Junior Column for the Banner magazine

Greetings from the Pacific Northwest! I am a junior member with the American Romney Breeders Association (ARBA) and with the Oregon Romney Breeders Association (ORBA). I have a flock of 28 Romney ewes, both white and natural colored. I began raising Romneys when I was ten years old and have been active for many years in 4-H and FFA. I currently serve as a junior director for the Oregon Romney Breeders Association and am enrolled at Oregon State University, majoring in animal science.

Here in western Oregon we have mild, wet winters, but this winter we have received an excessive amount of rain. Everyone is ready for Spring! Being acclimated to a wet environment the Romneys have pulled through the wet winter with no problems. The lambs are growing well and it is time to pick out the project lambs for the coming show season.

The Romney is an excellent choice for a youth project. They are a dual-purpose breed with a quiet disposition making them easy for youth to handle. They are an ideal breed for showing and are very attractive in the show ring. In addition, their fleeces place very high in wool shows and can be sold to hand-spinners.

This year the National Romney Sale will be held at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival on May 6th. Out here on the West Coast, youth will find that the Romney breed is well represented at the Willamette Valley Ram Sale held in Scio, Oregon on July 29th. You can also visit the American Romney Breeders Association’s website at https://americanromney.org/ and find a breeder near you listed in the membership directory.

I’ve been watching my lambs and I’ve got my eye on a couple of new champions bouncing around in the flock. I hope you’ve got some in yours, too. See you in the show ring!

Nicole Murray
Junior Member, ARBA