VERY THANKFUL TO
HAVE A NEW SHEEP
EXTENSION
SPECIALIST AT MSU
AFTER SEVERAL
YEARS WITHOUT
ONE.
IN OUR MONTANA AG
NETWORK REPORT,
RUSSELL NEMETZ
INTRODUCES US TO
THE PERSON 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 SO
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.




ONE OF THE BIG
PRIORITIES THAT
ROEDER (RAIDER)
HAS SET FOR 2019...
IS WORKING WITH
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE
THE MONTANA WOOL
GROWERS
ASSOCIATION TO
SECURING FUNDING
FOR MSU'S WOOL
LAB IN THE 2019
LEGISLATIVE
SESSION.
HAS SET FOR 2019...
IS WORKING WITH
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE
THE MONTANA WOOL
GROWERS
ASSOCIATION TO
SECURING FUNDING
FOR MSU'S WOOL
LAB IN THE 2019
LEGISLATIVE
SESSION.
