Instructor Biographies for Small Scale Sustainable Sheep Event 2018
Margo Hanson:
Instructor Margo Hanson, with the help of her husband Raymond, has been raising Border Leicesters since 2008, near Twin Valley, MN. The Hansons spent most of their adult lives in Alaska where Margo was a K-1 teacher. When they retired to MN, they decided to get a flock of sheep to keep the old pastures mowed off. With sheep came wool, and Margo decided to learn to spin and felt her own fleece. To keep the fleece clean, the sheep are coated from late fall to shearing time. The Marsh Creek Crossing flock consists of thirty-five to forty ewes and a number of rams. The flock has been OPP (ovine progressive pneumonia) test negative, CL (caseous lymphadenitis) and foot rot-free from day one. Keeping a healthy flock has been their number one priority. In an effort to reduce unnecessary worming, Margo began doing her own fecal exams five years ago.
Alan Hendrickx:
Alan Hendrickx is a sheepman from Butler, MN (between New York Mills and Wolf Lake). With over thirty years of raising sheep and building sheep equipment. He is excited to share some of the basic rules of thumb to help make your operation both sheep and shepherd friendly. From the feeding, working and handling, and the lambing barn he strives to keep operations stress free for the sheep and the shepherd.
Brooke Hendrickx:
Building a passion for the agriculture and the sheep industry started before Brooke could even talk, on her family farm just North of New York Mills MN. The farm is where she works hand in hand with her dad raising and lambing out 165 crossbred production ewes. Brooke currently resides in Brookings, SD, where she attends South Dakota State University, and studies Agriculture Science. The past year Brooke served on the Minnesota FFA State Officer team as the Region 1 President, at the same time she was on the SDSU Wool Judging Team. Through the judging team Brooke was able to judge at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, the Houston Stock Show and Rodeo, and work out at many other universities along the way. At the National Western, Brooke was the high placings individual, 6th high individual overall, and helped her team place 3rd overall. In her spare time Brooke likes to patriate in SDSU Block&Bridle, Jackrabbit Memorial, traveling the country, showing livestock, and being on the farm. In the future Brooke hopes to either take over the family farm, or start a production flock of her own. Go Jacks!
Travis Hoffman:
Travis Hoffman was born and raised on a diversified sheep, cattle, and grain operation in South Dakota. His family raises registered Corriedale sheep that have won numerous national honors. Travis received his Bachelor's Degree from South Dakota State University in Animal Sciences; and a Master's Degree and Ph.D. in Meat Sciences from Colorado State University with an emphasis in lamb quality, value, and consumer perception. Dr. Hoffman is currently employed at North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota as the Extension Sheep Specialist for North Dakota and Minnesota and based in Fargo, ND. He has coached 10 collegiate wool judging teams at Colorado State University and South Dakota State University including the 2010 National Champions.
Sarah Karvakko:
Sarah Karvakko Karvakko Family Farm began in 2008 with a dream of raising her kids on a farm. Her family loves animals and began adding more and more each year. The alpacas have been a favorite and last year they added a small herd of Border Leicester sheep. It has been a great experience for all of them. With all the fiber laying around the natural thing was to learn how to spin it, so the last two years has been an adventure in fiber processing and spinning. It's amazing to control the entire process from animal to finished yarn and garment. The kids really love the process as well!
Alethea Kenney:
Alethea Kenney is a traditional naturopath and small ruminant consultant for North Central Feed Products, LLC in Gonvick, MN. She also has a diploma in veterinary homeopathy. She has spent many years working with large and small animals in a veterinary setting and on the farm. With her husband, she has farmed since 1996 and now raises various fiber animals sustainably. She uses traditional methods for harvesting fleece and producing fiber art and writes about holistic animal care, herbs, homeopathy and minerals. Her book “An Ounce of Prevetion: Raising and Feeding Animals Naturally” is now available.
Dan Persons:
Dan and Kay Persons operate the Rafter P Ranch near Hoffman Minnesota. Having started with 50 ewes in 2002 and expanding to a flock that ranges from 900 to 1100 ewes. They practice accelerated lambing and sell all of their lambs as market ready. They also sell a limited number of replacement females each year. In 2012 they began using RFID technologies to enhance the management of their flock employing tag reading and automatic sorting equipment. Since 2015 Dan has served as the US sales and support representative for Shearwell Data Ltd, a United Kingdom based company that supplies livestock technology around the world. Dan has served on many industry related boards and committees.
Instructor Margo Hanson, with the help of her husband Raymond, has been raising Border Leicesters since 2008, near Twin Valley, MN. The Hansons spent most of their adult lives in Alaska where Margo was a K-1 teacher. When they retired to MN, they decided to get a flock of sheep to keep the old pastures mowed off. With sheep came wool, and Margo decided to learn to spin and felt her own fleece. To keep the fleece clean, the sheep are coated from late fall to shearing time. The Marsh Creek Crossing flock consists of thirty-five to forty ewes and a number of rams. The flock has been OPP (ovine progressive pneumonia) test negative, CL (caseous lymphadenitis) and foot rot-free from day one. Keeping a healthy flock has been their number one priority. In an effort to reduce unnecessary worming, Margo began doing her own fecal exams five years ago.
Alan Hendrickx:
Alan Hendrickx is a sheepman from Butler, MN (between New York Mills and Wolf Lake). With over thirty years of raising sheep and building sheep equipment. He is excited to share some of the basic rules of thumb to help make your operation both sheep and shepherd friendly. From the feeding, working and handling, and the lambing barn he strives to keep operations stress free for the sheep and the shepherd.
Brooke Hendrickx:
Building a passion for the agriculture and the sheep industry started before Brooke could even talk, on her family farm just North of New York Mills MN. The farm is where she works hand in hand with her dad raising and lambing out 165 crossbred production ewes. Brooke currently resides in Brookings, SD, where she attends South Dakota State University, and studies Agriculture Science. The past year Brooke served on the Minnesota FFA State Officer team as the Region 1 President, at the same time she was on the SDSU Wool Judging Team. Through the judging team Brooke was able to judge at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, the Houston Stock Show and Rodeo, and work out at many other universities along the way. At the National Western, Brooke was the high placings individual, 6th high individual overall, and helped her team place 3rd overall. In her spare time Brooke likes to patriate in SDSU Block&Bridle, Jackrabbit Memorial, traveling the country, showing livestock, and being on the farm. In the future Brooke hopes to either take over the family farm, or start a production flock of her own. Go Jacks!
Travis Hoffman:
Travis Hoffman was born and raised on a diversified sheep, cattle, and grain operation in South Dakota. His family raises registered Corriedale sheep that have won numerous national honors. Travis received his Bachelor's Degree from South Dakota State University in Animal Sciences; and a Master's Degree and Ph.D. in Meat Sciences from Colorado State University with an emphasis in lamb quality, value, and consumer perception. Dr. Hoffman is currently employed at North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota as the Extension Sheep Specialist for North Dakota and Minnesota and based in Fargo, ND. He has coached 10 collegiate wool judging teams at Colorado State University and South Dakota State University including the 2010 National Champions.
Sarah Karvakko:
Sarah Karvakko Karvakko Family Farm began in 2008 with a dream of raising her kids on a farm. Her family loves animals and began adding more and more each year. The alpacas have been a favorite and last year they added a small herd of Border Leicester sheep. It has been a great experience for all of them. With all the fiber laying around the natural thing was to learn how to spin it, so the last two years has been an adventure in fiber processing and spinning. It's amazing to control the entire process from animal to finished yarn and garment. The kids really love the process as well!
Alethea Kenney:
Alethea Kenney is a traditional naturopath and small ruminant consultant for North Central Feed Products, LLC in Gonvick, MN. She also has a diploma in veterinary homeopathy. She has spent many years working with large and small animals in a veterinary setting and on the farm. With her husband, she has farmed since 1996 and now raises various fiber animals sustainably. She uses traditional methods for harvesting fleece and producing fiber art and writes about holistic animal care, herbs, homeopathy and minerals. Her book “An Ounce of Prevetion: Raising and Feeding Animals Naturally” is now available.
Dan Persons:
Dan and Kay Persons operate the Rafter P Ranch near Hoffman Minnesota. Having started with 50 ewes in 2002 and expanding to a flock that ranges from 900 to 1100 ewes. They practice accelerated lambing and sell all of their lambs as market ready. They also sell a limited number of replacement females each year. In 2012 they began using RFID technologies to enhance the management of their flock employing tag reading and automatic sorting equipment. Since 2015 Dan has served as the US sales and support representative for Shearwell Data Ltd, a United Kingdom based company that supplies livestock technology around the world. Dan has served on many industry related boards and committees.