DENVER, Colo. — The American Sheep Industry Association announced this week that eight shearers and two mentors will receive funds through the association’s shearer grant program. Grant recipients were chosen by members of a select committee from ASI’s Wool Council.
The program – first introduced in 2022 – will provide $1,500 to each developing shearer to help cover the cost of equipment and other expenses as they work toward improving their shearing skills. Shearers will receive $500 at the beginning of the program and work with a mentor to gain confidence and improve shearing quality and speed. At the completion of the program, the shearers will receive $1,000. Shearing mentors will earn $1,500 to help cover the costs accumulated while mentoring students.
Shearers for the program shear in the East, Midwest, Mountain States and the West. Students selected for the 2023 program include:
- James Powers of New York.
- Mark Burenheide of Nebraska.
- Todd Dixon of Montana.
- Tirzah Gunther of Ohio.
- Leslie Sullivan of Vermont.
- Erik House of Arizona.
- Dakota Wilson of Montana.
- Leeland Prock of Oregon.
Mentors accepted into the program include Mary Lake of Vermont and Mick Hofmann of Arizona.
–American Sheep Industry Association