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Tennessee Sheep Producers Educational Program and Annual Meeting

TSPA’s educational symposium and annual meeting will be held Feb 27-28, 2026 at the York 4-H Center in Crossville TN. This event will include industry updates, educational sessions on various topics of interest to all sheep producers, and a separate track dedicated to youth. Several venders will be on hand to display items and services available to producers. More details will be posted in early 2026. Make plans to attend and bring a friend.

Meeting will start on Friday night with appetizers and networking time.  Sessions will continue on Saturday morning, concluding following the business meeting.  Lunch will feature TN grown lamb and sides.  Youth will have separate sessions on Saturday morning.  

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Friday, February 27 (times are central time)
6:00 pm: Welcome – Dee Wolters, TSPA President

Meet & greet reception

7:00 pm: Public Policy Update – TN Farm Bureau
7:20 pm Alternative Wool Uses – Rob Holland

Wool Pellet Manufacture – Franklin and Jordy Barnette, Ewe Grow/Cedar Ridge Farms

8:30 pm Update: Re-Imagining the Wool Pool – Hannah Theisen, Owner Craeft Yarns

Saturday, February 28
8:00 am: Welcome – Dee Wolters, TSPA President
8:15 am: Barn Design and Equipment that Works for Me – Ian Palmer, Palmer Farms
8:45 am: Update: Jacob Tipton, TN Department of Agriculture, Business Consultant for Agriculture

9:00 am: Breeding Better Flocks – Ewe and Ram Selection in Age of Artificial Inseminations

– Panel Discussion, Emily Nave – Moderator

  • Dave Whitaker – Rockworth Farms
  • Robert Walker – West Fork Farms
  • Danny Jones – Narrow Gate Farm
  • Preston Morris – Thistle Ridge Suffolks

9:30 am: Break (Trade Show)
10:00 am: Annual Meeting of TSPA
10:45 am: Break
11:00 am: Udder Health and Structures in Small Ruminants – Dr. Elizabeth Eckelkamp, UT Dairy Extension Specialist and Rileigh Powers, UT Graduate Student

11:30 am: Update: Kevin Ferguson, Farm Animal Care Coalition of Tennessee
11:45 am: Understanding Hay Analysis and Application to Feeding Program -Aaron Fisher, UT Extension Animal Science Youth Specialist

12:30 pm: Lunch and Awards Program

Tennessee Junior Sheep Producers Program

February 28, 2023 (times are central)
8:00am              Welcome – Dee Wolters, TSPA President (with adult program)
8:15am              Split from Adult Program; Introductions
8:30am              Sheep Jeopardy
9:15am              Building a Designer Sheep Breed
10:00am          
10:45am           Break (with adult program)
11:00am           Intro to Sheep Feeding; Feed Formulation Activity
11:45am           Understanding Hay Analysis (with adult program)
12:30pm           Lunch and Awards Program (with adult program)

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About TSPA

Gestation in sheep varies from 142 to 152 days with the average being 147 days. Just like people, individual pregnancies can vary,  gestation periods of 138 to 159 days are not unheard of. Ewes carrying multiple lambs tend to have shorter gestations while male lambs (and heavy birth weight lambs) are usually carried for longer than female lambs. The form above calculates the lambing date based on a 147 day gestation period.

Lambing Due-Date Calculator: 
Enter Date of Breeding:   
(MM/DD/YYYY format)  
Expected Lambing Date:   
Range of Lambing Dates:

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