Small farm numbers in Shelby County continue to rapidly increase.  The county has seen steady growth in land ownership in the 1-49 acre range with landowners looking for innovative ways to increase income on small acreage tracts.  Sheep and goat farms are one of the fastest growing segments here, with Shelby County jumping from a #12 ranking in Kentucky sheep production in 2012 to #9 in 2017 and #4 in 2022 with a 12% increase in number of farms raising small ruminants.  Due to this increase in  number of producers and their need for basic small ruminant information, Small Ruminant classes are  requested annually.  Additionally, producers receiving CAIP funding in the small ruminant area are now required to complete Small Ruminant Quality Assurance training.  Small Ruminant School was developed and promoted to meet the needs of this audience.

45 participants attended sessions including topics on nutrition, health & parasite control, and facilities & equipment.  The series capstone was a hands-on SRQA training, hosted by a local sheep producer.   The on-farm finale allowed participants to see practices they had learned about, as well as additional methods, in a real-time practical setting while earning their SRQA certification.

Learning to properly manage flock health, nutrition, reproduction, facilities and more specifically the costly parasite challenges that can be associated with small ruminants, gives producers the tools to minimize losses and maximize profits within their operations.