NEWELL, SD – The new secretary for the Newell Ram Show & Sale grew up around sheep on the family ranch north of Union Center. Micole Braun spent much of her youth raising sheep and participated in the wool portion of the Newell event.
“Cody Burke, the chairman of the Ram Sale Committee, asked if I would be interested and I said I was. When I was young I had sheep and did a lot with the sheep industry. I’ve missed it so it’s nice to get back into it,” says Braun.
Assuming her new role in May of this year, Micole has been acquainting herself with the various job duties.
“It’s the usual duties you would expect,” she notes. Getting consignor entries in and organized, getting the catalog ready, having check-in sheets ready, show and sale orders, and posting to social media platforms, encouraging people to consign, sell, and buy.”
Long-time consignor and retired SDSU Extension Sheep Specialist Dave Olila says in 77 years, the mission for the Newell Ram Show & Sale is always evolving but that at its core, providing top genetics for both range and flock producers remains the primary focus.
“The new generation of producers does things differently. They like technology, they’ve got busy lives, and times change,” he observes. “Adding on-line bidding services gives access to genetics that producers might not otherwise be able to bid on.”
The sheep show will kick off on Sept. 15 with the ewes at 9 a.m. followed by the rams. The wool show will begin at 10 a.m. and cash prizes will also be offered to the winning fleeces. Sheep growers are encouraged to bring their fleeces for the wool show.
The sheep sale will be held 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 16 with the ewes selling first, followed by stud rams and range rams.
Micole and her husband and family ranch north of Hoover, raising kids and cattle…and a few bum lambs. She says entries are interest are comparable to previous years. She and Olila agree the iconic Newell Ram Show and Sale is one of the premiere places to consign and/or purchase quality sheep.
“South Dakota is the fifth largest sheep and lamb producer. We are centrally located and sitting in the perfect spot with a regional industry infrastructure that supports all segments of production and processing,” says Olila. “It’s evident in all the seedstock here at this sale. We’re looking at over 280 sheep consigned to this sale which is a pretty high number. The industry has a lot of interest. While the market took a little dive this summer, it has been steady overall the last five years. Looking at people staying in the ag industry with sheep enterprises is a very viable option.”
Find out more information and view the sale listing online at newellramsale.com. Find the latest Newell Ram Show & Sale news on Facebook.
