The Pembina Fibreshed, Manitoba Fibre Festival and Spirit Sands Shepherds is pleased to host Lisa Surber for a weekend hands on workshop on wool including these topics:
Wool science & quality
Wool Classing and grading
Using wool testing technology to improve your wool clip
Factors influencing wool price
Adding Value to your wool
Dr. Lisa Surber, PhD was born and raised on a ranch near Medicine Hat, Alberta, and is still active in her family’s commercial cattle operation. She obtained her B.S., M.S., and PhD in Animal and Range Sciences from Montana State University. During her time at MSU, she was the managing director of the Montana Wool Lab. Lisa served as a Wool Education Consultant for the American Sheep Industry Association and with WestFeeds as a Ruminant Nutritionist. Lisa now runs her own consulting business providing nutritional expertise for cattle and sheep, wool classing and education services, NSIP certified ultrasounding services, and OFDA on-site wool testing services. Also, she is the Executive Secretary for South Dakota Sheep Growers Association. She is a certified sheep ultrasound technician and an ASI Level 4 wool classer and instructor.
Workshop Details
Saturday, April 4
9am - 4pm
Carberry Community Memorial Hall (224 Second Ave, Carberry, MB)
Sunday, April 5
1pm - 5pm
Spirit Sands Shephers Shearing Barn (Carberry, MB)
Cost: $155 for the weekend (this includes lunch on Saturday and coffee/tea snacks throughout the day) $100 for the Saturday classroom portion. Pembina Fibreshed members get 10% off workshops. To learn more about becoming a member check it out here.
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites required for this workshop. It will be an indepth look at how to grade and class wool, but also how to improve your wool clip. This workshop is intended for producers/farmers/ranchers but also those working with wool at any level, including consumers that want to engage in a deeper level of understanding of wool.
Bring: pen, paper/notebook, water bottle, warm clothes and good foot wear for the shearing barn on Sunday and a love and passion for all things wool!
Mobile Micron Testing: Lisa will also have her mobile micron testing equipment available for testing your own wool. The cost is $5/sample to be tested, it requires a finger thick sized lock of wool taken form the most uniform part of the fleece. If you would like wool tested, but cannot attend the workshop send an email to connect@pembinafibreshed.com
For those needing accommodations near the workshop site there are two hotels in Carberry:
Carberry Motor Inn
There are also many options in Brandon, a short 30 minute drive.