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The baas have it at the Sheep and Wool Festival

The Ninth annual Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival, sponsored by the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative, is Sept. 10-12, 2010. File photo.

JEFFERSON -- It’s the sheep industry’s main event in the Badger State and it has become the destination for thousands of sheep producers, exhibitors, knitters, fashion designers, small businesses and the simply curious.

The Ninth annual Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival, sponsored by the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative, begins Friday (Sept. 10) and runs through Sunday (Sept. 12). Organizers expect more than 7,000 people to attend the event, which is held at the Jefferson Fair Park in Jefferson.

As part of the festival, Tom Kleist of Elkhorn and Sandy Fisher of Waukesha have put together a program covering life in a bygone era. They'll be at the Tent Stage, just west of the Country Store, with a warm blend of laughter, propped up with antique farm and home implements tracing back a 100 years or more.

Todd Taylor, the co-op’s president and shepherd at the University of Wisconsin’s Arlington Sheep Unit, said the growing interest in the fiber arts has played a big part in the success of the event.

Taylor said, “It’s what has really built attendance, but even more important, people coming to Jefferson now see a cross-section of the industry. I think that’s key to the future of the festival.”

Even more critical in Taylor’s eyes is building industry leadership for the long haul. “We have to keep the door open for the next generation,” he said.

This is the second year the Wisconsin Farm Services Agency has given a grant for the Youth Sweepstakes.

The sweepstakes allows youth between the ages of 8 and 19 the opportunity to accumulate points based on participation in seven different events or competitions at Jefferson, including such diverse activities as poster contest, skillathon, lead class and showing market lambs. There are cash premiums for the top three competitors in four age classes.

The festival continues to explore new efforts at attracting not only attendance but building a base of new producers as well.

“Integrating the dairy sheep industry into the festival activities this year should spotlight both our growing number of Wisconsin dairy producers and the products they produce,” Taylor said.

Even if you are not a sheep owner or a spinner or weaver of wool, there is plenty of interesting events at the festival.

There will be daily sheep milking demonstrations, an introductory session for prospective dairy producers, plus a sheep cheese sampling session on Sunday. Check out the portable milking parlor for woolies or take a look at the lineup of fiber arts classes. Thirty-seven instructors from across the nation will be teaching 72 classes over the three-day weekend.

A complete schedule is at www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com.

Read more in the Sept. 8, 2010 e-edition of Weekender HERE.