Developing the Arkansas Small Ruminant Advancement Program - We Want to Hear From You!

By Dan Quadros, UADA Small Ruminant Specialist

Help us build the Arkansas Sheep & Goat Advancement Program, a collaborative, multi-institutional plan to develop the small ruminant value chains.

In order to advance the Arkansas sheep and goat production, we need your input in multiple areas.

1. Take our survey to help us assess our current production system.

Deadline to respond: October 31

We have developed an online survey for producers (Arkansas ONLY) to characterize the sheep and goat production systems in Arkansas. This will gather information such as number of animals on your operation, breeds, health management, pastures, and much more. The survey will take 10-20 minutes to complete, and all responses will remain anonymous.

Take the Survey

2. Attend one of our webinars (or use the online channel) to help identify the main bottlenecks of the small ruminant value chains and give suggestions on how to overcome them. 

We will be hosting a series of webinars to present to producers our plan of work, walk through the above-mentioned survey and to hear directly from producers (Arkansas ONLY) what their main challenges are – on farm and off farm – and get their opinions on solutions.

There will be five webinars all following the same agenda, meaning you just need to participate in one to be heard. They will feature special guests.

Developing the Small Ruminant Value Chains in Arkansas Webinar Dates:

• Thursday, October 5, 7:00 P.M.
  • Special guest: Nicole Nicols, Saline County Agent
• Thursday, October 12, 12:00 P.M.
  • Special guest: Johnny Gunsaulis, Benton County Agent
• Friday, October 20, 9:00 A.M
  • Special guest: Bryce Baldridge, Lawrence County Agent
• Monday, October 23, 7:00 P.M.
  • Special guest: Jennifer Sansom, Little River County Agent
• Thursday, October 26, 3:00 P.M.
  • Special guest: Stacey Stone, Nevada County Agent

Agenda:

1. Introduction: Presenting the plan of work
2. Survey overview
3. Q&A: Open to participants
4. Special guest presentations
5. Open to participants, tell us your thoughts!
   1. Main challenges on farm
   2. Main challenges off farm
   3. Solutions and suggestions

Join a Meeting

OR

Online Open Channel to Give Your Opinions  – Respond before October 31!

If you're unable to attend a webinar, use the online open channel available to give your written opinions. We are looking for context into what challenges you face and potential solutions.

We are looking for answers to three questions:

1. What are your main challenges on farm?
2. What are your main challenges off farm?
3. What suggestions do you have to overcome these challenges and strengthen the sheep and goat value chains in Arkansas?

Give Your Opinion Online