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Welcome to the South Carolina Sheep Industries Association. Our goal is to carry on educational, promotional work to foster and encourage the breeding, raising, showing and

marketing of sheep and sheep products.

Upcoming Events

SC Sheep memberships are due. Please use the link at the bottom of this page to join or renew your membership! We need each other in SC sheep industry.

SC Sheep Members- Deadline coming up!!! If you haven't applied for CFAP, start the process today. Here's part of a message from Boone Peeler to help our SC farmers. USDA Farmer Service Agency has financial help for farmers raising meat and wool.

Apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Today.

By: Boone Peeler, State Executive Director in South Carolina, USDA Farm Service Agency

Farmers and ranchers feed our state, our nation, and in fact, our world. You work long hours to provide essential resources for us all, and in these challenging times, I want you to know that USDA is here to support you and your operation through our Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, or CFAP. Whether you farm one acre or many more, grow food for local markets or big supply chains, CFAP can help. We’re accepting applications through August 28 and encouraging producers to apply now.

In South Carolina, we have already approved over 2,900 applications and disbursed over $22.5 million as of August 5, 2020. I know many of you have applied for CFAP already, but the numbers indicate that some who are eligible have not. If you’re still unsure about CFAP and your operation, I encourage you to take five minutes today to visit farmers.gov/cfap or call 877-508-8364 to learn about eligibility and options to apply. Whether you’ve worked with FSA for years or this will be a first, we’re here to help you every step of the way.You can apply now for the commodities that are currently eligible, and if any other commodities you produce are added to the program, we will happily amend your application.

If you have questions, please let us know. You can call our CFAP Call Center for one-on-one support with the CFAP application process. Call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer personalized assistance. And, as always, the FSA office at your local USDA Service Center is also there to help you prepare your application.

Most of our Events are discounted or free to SC Sheep Members- join today- scroll down to bottom of this page for a link.

Upstate Events- all events canceled or postponed due to Covid restrictions.

Whispering Pines Farm is still doing training for sheep care, handling, milking and cheese making for families and individuals, for more info-

https://wpstables.com/

What's New in the Sheep Industry?

SC Sheep President, Debbie Webster represented our state in Washington, DC to talk to our Congressmen and Senators about Sheep and the struggles of farming, dairy and Homesteaders in our industry! Updates to follow!

ASI Supports NEPA Modernization

On Tuesday, the American Sheep Industry Association presented oral comments to the Council for Environmental Quality on the administration’s proposed National Environmental Policy Act modifications. In the second public hearing – this one held at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. before an audience largely opposed to the changes – ASI supported the revisions.

“NEPA has a tremendous impact on our industry,” said ASI’s Chase Adams. “Nationally, it is the basis of litigation that for over a decade has sought to close our primary Agricultural Research Station in Dubois, Idaho, and has been abused in an effort to curtail predator control activities undertaken by USDA Wildlife Services.

“And regionally, our Western producers are intimately familiar with the NEPA reviews undertaken on their federal grazing permits. This well-intentioned regulation has become a costly endeavor for our members, creating endless opportunity for more litigation, intimidation and de-facto judicial management of our natural resources.”

Specific provisions of the modernization supported by ASI include; setting a time and page limit for a completed Environmental Impact Statement, expanding the use of Categorical Exclusions and Findings of No Significant Impact where appropriate, and greater notice and input from stakeholders, states, local government and tribes.

As ASI emphasized, “NEPA decision making should be driven by actual impact, not the fear of litigation.”

NEPA comments are due on March 10, and can be submitted online at the Public Lands Council website at http://publiclandscouncil.org/advocacy/.

Most SC Sheep Producers know the struggle for getting lambs processed during this Covid Crisis. Meat processors are taking on so much beef, they can't work in lambs! There's a huge problem out in the Western states too. There was Senators and Congressman fighting for sheep farmers and ASI was right in there helping! They have DOJ looking into it and there's a pause on the sale for now. Here's part of an article from ASI. About the Western Lamb Market Crisis-

DTN – JBS, the Brazilian meat company, is planning to convert a Colorado lamb processing facility to process beef cuts, further limiting processing facilities for the sheep industry in western states, according to local media reported.

JBS USA Holdings Inc. was expected to close on its purchase of the Mountain States Rosen lamb processing facility in Greeley, Colorado, last Friday but senators and House members from five western states have asked the Justice Department to intervene in the purchase.

"It is our understanding that JBS intends to permanently destroy all of the lamb processing equipment as soon as this week," the lawmakers led by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim last Wednesday.

The Sheep Industry News. You will receive this newsletter by joining SC Sheep which automatlically makes you a member of ASI

Debbie's webinar for the American Sheep Industry about starting a family farm on limited acreage was very well attended by listeners from all over the US. It had more than 500 attendees!

Meetings

Everyone has a busy schedule- especially in the spring of the year during lambing. Our meetings are usually during the events that our leaders (and members) have on their farm locations. We try to have the meetings evenly placed in the Upstate and south of Columia, SC for convience of members. You're welcome to attend both area events. Some have reduced admission fees or free to members. Please keep checking this page for dates and details of events. We would love to have you. If you join, we will send you emails to update and keep you informed on our State as well as the National meetings for the Sheep Industry!

Join Our Association

Our membership is open to anyone! Dues are $25 per year.

Join our Association by filling out the Membership Application

You may visit one of our meetings to hand in your membership application or use Pay Pal link below

If you have questions about membership, we'd love to answer them for you. Use the form below to contact us!