CANTON -- The Cornell Cooperative Extension Learning Farm, 2043B State Highway 68, will host a workshop for sheep and meat goat producers Saturday, March 11.

The workshop, one of many slated in the northeast as part of the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP), will be held locally in the farm’s main classroom from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

The workshops are part of a parasite research grant that used data collected on North Country farms (Northeast SARE Project LNE15-342). The Cornell Cooperative Extension Learning Farm was one of the participating farms in the study.

One aspect of the project investigates using birdsfoot trefoil, a legume that is both nutritious and grows well in our area, for suppressing parasites in lambs.

Topics at the Canton workshop will include selecting for parasite resistance, an introduction to NSIP, doing fecal egg counts and an ultrasound demonstration on lambs.

NSIP is a program that helps herdsmen select for the traits they want in their flock by comparing their information to other similar flocks. It is especially useful for those flocks and herds selling breeding stock.

The speakers are researchers from the University of Rhode Island, Virginia Tech and Penn State.

Rusty Burgett, Program Director at NSIP, will be on hand to talk about their program as well.

The meeting is free and includes lunch.

Please register with Betsy Hodge at 315-379-9192, ext. 227, or bmf9@cornell.edu.

All sheep and goat farmers are welcome.