Next Generation 2024 Podcasts
The Next Generation Global Sheep Forum has come out of a group of international sheep producer organisations American Lamb Board, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, British National Sheep Association, Canadian Sheep Federation, National Sheep Association, National Wool Growers’ Association of South Africa and Sheep Producers Australia.
One of its purposes is to share information and support sheep farming around the world. One way we aim to do this by connecting young farmers through a live podcast to have engaging conversations with those involved in agriculture.
The Next Generation Global Sheep Forum who we are
The Next Generation Global Sheep Forum has come out of a group of international sheep producer organisations to share information and support sheep farming around the world.
Listen to AgWatchers Andrew Whitelaw and Matt Dalgleish chat to Nick Jolly Senior Trade Policy Advisor (Environment) Beef + Lamb New Zealand and Bonnie Skinner Chief Executive Officer Sheep Producers Australia about how that journey began.
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US featured Young Producer will be recorded in April
Camren Maierle, PhD
Maierle is the Sustainability Director for the American Lamb Board and producer from Jacksontown, Ohio. He has a bachelor’s in animal science from The Ohio State University, and both master’s and doctoral degrees in animal and food science from West Virginia University. Maierle has been a livestock extension educator with Penn State University Extension, where he led schools for sheep producers.
2023 Highlight AgWatchers chats to Clarice Ané van den Berg South Africa's featured Young Producer
I am 27 years old and currently working at Doornbult Feedlot in Limpopo, South Africa. I studied BSc Animal Science at the University of Pretoria and graduated in 2019. I am currently busy with my MSc in Animal Nutrition. I grew up in Pretoria, Gauteng. Although growing up in the city, my passion for the farming industry was established at a young age increasing as I worked on a variety of farms, veterinarian clinics for large and small animals and now being part of the Doornbult farming family and community.
At Doornbult Feedlot, where I started working after graduating, I gained a lot of knowledge and practical experience about the feedlot industry, its shortcomings, challenges and possibilities. Venturing into establishing a Lamb producing feedlot, we started with 90 ewes in 2020 and grew to 400 ewes in 2023 with the prospects of increasing the numbers even higher to meet our projected margins. All our ewes graze on pastures and receive additional feed to meet their nutritional needs and keep them in excellent condition. Our ewes are placed in groups of a 100. With the application of synchronization programs and methods each group produces lambs at 8 months intervals which work out to a lambing session every two months. All lambs are born in closed facilities to ensure a safe environment and every lamb is monitored and well looked after. Replacement ewes are chosen out of these lambing groups according to statistical analysis and conformation with the remaining lambs moved to the feedlot. We take pride in producing top-quality lambs at 45kg live weight for our local market in Polokwane, Limpopo.
My Master degree is based on the effects of Zilpatherol hydrochloride on the Dorper lamb breed and how this might improve the Dorper meat production in South Africa. The clinical study is going well and I am looking forward to completing the thesis during the year.