By Blake Jackson
Lincoln University of Missouri’s (LU) Small Ruminant Field Day brought 68 sheep and goat producers to George Washington Carver Farm in Jefferson City for a day of education, hands-on learning and farm-to-farm knowledge sharing, according to Jenny Marie Lawrence at Lincoln University.
Hosted by LU with support from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NC SARE) program, the event covered livestock management, grazing, nutrition, farm economics and parasite control.
Among the participants was Kurtis Griess, who moved with his family from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Green Ridge, Missouri, four years ago to establish a homestead. The family now raises about 25 sheep, four goats and two heifers. Griess said he is especially interested in regenerative agriculture, soil health, and livestock management.
Mark Green of Custom Pasture Planning and Consulting in Fair Grove discussed grazing management and its effects on soil health. He covered grazing height, pasture recovery, and plant diversity.
Mark Kennedy of Kennedy Grassland Services, LLC, in Reeds Spring explained how multi-species grazing can improve pasture use because cattle, sheep and goats consume different types of vegetation.
“It’s affirming to hear that their experience kind of aligns with what I’ve witnessed in my own practices,” Griess said.
David and Joanne Noble of Noble Farms Kansas City in Kearney also attended. Their family livestock operation dates to 1956 and has evolved from hogs and cattle to Nigerian dwarf dairy goats and Spanish-cross and Kiko goats raised for meat.
David Noble, who has experience in animal nutrition, said the event offered useful ideas for their goat operation.
“They’ll come up with little tidbits that are just gold for our program,” Noble said.
Patrick Davis, a University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist, discussed forage testing, nutritional requirements, body condition scoring and ration balancing.
Jennifer Lutes, an agricultural business field specialist with MU Extension, focused on profitability and encouraged producers to weigh production goals against costs, resources and market opportunities.
“I’m a business-minded person, so I connect with what she says,” Noble said. “It’s really helping to give us new avenues to explore.”
Participants also learned about LU’s virtual fencing system using GPS-enabled collars to manage livestock movement. The afternoon focused on parasite control, including fecal testing and FAMACHA training.
Mohan Acharya, Ph.D., demonstrated microscopic fecal testing, while Homero Salinas, Ph.D., taught participants how to identify anemia through lower-eyelid color. Attendees received FAMACHA certificates after completing the training.
LU’s next Small Ruminant Field Day is scheduled for October 23, 2026, at George Washington Carver Farm, focusing on meat processing, regulations, carcass-cutting demonstrations, pricing and local meat marketing.
Photo Credit: pexels-pavel-bondarenko
Categories: Missouri, Education, Livestock, Goats & Sheep