The University of California Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) will be offering a sheep shearing and basic care Q&A, via Zoom, on Thursday, May 7th from 3-4 pm (PST). The session will include advice from experienced shearers, flock managers, and fiber experts. Presentations and discussion will focus on shearing that limits stress to both the sheep and shearer.

We also encourage your questions regarding sheep handling, husbandry, flock health, running a mobile shearing service, ethical shearing, grazing for fuel reduction, and climate beneficial ranching practices.

This webinar will take the place of the planned Sheep Shearing and Basic Care 101 immersive workshop planned at HREC in Spring 2020, participants in the webinar may also be interested in learning more about the class planned for 2021.

Click here to register for the webinar and to share your questions.

Speakers:

Ruthie King: Ruthie is a shepherd focused on intensive rotational grazing for soil building, ecosystem restoration, fuel reduction, and nutrient/water cycling. She raises Icelandic and Targhee sheep and sells meat, wool, and pelts through direct marketing. Services she offers include sheep shearing and contract grazing.

Alison Smith: Alison is the shepherd of the flock of over 200 sheep at the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center, she also supports research and extension at the site.

Trevor Hollenback: Owner/operator of Hollenback Shearing, Trevor Hollenback has been professionally trained and employed as a shearer in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and Austria. His primary focus in shearing is limiting stress to both the sheep and shearer.

Rebecca Burgess: Rebecca Burgess is the executive director of Fibershed, chair of the board for Carbon Cycle Institute, and the author of “Harvesting Color.” A vocationally trained weaver and natural dyer, she creates hands-on curricula that focus on restoration ecology and fiber systems. Burgess has built an extensive network of farmers and artisans in the Northern California Fibershed to pilot an innovative fiber systems model at the community scale.