Greenwood Village, CO — The American Lamb Board (ALB) is looking for 150 sheep producers to participate in its Climate Smart Sheep program.
Producers enrolled in the program will be paid up to $7,000 to develop and implement Climate Smart Sheep management practices and measure and report emissions and life cycle analysis.
Possible Climate Smart practices to be implemented include prescribed grazing, cover crop planting, range planting, tree or shrub enhancement, silvopasture, cross-fencing and brush and pest (weed) management.
Producers accepted into the program will work with a technical assistance provider on environmental enhancements and practices. They will establish operational plans, implement recommended changes and organize farm data necessary to estimate emissions using the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator developed by Michigan State University and ALB.
Applicants will be expected to establish farm records with the USDA Farm Service Agency, complete a Customer Data Worksheet to facilitate the collection of customer data for business partner records, certify highly erodible land and wetland conservation measures, certify they are not a foreign person, certify they are not receiving funds from other government programs such as EQIP for the same practices on the same land, and agree to share farm data.
Applicants that qualify as small or underserved will be given priority. Underserved producers include socially disadvantaged farmers, veteran farmers, limited-resource farmers, and women farmers.
“Adding on-farm research and data collection in the form of the Climate Smart grants not only extends the value of this research project, but it also provides sheep producers with resources and information they need to improve their livestock operations,” said ALB Chairman Jeff Ebert.
Along with the on-farm portion of the program, Climate Smart Sheep utilizes a USDA Climate-Smart Commodities Grant to quantify the impacts of targeted sheep grazing at four universities on four sites in California, Texas, Montana and North Carolina. The university studies will monitor the impact of prescribed sheep grazing related to carbon sequestration, soil health, and other ecosystem factors. At least one site will be a solar grazing site.
Sustainability is a top priority for the check-off funded American Lamb Board, which finds it increasingly important to demonstrate to retail and food service customers and consumers its commitment to environmental stewardship and community well-being.
ALB Sustainability Director Camren Maierle, PhD, leads the organization’s research and producer education initiatives, including developing and maintaining a nationally recognized solar grazing education program, cultivating other contract grazing opportunities, and working with industry partners to improve American Lamb sustainability. Maierle will also manage many aspects of the Climate Smart grant.
The producer program application can be found online at LambBoard.com. The application period ends on December 1. Accepted producers will be notified by December 15, and the program will begin on January 1, 2025.
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ALB is an industry-funded national research, promotion and information checkoff program that works on behalf of all American producers, feeders, seedstock producers, direct marketers and processors to build awareness and demand for American Lamb. ALB conducts promotion and research programs with the goal of creating greater demand and profitability for the entire industry. One of its long-term goals is to collaborate and communicate with industry partners and stakeholders to expand efforts to grow, promote, improve and support American Lamb.
Media Contact
Camren Maierle, PhD
American Lamb Board Sustainability Director
camren@americanlamb.com | (303) 759-3001