JUNIORS
operation? I live in Washington, Pennsylvania which is located in southwest region of PA just a few miles in from West Virginia. My family has been raising and showing Suffolk sheep since 1990, and now we have about 25 Suffolk ewes that we lamb out each year. What is your favorite Suffolk memory? My favorite Suffolk memory is winning Reserve Champion Slick Ram at the 2021 NAILE with my homebred January ram lamb. It was the first time I had won anything at the national level and it made me so proud of what our operation has been able to accomplish. What has been the best part of being part of the Jr Board? The best part of being on the Jr. Board as an intern has been being able to meet all kinds of juniors from across the country all while getting to see all the work that goes on behind the scenes to make all of the junior shows possible. Katie Ford-Intern Where do you live and tell us a little about your sheep operation? I have loved helping with chores and lambing at my grandparent’s farm ever since I was little. Today, I keep my Suffolks with me at home in West Lafayette, IN during the show season while we compete locally, at state, and national levels. During the off-season I still enjoy visiting my sheep at my grandparent’s farm, just like when I was younger. What is your favorite Suffolk memory? My favorite sheep memory would definitely have to be taking care of bottle lambs. What has been the best part of being part of the Jr Board? The best part of being on the junior board so far has been getting to know the other members and building connections in the Suffolk community. Savannah Bailey – Director Where do you live and tell us a little about your sheep operation? My family and I live in the town Casco, Wisconsin where we own the farm Bailey’s Little Pastures. We raise all Suffolks and currently we have about 45 sheep on our farm. We raise breed stock and market sheep. What is your favorite Suffolk memory? My favorite Suffolk memory was winning Reserve Junior Champion Fitted Ewe with a ewe lamb homegrown from our farm! I had been working hard with her for so long and I was so happy to have won such an awesome award. What has been the best part of being part of the Jr Board? The best part of being on the junior board is having the opportunity to plan and host events and activities that give the youth the chance to learn more about the Suffolk sheep industry. Nancy Burton – Jr. Coordinator Where do you live and tell us a little about your sheep operation? My husband and I live outside a little town name Argyle, WI in the southwest corner of Wisconsin. Our farm name is Heart Prairie Sheep and Cattle Co. We currently have 50 head of Reg. Suffolks. We are production oriented, concentrating on our loin eye size and backfat. What is your favorite Suffolk memory? My favorite memory Suffolk memory was the first time we exhibited at NAILE. I had always dreamed of showing down there and never thought it would happen, but it did. What has been the best part of being part of the Jr Board? The best part of being part of this board is the opportunity to work with the greatest youth out there. I love working with the directors and interns every year, watching them grow and develop their leadership skills as they serve the membership. I also love meeting youth from all over the US.
memory that I love is when I won the Suffolk ewe lamb giveaway and received a ewe lamb from Jeremy Geske and did very good with it at the county fair. What has been the best part of being part of the Jr Board? My favorite part about being on the board is meeting new people and promoting the Suffolk Breed more! Creed Harker – Secretary Where do you live and tell us a little about your sheep operation? Near Iowa City, Iowa. We currently have 35 head of registered frame fitted Suffolks. This includes stud rams, brood ewes, lambs and show stock. What is your favorite Suffolk memory? When my ewe Legacy took Grand Champion Suffolk ewe at the Iowa State Fair 4-H show and Reserve Supreme Ewe overall. What has been the best part of being part of the Jr Board? Getting to know everyone that makes up the junior board and all the Suffolk people that I meet. It’s like a great big family reunion when we get together at a show. The relationships I’ve made have been wonderful! Joey Slack - Vice President Where do you live and tell us a little about your sheep operation? Hi, my name is Joey Slack. I live in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, My family and I run about 150 sheep that consist of Suffolks, Dorpers, Hampshires, and commercial ewes. We also run 11 Boer goats and that herd is growing. My family runs around 500 acres of land as well. What is your favorite Suffolk memory? My favorite sheep memory is winning overall Suffolk ewe at NAILE in 2016. What has been the best part of being part of the Jr Board? My favorite part of being on the Junior Board is meeting people that have the same common interests as me from all over the country. Raesa Zelinsky - Intern Where do you live and tell us a little about your sheep operation? My family resides in Brookings, South Dakota where we operate Bar-Zel Suffolks. We are a purebred Suffolk operation that runs about 55 brood ewe and 15 ewe lambs. Our family has shown Suffolks and competed at county, state, and national shows for 43 years. Within the last two years we decided to start making Suffolk club lambs, which resulted in me having a sale in mid-March, selling 8-10 head of lambs. Additionally, we have our annual production sale the first Sunday in May. What is your favorite Suffolk memory? My favorite Suffolk memory would be winning the Junior Top Gun award at the 2018 National Suffolk show in Lebanon, Indiana. I specifically remember pre- entering for the nationals and seeing this event highlighted, so I proceeded to ask my parents more about it. With that I signed up for almost ALL possible contests because I was determined. You name it I was in the contest, showmanship, team showmanship, graphic design, photography, t-shirt design, lamb lead, and pairs lamb lead. What has been the best part of being part of the Jr Board? One of the favorite things about being on the Suffolk Board is getting to work with kids from all over the country who have a passion for the Suffolk breed. Though we are not able to be with each other face to face every meeting, we are still able to build a connection. Allee Hoover-Intern Where do you live and tell us a little about your sheep
MEET YOUR
Director Question & Answer Wesley Linke – Treasurer Where do you live and tell us a little about your sheep operation? I grew up near the small town of Lane, SD where we have a registered Suffolk and commercial white face flock. We focus on producing range rams to be terminal sires in commercial flocks. I’ve always been active in the show ring, but a big part of our operation is producing terminal sires for range flocks. What is your favorite Suffolk memory? My favorite Suffolk memory would be winning Reserve Champion Ram at the 2021 NAILE open show. Being able to bring a purple banner home from Louisville was a pretty sweet experience. What has been the best part of being part of the Jr Board? Being able to help guide the youth and helping put on a national show are two of the best experiences I’ve encountered throughout being on the Jr Board. I’ve also really enjoyed the road trips to all the different All-American locations throughout the years. With the show rotating every year, it’s always nice attending and seeing the different scenery. Katherine Parsley – President Where do you live and tell us a little about your sheep operation? I am originally from Sheridan, Indiana where I grew up on a diversified Suffolk sheep farm. Suffolks have been a part of my family for over 70 years, going back to my grandfather raising and showing Suffolks. My family has continued to raise this wonderful breed for my entire life, running anywhere from 20 - 40 ewes in our flock. Now, I live in Lexington, Kentucky where I am a junior at the University of Kentucky studying Animal Science to hopefully attend vet school next year. Growing up around Suffolks instilled my passion for livestock and a love for all things animal agriculture! What is your favorite Suffolk memory? My favorite Suffolk memories would have to be attending all of the major shows as the National Suffolk Queen. It is always so much fun being able to catch up with old friends (and meet new ones!) and have an excuse to sit and watch a sheep show all day long. I will always treasure my memories as the Suffolk Queen! What has been the best part of being part of the Jr Board? The best part of being a member of the Jr Board is being able to collaborate and be creative with a group of people that are truly passionate about the breed. We all have the same passions and goals, and it is so great to be a part of a team that loves Suffolks just as much as I do! Lilly Ostlie – Intern Where do you live and tell us a little about your sheep operation? I’m Lilly Ostlie I’m from Benson MN and I’m a sophomore at Benson High School. My family raises a small registered flock of Suffolk sheep. Our genetic goals include a fast growing, muscular, larger animal that looks good both in and out of wool. What is your favorite Suffolk memory? My favorite Suffolk memory is when I won Grand Champion at my county fair with a Suffolk ewe lamb. Another
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