By Jennifer Whitlock
Field Editor
Nominations are being sought by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) for the American Lamb Board (ALB).
ALB directs research, information and promotion programs for American lamb. Representatives come from two geographical regions, east of the Mississippi River and west of the Mississippi River.
The 13-member board is nominated by certified industry organizations, appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, funded through the national American Lamb Checkoff and overseen by USDA.
Six producer representatives, with two producers from each region and the remaining two seats appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, serve on the board. In addition to those producer representatives, there are three feeder representatives, three first handlers and one seedstock producer.
“Serving on ALB has been the most important contribution I could make to advancing our industry on a national level,” Gwendolyn Kitzan, current ALB chair and fourth-generation South Dakota sheep rancher, said. “Every board member is deeply engaged to make the best decisions we can with one of the smallest national checkoff budgets in the U.S. If you are looking to contribute nationally, I encourage you to strongly consider the ALB.”
Kitzan’s family raises purebred sheep and is heavily involved in direct marketing of both lamb and wool. She is serving her second term as chair and will retire from ALB in 2022.
Two producer seats are currently open for a three-year term beginning February 2022 and ending February 2025.
The first seat is for producers with flocks of 101-500 lambs, and the second is for those with more than 500 lambs. One seat is also available for a “first handler,” the first person/entity who buys or takes possession of a lamb from a producer such as a marketer or processor.
Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) is a certified nominating organization for producer and feeder vacancies, though not for first handlers. Certified organizations may nominate primary members and alternates for ALB.
“As the nation’s top sheep and lamb producing state, Texas should be well-represented on the American Lamb Board,” TFB Associate Director of Commodity and Regulatory Activities Tracy Tomascik said. “A Texas rancher retired from the ALB last year so we anticipate high consideration of nominees from state.”
Additional information on ALB can be found at AMS’s Lamb Board webpage or the ALB Resource Center.
Interested Texas sheep and lamb producers can contact Tomascik by phone at 254.751.2266 or email ttomascik@txfb.org.
Nominations are due to USDA by April 11.