SOME GOOD NEWS FOR
MONTANA'S SHEEP
INDUSTRY THIS HOLIDAY
SEASON.
IN THIS MONTANA AG
NETWORK REPORT,
RUSSELL NEMETZ
INTRODUCES US TO A
NEW ADDITION - WHO'S
EXCITED TO HELP BUILD
A NEW LEGACY FOR THE
NEXT GENERATION OF
SHEEP PRODUCERS.




ROEDER: THE SHEEP
INDUSTRY HAS BEEN
VERY GOOD TO ME
THROUGH THE YEARS
BOTH PERSONALLY AND
ACADEMICALLY. SO,
SOME OF IT IS YOU
REACH A STAGE IN YOUR
LIFE WHERE YOU DON'T
SEE ANYONE STEPPING
UP FOR A POSITION TO
HELP BUILD THAT
LEGACY FOR THE NEXT
GENERATION.
NEMETZ: BRENT
ROEDER IS NO
STRANGER TO THE LAMB
AND WOOL INDUSTRY
HERE IN MONTANA.
PRIOR TO BEGINNING HIS
NEW POSITION AT MSU IN
NOVEMBER, HE SERVED
AS AN AGRICULTURE AND
NATURAL RESOURCES
EXTENSION AGENT IN
TETON COUNTY. HE SAYS
HE RECOGNIZES THE
VITAL ROLE HIS POSITION
PLAYS TO MONTANA'S
SHEEP INDUSTRY.
ROEDER: WE'RE AT A
LITTLE BIT OF A CROSS
ROADS IN THE SHEEP
INDUSTRY. WE'VE
DEFINITELY HAD A
RESURGENCE IN THE
WOOL INDUSTRY AND
DEFINITELY MORE
PEOPLE INTERESTED IN A
SOURCE VERIFIED USA
MADE PRODUCT. SO,
THAT LENDS ITSELF
WELL TO THE VALUE-
ADDED PRODUCTS THAT
MONTANA IS REALLY
WELL KNOWN FOR. THAT
AND WE KNOW THERE'S
GOING TO BE SOME
DEMOGRAPHIC
CHANGES IN LAMB
CONSUMPTION.
NEMETZ: SHEEP
PRODUCERS LIKE MIKE
GREEN OF COHAGEN,
MONTANA SAY ROEDER
BRINGS A WEALTH OF
BOTH ACADEMIC AND
REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCE
TO MSU'S SHEEP AND
WOOL PROGRAM.
GREEN: I WAS REALLY
THRILLED TO SEE BRENT
GET THE JOB. HE GOT
HIS MASTER'S THERE
AND EVEN THOUGH HE'S
FROM TEXAS, WE'LL GIVE
HIM ONE PASS ON THAT.
BUT HE'LL DO A GREAT
JOB.
NEMETZ: AND ROEDER
HOPES HIS KNOWLEDGE,
EXPERTISE AND
RELATIONSHIPS ARE
JUST THE RIGHT
INGREDIENTS TO HELP
RANCHERS INCREASE
THEIR SHEEP NUMBERS
IN MONTANA.
ROEDER: SO, MOVING
FORWARD IT'S A MATTER
OF JUST EDUCATING
PEOPLE AND TRYING TO
GET OUR PRODUCTION
NUMBERS UP A LITTLE
BIT. WE'VE BEEN
STAGNANT ON LAMBS
PRODUCED IN THE STATE
FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS
NOW. IT WOULD BE NICE
TO TRY TO MOVE THAT
NUMBER A LITTLE BIT.
NEMETZ: WITHOUT
QUESTION, ROEDER'S
BACKGROUND IN
PRODUCTION,
RESEARCH AND
EXTENSION IS AN ASSET
TO EVERYONE INVOLVED
WITH MONTANA'S SHEEP
INDUSTRY. IN BILLINGS-
RUSSELL NEMETZ-MTN
NEWS.
THANKS RUSSELL.
AND RUSSELL TELLS US -
ONE OF THE BIG
PRIORITIES THAT
ROEDER
HAS SET FOR 2019 IS TO
WORK WITH
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE
THE MONTANA WOOL
GROWERS ASSOCIATION
TO
