The Iowa Sheep Industry Association, in collaboration with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension, Clayton County Natural Resources Conservation Service and NoFence Virtual Fencing, will host a pasture walk and membership meeting on Saturday, June 6, beginning at 1 p.m. The event will take place in Robert’s Creek, located at 18869 Dalmatian Avenue, Saint Olaf.

The educational pasture walk will highlight:

  • Pasture rotation using virtual fencing technology
  • NRCS EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) opportunities
  • Timely updates from ISU Extension and Outreach

“This pasture walk is an opportunity for producers to see conservation, technology, and grazing management come together in a real-world setting,” said Carolyn Ihde, small ruminant outreach specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. 

Registration

Advance registration is required to attend. Those who wish to participate must register online. 

Attendance information

To help protect the health of both the host flock at Robert’s Creek and participants’ home flocks, attendees are asked to wear freshly laundered clothing and arrive with clean footwear.

Biosecurity precautions will be discussed during the event, and a boot wash station will be available on-site.

The pasture includes steep hillsides; however, most of it is visible from the farmyard, allowing participants to engage without navigating uneven terrain.

The site is easily accessible from a main highway; however, the narrow gravel road leading to the farm has limited safe parking, minimal shoulder and limited roadside parking.

To improve safety and ease of access, carpooling is strongly encouraged. Overflow parking may be available at Norway Lutheran Church, pending confirmation. If overflow parking is used, participants will be responsible for organizing carpools at the church and traveling to the farm only in full‑capacity vehicles. Additional parking instructions and updates will be sent to registered participants prior to the event, and on-site directions will be provided as available.

The pasture walk may be canceled in the event of inclement weather. Registered participants will be notified if cancellation is necessary.

For questions, concerns or assistance with registration, please contact Ihde at carolyn.ihde@wisc.edu.