience the farm firsthand from farmers and ranchers. The program started in 2013 and has encouraged Albertans to engage with their local communities and experience agri-tourism.

In 2024, over 150 farms participated in Alberta Open Farm Day, welcoming over 52,000 Albertans to their farms and ranches. Host farms have included traditional farms, livestock (bison, cattle, alpaca, sheep, llama, goat, poultry) farms and ranches, organic operations, corn mazes, wineries, craft distilleries, meaderies, craft breweries, stables, petting zoos, along with honey, fruit, vegetable, grain and u-pick farms.

Since 2013, Open Farm Days has seen over 235,000 people visit over 1,200 farms and ranches, injecting over $1.7 million into the rural economy through on-farm sales. In 2024, reported on-farm sales surpassed $300,000 for the first time.