The American Border Leicester Association Newsletter
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Fall 2016 BoardBoard of of Directors Directors The American Border Leicester PresidentPresident PollyPolly Hopkins Hopkins (2017) (2017) 494494 Evans Evans Road Road Association Newsletter Chepa Chepechet,chet, RI RI02814 02814 401401-949-949-4619-4619 ~Published Three Times a Year~ [email protected]@aol.com DirectorsDirectors GregGreg Deakin Deakin (2016) (2016) 1119111191 E. E.Cameron Cameron Road Road Cuba,Cuba, IL IL61427 61427 Irene Nebiker, the Energizer Bunny 309309-785-785-5115-5115 [email protected]@sybertech.net JerryJerry Wiggle Wiggleworthsworth (2017) (2017) P.O.P.O. Box Box 6 6 Dwight,Dwight, KS KS 66849 66849 785785-482-482-3462-3462 [email protected]@gmail.com ColinColin Siegmund Siegmund (2018) (2018) 4747 Fabyan Fabyan-Woodstock-Woodstock Rd. Rd. N. N.Grosvenordale, Grosvenordale, CT CT 06255 06255 860860-315-315-7684-7684 [email protected]@uconn.edu LindaLinda Koeppel Koeppel (2018) (2018) 48084808 Warren Warren Rd. Rd. AnnAnn Arbor, Arbor, MI MI 481 4810505 734734-747-747-8112-8112 Local friends refer to her (with love of course) as the Energizer Bunny. That would [email protected]@gmail.com be Irene Nebiker. Irene raises a small flock of white Border Leicesters at her ColeenColeen Smith Smith (2016) (2016) “Mistwood Farm” in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. 1290012900 Frolov Frolov Dr Dr NE NE Gervais,Gervais, OR OR 97026 97026 503503-780-780-9801-9801 The sheep project at Mistwood Farm, all started when her youngest daughter, Kari, [email protected]@hotmail.com was old enough to join 4-H, and had interest in Horned Dorsets. Irene’s two older StacyJack Price Taylor (2016) children were also 4-H members active in rabbits, Public Speaking and Community 1467 RinggoldP & W Timblin Sheep Rd. Timblin,628 N. 1150 PA 15778 East Road Service projects. Kari became a member of the local Aries 4-H Club, with Marcus & 814Palmer,-360- IL1202 62556 Barbara Thompson as the leaders, to learn more about raising sheep. [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer As Kari grew up and moved on, Irene looked for an independent-type breed of Jack PriceTreasurer (2016) WilliamP & W (Bi Sheepll) Koeppel sheep to raise (because she herself is a very independent woman) and chose 628 N.4808 1150 Warren East Road Rd. Palmer,Ann Arbor, IL 62556 MI 48105 Cheviots. Over time, her small flock grew up in numbers to 30 or 40 head at times. 217734-824-747-2330-8112 Irene always had trouble parting with a sheep; she wanted them all to go to good [email protected]@gmail.com homes, and of course there is a story with each lamb born! Then about 15 years Recording Secretary Recording Secretary Sally Barney ago, the Border Leicester breed caught her eye. Her local friends, Barbara Sally Barney 52 Cartland Road 52 Cartland Road Thompson and Polly Hopkins, had started raising them. The Border Leicester breed Lee, NH 03861 Lee, NH 03861 603-659-5857 603-659-5857 had the bare heads and legs like the Cheviots, but calmer personalities. They [email protected] [email protected] seemed to be easy lambers and good mothers like the Cheviot breed, and their Webmaster Webmaster fleeces were “interesting” (having only spun Cheviot or Dorset fleeces – she was JoAnne Tuncy JoAnne Tuncy 692 Smithfield Road 692 Smithfield Road very intrigued). Irene purchased a couple ewes at the New York Bred Ewe Sale in Millerton, NY 12546 Millerton, NY 12546 518-965-3928 Rhinebeck, New York, a colored one and a white one, and she was off. As Polly says, 518-965-3928 [email protected] [email protected] “once you go Border you never go back!” Disbursing her Cheviot flock, Irene chose Editor Editor to keep only the white pedigreed Border Leicesters. Irene found the personalities Dena Early Dena Early 1338 St. Rt. 507 of the Border Leicester to be quite enjoyable, always referring to her flock as “my 1338 St. Rt. 507 West Liberty, OH 43357 West Liberty, OH 43357 people.” 937-465-8124 937-465-8124 [email protected] [email protected] (continued on page 2…) A 4-H leader herself back in the 1970’s, Irene is still very active and supportive of 4-H and youth today. Over the years, there was always an extra lamb or two at Irene’s place for local 4-Hers to lease and take home as a project for the summer, and that still holds true today. Irene, a retired school teacher, also volunteers each week at the local food bank, the Museum of Natural History and Culture in Woonsocket, sings in her church choir each Sunday, is a member of the Rhode Island RC&D (this past summer she made the trip to the national convention representing the RI Sheep Cooperative & the RI RC&D who received a national award for starting the Rhody Warm Blanket project). She has been awarded a lifetime membership in the Rhode Island Sheep Cooperative and runs the promo booth for the RI Sheep Co-op at the Fall Fiber Festival of New England each November. Irene is a member of her Class Reunion Committee, and takes a trip each spring to New Jersey for her class reunion – although she says, “there aren’t many of us left”, she still travels down for the Planning Committee meeting each spring and then goes back for the Reunion! Irene is involved in so much more, but it would fill too many pages to list the many activities in which she contributes and volunteers. If you have ever been to the Eastern States Exposition, in West Springfield, Massachusetts, and walked through the Fiber Nook, you have probably seen and talked with Irene. She is quite proud of the fact that she is involved in the Big E Fiber Nook and promoting lamb and wool. Irene moves into the camper at the fairgrounds the day before the fair starts (this fair runs 17 days), and spends almost the entire time spinning wool and talking to the public about sheep and wool, and, of course, Border Leicesters. The only time she is not at her spinning wheel, are the days she “has off” - to drive home to gather her show flock and bring them to the Big E, along with any time she needs to fit them, and of course Show Day. When it is time for the sheep to return home, she loads them up and takes a quick trip back to Rhode Island. Sometimes on those off days, she is still back in the Fiber Nook, because “they need me ” there. Everyone in the Ag Department knows Irene, and they all have a story to tell about her (all with a smile of course). Sometimes it’s telling a story that she was so tired from talking to the public that she fell asleep while spinning, or it is a story of watching her slowly put on a halter on a young, inexperienced lamb and walking it out to the wash area for a bath, or the time her Junior Ram Lamb won his class! Irene’s ‘sheep friends’ are always around to help her and keep a watchful eye on her at the fairs. And there are always young 4-Hers willing to give back by helping her show her sheep. And a local friend supplies the ram to breed her ewes each year, so Irene does not have to deal with a potentially mean ram. Irene is a great promoter of Border Leicesters and has entered sheep in the New York Bred Ewe Sale for the past few years. She loves to brag that she has pedigrees in Tennessee, Ohio, New York and Maine! At 86 years young, Irene enjoys showing her flock and loves to be part of the “Sheep Family” at the fairs. She did say this summer that her goal is “to continue showing my sheep for 4 more years until I am 90” - then she “will think about it” after that!! ***In This Issue*** 3…………Neck of the Woods 16-17…The Big E Results 4…………President’s Message 18……..Addison County Fair 6-7……..UK Sheep Genetics 19……..Great Lakes Show and Sale 8-9……..Show Results 21……..Lamb Recipe 10………British Wool Marketing Board 22……..Standards 11-13…Youth Shows 24……..Membership Application Fall, 2016 American Border Leicester Association Newsletter 2 Neck of the Woods What’s happening in YOUR neck of the woods? The prairie around here is beautifulHere’s an update from some of our directors… and no wonder - seven inches of rain in September, Greetings from Kansas… The ALL AMERICAN JUNIOR SHOW here was The prairie around here is beautiful and no wonder - FANTASTIC!! THANK YOU to all the PARENTS, seven inches of rain in September, something that does GRANDPARENTS AND FRIENDS who helped our not happen. We put up prairie hay at the beginning of youngsters travel to Michigan for this show. What a gift October, way too late but it was still green and the it was to see friends and meet new members. Summer was so wet we couldn't get it done in August. In Our breed was well represented at the Michigan Fiber the meantime, our neighbors are looking at corn at Festival and the Michigan State Fair also. $2.80 a bushel, beans under $9, and wheat at $2.75. As a Please remember to consider the video project. Jack benchmark, I sold wheat off the combine in 1980 for Price and Jerry Wigglesworth have put time and effort $4.10 a bushel. into helping our membership, via the website, promote Late last winter we began pasturing our flock on a prairie the attributes of our beautiful breed.