Southcentral Katahdin Hair Sheep Association 4
My name is Roxanne Newton and I am running for re-election to the Board of Directors for KHSI. My husband Milledge and I have a flock of approximately 80 Katahdin ewes on 250 acres in Hahira, Georgia. We also rescue hound dogs, which is how we came up with the name Hound River Farm. Although I was born and raised in the south, I have strong ties to the Midwest since both my parents grew up on farms in eastern South Dakota. As a child, I spent summers there helping my cousins with their 4H calves and farm chores.
Our sheep are mostly grass fed using native Bahia and Bermuda pastures. Since we lamb in January and February, we do creep feed the lambs until spring grass arrives. We also grow and harvest our own Bermuda hay for winter feeding and purchase perennial peanut hay to feed during late pregnancy and lactation. Our philosophy is to raise our sheep in a natural environment that promotes the health and well being of the animals.
Our flock goal is to raise Katahdin’ s that perform well, are highly productive, and are parasite resistant. We are members of the Katahdin NSIP and use EBV’ s as tools to select the best performing and most productive sheep possible. We also have been involved in parasite resistance research since 2007, collecting and analyzing fecal egg counts to determine which sheep show genetic potential for resistance. We firmly believe that for any breed of sheep to be successful, it has to be able to withstand parasites without reliance on chemical dewormers.
We are active members of the KHSI and SCKA and I am currently a member of the KHSI Board of Directors, elected in 2010. I have served as Secretary for the past 3 years and am also the chair of the Promotions committee where we have doubled the size and number of advertisements used to promote Katahdin’ s in various Ag related publications. The committee also was successful in getting a web
store added to the KHSI website so members could buy T-shirts, hats, etc online. A lot of work has been done, but still there is more to do to continue to promote this unique and adaptable breed of sheep throughout North America and beyond.
What I have enjoyed most about raising Katahdin’ s is meeting so many shepherds that share not only a passion for the breed, but also a passion for educating new shepherds so that they too will become successful breeders and continue to promote the breed. What I have found over the years is that the vast majority of Katahdin breeders eagerly serve as mentors for new shepherds, spending endless hours educating and supporting them in this new endeavor. This is, I believe, the reason that Katahdin’ s have become so popular. The Katahdin fraternity has embraced new members and has made learning about our breed a priority.
KHSI Director Candidate
My reason for seeking reelection is to continue to work on promoting Katahdin’ s through advertising, education, and promotion. There are so many promotional venues that are untapped and it is my goal to find and utilize ways to continue to promote Katahdin’ s and the sheep industry. I am a hard working, practical and independent thinker who will use all available resources to increase membership, improve communication, and support all members of KHSI, both commercial and seed stock producers. I would like to see all KHSI members come together for one purpose: to help Katahdin breeders reach their goal of making this breed the best that it can be. I hope you’ ll join us at the Expo in Cookeville, TN in August.
Roxanne Newton