by Kelley Yates and Sarabeth Parido
Gifts are always a delight, especially when they serve a practical purpose. Check out these fantastic holiday gift ideas from the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office!
Day 1: KSGDO Gift Card
That’s right! You can give a gift card to the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office for either $30 or $50. These amounts conveniently fit either an individual association or a dual association membership, but they can also be used for anything in the store. Buy a class registration, extra calendars, promotional materials, etc.
Price: $30 or $50
Day 2: KSFF Gift Card
Looking for the perfect gift for the fiber enthusiast in your life? Look no further! Give the gift of creativity with our Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival Gift Cards. These versatile cards can be redeemed for a wide range of exciting workshops at our annual festival, where attendees can learn everything from spinning and weaving to dyeing and knitting. Whether they're a seasoned fiber artist or a beginner looking to explore their craft, our workshops offer an inspiring and educational experience. Surprise your loved one with a gift that will unleash their inner artisan and ignite their passion for all things wool and fiber. Get them a Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival gift card today!
Price: $25, $50, or $100
Day 3: Membership Dues
Have a friend or neighbor who could really use more information on small ruminants, or they need help promoting their products? No better way than to get them informed and/or promoted by buying a membership to the Kentucky Sheep and Wool Producers Association, Kentucky Goat Producers Association, or a Kentucky Fiber Trail. A KSWPA and KGPA membership will give them access to reduced priced classes, monthly VIP events, online forum to seek questions, connections with mentors, and so much more. An annual KFT membership provides inter-industry networking, in person sales opportunities, an individualized spot on our interactive map, and promotional opportunities year round.
Price: KSWPA and KGPA Membership $30 each, or $50 for both
Price: KFT Membership $50
Day 4: SRPS Registration
Anyone thinking about getting into small ruminants or has just started needs to take SRPS. This self-paced, online course is designed to help new and beginning producers get off on the right hoof. The fifteen-module course covers all the basics you need to know to navigate the first 2-3 years in production. We cover industry highlights, marketing, breeds, facilities, nutrition, breeding, lambing/kidding, diseases, parasite management, record keeping, and much more. Participants also get lifetime access, and graduates are eligible for a 0% interest, $2000 loan from the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Checkoff. Talk about a return on your investment!
Price: $75 Association Member, $105 Non-Member (Association membership with purchase of non-member)
Many people tell me that the association membership is totally worth it to get the KY Sheep and Goat Management Calendar. The calendar is filled with a massive amount of information from lambing/kidding dates, graded sale dates, forage tips, lambing/kidding tips, marketing tips, nutrient requirement charts, disease treatments, and much more.
Price: $10
Day 6: Mentorship
Remember the first couple of years in your sheep or goat operation? Ever have some nerve-wracking experiences and times when you just really needed to talk to someone? Or, maybe you did have a mentor available that helped make the nerve-wracking moments much easier to handle with just a simple phone call or email?
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KSWPA and KGPA need your help! With the increasing population of goats and sheep in our state, there are lots of people who could benefit from your knowledge. Having a mentor could be the difference between a new producer thriving or diving! Consider becoming a mentor so that you can make a difference in someone's life. Together we can continue to strengthen and grow our industries. Being a mentor is such a blessing to someone! You can sign up to be a mentor here.
Price: FREE
Perhaps you would like to surprise your family with a new lamb/goat dish for the holidays? No better way to get delicious, fresh lamb or goat meat than through the people listed on the Try Something Different Tonight On Your Plate webpage. By purchasing from a local producer, you can bless your family with a great meal and bless a small farm family by purchasing their product. If you are a member and want to get listed on the page, you can do so here.
Local soaps and lotions make fabulous gifts for not just your family, but co-workers, teachers, and extended family members. Check out the folks on the Try Something Different Tonight In Your Home webpage to find goat/sheep milk soaps and lotions. Again, you can bless two families with one purchase this season! If you are a member and want to get listed on the page, you can do so by emailing Kelley Yates.
Day 9: KFT Member Items
Discover the artistry of Kentucky's finest fiber artisans by shopping from our esteemed Kentucky Fiber Trail members. From exquisite hand-spun yarns to one-of-a-kind woven creations, our members offer a treasure trove of fiber-related delights. Each purchase supports local talent and sustains our vibrant fiber community. Whether you're seeking cozy winter scarves, unique home decor, or materials for your own crafting endeavors, our members have you covered. Embrace the beauty of handcrafted goods and feel the warmth of Kentucky's fiber heritage with each purchase. Explore our Kentucky Fiber Trail website and celebrate the spirit of craftsmanship this season!
If you have a friend who sells lamb/goat meat, you can purchase full color cooking guides and nutritional postcards to help them educate producers at a farmer’s market booth, festival, or on-farm market. These promotional items contain nutrient facts, recipes, cooking times, and more. They make a really nice marketing pieces.
Price: $
Lamb and Goat Nutrition Postcards: Product sold in units of 10; maximum 2 units per order
Lamb and Goat Cooking Guides: 20 trifolds per unit; 2 units maximum per order
Day 11: KY Master Small Ruminant Courses
You can never learn enough about small ruminant production. In fact, with input prices so high, it pays to get as efficient as possible in your operation. Honing in on your genetic selections, saving on feed, maximizing pastures, and controlling parasites can get you steps ahead. The KY Master Small Ruminant Courses are online and self-paced which will allow you to implement knowledge learned as you see fit. You get life-time access to the courses so you can revisit concepts as many times you need. Each class has a ton of additional resources to help you maximize the information. The classes are taught by industry professionals from across the country.
Price:
KY Master Small Ruminant Combo- $250 Member, $280, Non-member (association membership with purchase)
KY Master Small Ruminant Genetics- $75 Association Member, $105 Non-Member
KY Small Ruminant Master Grazing School- $75 Association Member, $105 Non-Member
Master Small Ruminant Nutrition- $75 Association Member, $105 Non-Member
Basics to Small Ruminant Parasite Management- $75 Association Member, $105 Non-Member
Day 12: KY Wool School
KY Wool School is a self-paced, online course designed to help your expand knowledge and use of value added wool products from your farm. You will learn basic husbandry specific to wool breeds to processing and marketing techniques and strategies. Downloadable worksheets will be available for each course as well as many bonus features such as multi-use printable guides and helpful links to further their learning in fiber.
You get lifetime access when you register, as long as you are a current KGPA/KSWPA member. Non-members will receive a membership to association of choice.
This course is best for producers who:
want to begin a fiber business
want to know fiber characteristics of various fiber breeds
want to enhance their wool production
want to expand their value added wool commodities
want to brand their small farm business
Price $50
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