2014 ARBA Board Candidate Biographies
Following are Candidate Biographies for the upcoming 2014 ARBA Board Election. Ballots must be postmarked by June 10, 2014.
2014 Candidates for Director-at-Large
Scott Culver
My name is Scott Culver. My family and I have a small Romney operation in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. I’ve been involved with sheep from the time I was growing up on a small farm in Curtin, Oregon. I began raising and showing sheep as a kid in 4-H, and went on into FFA in high school. Like most kids, I showed and sold fat lambs and thought the “big” money was in meat breeds. I put together a small flock of Dorsets and then moved on to Hampshires. I sold all the sheep when I headed to Oregon State University for college.
When I finished my degree and headed into the job market there was little time or money to invest in sheep, but found myself continuing to be around the show rings at the local fairs and always ready to help show if someone needed an extra pair of hands. As my family grew, I knew that I wanted my kids to have the same experiences. In the 1990’s I got back into the Romney business. My daughter and I began registering our sheep as Culver Family Farms, and started showing Romneys in Lane and Benton Counties as well as the Oregon State Fair.
I am finishing my term as an ARBA Region 4 Director, have served on the ARBA By-Laws committee as well as the Policy and Resolution Committee. I’ve also held a number of offices in the Oregon Romney Breeders Association. If elected to the ARBA Director At Large position I’ll work to represent all of you to the best of my abilities.
Tracy Haslem
I am Tracy Haslem, I live in Battle Ground, Washington with my wife Mary Jo and our two sons. Myself and our family have been involved in the sheep industry all our lives. A large range operation, 5 different purebred breeds, club lambs, and feeder lambs over the years. Today we have a farm flock of 40 Hampshire ewes and our reason for involvement in the ARBA, our youngest son Travis’s flock of 20 Romney ewes.
As a fair superintendent and 4-H leader, I provide a lot of support to the youth programs. My wife is a spinner and shares her love of fiber with her 4-H spinning group, so we support and attend many fiber activities. Our oldest son runs a lamb booth at our local farmers market on the weekends when he is not studying at Oregon State University.
We have only had the Romneys for five years. We have jumped in with both feet and are in it for the long haul. I hope my experience in the sheep industry will help me make the right decisions for this association if allowed to continue as Director At Large.
2014 Candidates for District 2 Director
Chris Posbergh
My name is Chris Posbergh. I am a breeder in central New Jersey and have been raising Romneys for nine years. I’ve built up my flock from one ewe to about twenty ewes. I’ve been supporting youth through the Lend-a-Lamb project where 4-H’ers can borrow my animals to have the opportunity to work with Romneys. I believe it is important to engage youth to showcase the qualities that make Romneys ideal for any person. I have had the pleasure of serving as the District 2 Director for the past two years. Currently I am in the process of digitizing old registration forms to ensure that ARBA’s pedigrees no longer have blank lines. It is important to preserve the history of our dual purpose breed to better promote Romneys into the future. I have done my best to serve the Romney breed through various means such as shows, You Tube videos, and plan to continue through new avenues of marketing.
I hope to continue to serve the members of District 2 and help with anything and everything.
Thank you for considering me as a District Director Candidate.
Allison Seyfert
My name is Alllison Seyfert and I live on a farmette in Maryland where we raise pigs, market lambs, and purebred Romneys, both white and natural colored. It all began back in the spring of 1995 when my mother got my sister and me a crossbred bottle lamb in memory of my father who passed away the previous summer. He was a veterinarian and it was always his dream to have a farm with animals and be involved with 4-H youth and the community.
In 1999, I bought my first Romney to show in the 4-H fairs. I chose the Romney breed for their quiet temperament, resistance to foot rot, high quality carcasses, and lustrous fleece. Having aged out of 4-H, I still exhibit in open shows, but I find the most joy in teaching others and leasing my Romneys to youth. Now, my main focus is the future of the Romney breed and encouraging new breeders, especially today’s youth.
While studying Animal Science at the University of Delaware, I kept only a small flock, but now I am growing my flock and ready to get more involved in shows, the association, and the future of our breed.
Thank you for considering me as a candidate for the District 2 Director position.
2014 Candidates for District 4 Director
Chris Bazant
My name is Chris Bazant, owner and shepherd of Missing Creek Farm in Lebanon, Oregon, and I am running for the District 4 Director position on the ARBA Board.
I have enjoyed raising white and natural colored Romney sheep for over thirty years. I find them very adaptable to differing parts of the U.S. and to differing needs of the shepherds that raise them – meat, wool, breeding stock, family activities such as 4-H and FFA and any and all combinations thereof.
I served on the ARBA Board many years ago and would very much like to serve again. Promoting our breed and expanding our membership are priorities. I ask for your vote. Thanks.
Karen Nichols
Hello, I’m Karen Nichols and I am running for District 4 ARBA Director. My husband Tom, daughter Anne and I live in Lebanon, Oregon. I own and manage a flock of 850 ewes, mostly product and purebred Horned Dorsets. I became involved with the Romney breed in 2007 when we purchased two natural colored Romneys from Silver Creek Lambscapes for Anne. This has grown to 40 ewes, both white and natural colored. Although I only own a few Romneys myself, I really enjoy the breed.
I graduated from Oregon State University with a BS in animal science and worked as the assistant shepherd at OSU for three years, then began to build my own flock.
I am currently president of the Oregon Romney Breeders Association and a member of the Oregon Purebred Sheep Breeders Association.
I would enjoy the opportunity to represent Oregon. Thank you.
Ruby Troncin
I am Ruby Troncin and I have lived the majority of my life on a small country farm. My husband and I have owned a flock of 25 Romneys, natural colored and white since 2008, in McMinnville and West Salem. We are presently working to create a sustainable farm using the Permaculture model. In the past 7 years we have enjoyed breeding Romney sheep, getting to know other breeders and showing our animals at local events in the Willamette Valley. Our granddaughters Caitlin (13) and Anna (9) have helped show our family flock at Yamhill County Fair, Black Sheep Gathering, Oregon Flock and Fiber, Sheep to Shawl and the Oregon State Fair.
I have 25 years of experience in leadership roles, 30 years living on or owning a farm and over 7 years raising Romneys. I have volunteered in community programs in Arizona, Oregon and California. My Masters of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning and BA degree in Sociology help with my volunteer work and understanding of tasks needing attention.
I would be greatly honored if elected to the Director position. I enjoy working with our Romney sheep, as well as children and other adults. As Director, I would contribute in any way I can to encourage young people to be interested in farming, especially raising Romney sheep which is a wonderful heritage breed. I personally believe our organization and each of us separately will benefit from working cooperatively to help breed healthy, contented animals. Competition has its place, but it should not be the driving force of our organization.
Positive attitudes such as sharing information and genetics are very important to any animal group. These are the values I believe in, will promote in our organization if elected to this position. Thank you for taking your time to learn about my background and philosophy.
2014 Candidates for District 6 Director
Jane Caulfield
I have been raising white and natural colored Romneys in Tennessee since 1985 when I brought down nine animals from Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Over the years since then, we have developed our farm and increased our ewe flock to 80 or 90 ewes. Our selection process has been aided by incorporating bloodlines from Barnes, Culver, Rooney and Bankhead. Our goals have been to produce, on a pasture based system, a good dual purpose sheep that exhibits the qualities outlined in ARBA’s breed standards.
I believe that it is important to contribute to our association. With this in mind, I have served ARBA as a district director and vice-president. I have been on the AI Committee since its inception and worked with the archive project of ARBA records. Over the years, I have traveled to many ARBA events both in District 6 and through-out the country. It is a great way to get to know other members and to learn about the breed.
I feel, that as the Director for District 6, I can serve the membership of both our district and the association. Please support me by voting for me in this election.