Release No.: 205-14

Contact:

Sam Jones-Ellard (202) 660-2268

samuel.jones@ams.usda.gov

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced five appointments to the 2015 Lamb Promotion, Research, and Information Board. Each appointee will serve 3-year terms.

According to the 2012 U.S. Department of Agriculture Census, there were 83,338 sheep and lamb farms in the United States with an estimated 2.97 million head during 2012. Top producing states included Texas, California, Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota.

The newly appointed board members are: Joanne Nissen, Soledad, California, and David Quam, San Angelo, Texas, representing producers; Tammy W. Doughty, Reform, Alabama, representing feeders; Wesley R. Patton, Orland, California, representing seedstock producers; and Elizabeth Dressler, Parker, Colorado, representing first handlers.

The board is composed of six producers, three feeders, one seedstock producer, and three first handlers. The Secretary of Agriculture appoints approximately one-third of all board members each year.

Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, authorized by Congress, and date back to 1966. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 research and promotion boards. They empower farmers and ranchers to leverage their own resources to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which ensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders. For information on the Lamb Promotion, Research, and Information Board, please contact James Brow by phone at (202) 720-0633, or e-mail: James.Brow@ams.usda.gov.

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