Lamb Summit Delivers Unprecedented Industry Insight

The second American Lamb Summit August 8-9, 2022, in East Lansing, MI, met expectations and more. Its sponsors, the American Lamb Board (ALB) and Premier 1 Supplies, set out to give good reasons for the industry to push beyond the status quo. “We are doing all we can for the entire American Lamb industry to not just survive, but thrive,” according to ALB Chairman Peter Camino.

The 250-plus industry participants took in hands-on sessions about lamb quality and productivity. They sampled lamb like a consumer taste panel would, saw how ultrasound measures muscle quality in live lambs, evaluated lamb carcasses, and tested their skills at visually assessing animal quality with and without the aid of genetic data.

Detroit metro region is home to one of the largest non-traditional lamb markets, says Richard Ehrhardt, PhD, who is senior extension specialist-small ruminants at Michigan State University. With MSU sheep experts and Michigan Sheep Producers Association leadership, an in-depth look at direct sales to consumers and other non-traditional markets.

An update from Michigan State University researchers shared how the carbon footprint of the American Lamb industry is being measured for the first time. Results are expected in a few months. An updated lamb pricing tool for direct marketers was released, and a cookery demonstration gave a better understanding of how to best prepare different cuts of lamb.

Stan Potratz, founder of Premier 1 Supplies, showed his dedication to the US lamb industry by presenting Nick Forrest of Oxford, OH, with the 2022 Quality Advocate Award and $25,000 from Premier 1.

Western Ag Network’s Russell Nemetz provided video news coverage of the 2022 American Lamb Summit, including these 3 reports:

· American Lamb Summit Underway in Michigan

· Improving Sheep Production and Lamb Quality Focus of American Lamb Summit

· Importance of Genetic Selection a Big Topic at American Lamb Summit

During the next couple of weeks, ALB will be adding information to The Lamb Summit online. Updates also appear on its Lamb Checkoff Facebook page.