The Ohio State Fair Brown Arena, more commonly known as the sheep barn, holds memories dating back to the beginning of the Ohio State Fair as we know it. This barn holds countless handshakes, laughter, tears, friendships and favorite memories. Many of the memories held in this barn come from longtime Ohio Suffolk breeder and enthusiast, Rob Frost. Beginning his Suffolk journey in 1966, eight years before graduating from The Ohio State University in 1974, Rob is a long-time Suffolk veteran and friend to everyone involved with the breed. 

Rob and his wife Lisa, along with their three daughters, currently operate Frostaire Farm out of Bloomingburg, Ohio. Frostaire Farm currently runs about 40 ewes and has dominated multiple aspects of the Suffolk industry throughout the years. Frostaire sheep have taken home titles in the slick shorn ring, the fitted ring, and even made a name in the club lamb industry. Rob is proud to raise consistently good and genetically sound Suffolk lambs that attract buyers from across the country. His genetics can be traced primarily back to Wiford and Slack sheep, and he believes in the results of line breeding.

Throughout his years involved with the Suffolk industry, Rob has had a fair share of incredible memories and experiences. His journey took off at the Ohio State Fair in 1968, where he found himself at the pens of Bud and Julia Westlake after watching them win Grand Champion Suffolk Ram. He was ready to take his breeding program to the next level, and wanted to bring their champion ram home on his trailer. “I paid the horrible price of $500 for the ram,” laughed Rob as he reminisced. This ram was a huge building block for his genetics and operation, and helped him begin to get really competitive in the show ring. 

Eleven years later, Rob had another unforgettable Ohio State Fair. He received Champion Suffolk Ewe with a fall ewe lamb, beating out the yearling that was the champion at the Midwest Sale. He talked about this experience being one of his favorite Suffolk memories, and will never forget the feeling of winning that show. This fall ewe lamb went on to be the reserve champion at the North American International Livestock Exposition that same year.

In 1991, Rob dispersed his Suffolk flock. However, four years later, he found himself missing sheep and decided he wanted to get back into it. Rob mentioned that every Suffolk was a fitted Suffolk in the ‘80s, and even market lambs were shown with wool. The industry had rapidly changed, so he changed his approach as well and purchased slick sheep to begin to build up his flock again. As his daughters were getting into showing, Rob appreciated that they did not need to spend time fitting and enjoyed the aspect of working to breed out any issues with his flock that wool could not cover anymore. 

After restarting his flock, his slick shorn operation took off. He enjoyed watching his children show and his sheep take home titles in all kinds of shows. He has stayed heavily involved in the Suffolk industry, and will soon get to watch his grandkids enjoy sheep just as much as he does. Rob has found his passion in all aspects of the sheep industry, from working with the sheep to enjoying the good fellowship that the Suffolk community gives. “My God-given calling in life is to be a shepherd,” said Rob. 

Rob is among the large group of people excitedly getting sheep ready for the breeding season and getting the trailer unpacked from the 2024 Ohio State Fair, already anticipating and planning for next year. Rob’s dedication, passion and talent for being in the barn has helped advance and improve the industry. Frostaire Farm is a name that will forever be recognized in the Suffolk world, and Rob continues to build his legacy every day.

“Is there anything else you would like me to write?” I asked Rob at the end of our conversation.

“Yes,” he said with a mischievous smile. “Please say that I am better looking than Tom Begg.”

The Ohio Suffolk Sheep Association would like to thank Rob Frost for contributing his time and knowledge to our blog.

The AgriPulse describes American agriculture as the envy of the world- achieving a level of success that is simply unparalleled. Agriculture and food industries have contributed an estimated $1.530 trillion to U.S. gross domestic product in 2023, making it one of the largest industries in the country. Agriculturalists are innovative, adaptive and have been putting the work in to better and broaden the industry for years. Corn production has increased on average by 2 bushels/ year since 1950 and pigs per litter has increased at a rate of 1.1% year since 1993, to just name a few thriving industries. However, sheep production has not kept pace or taken such large strides. The 2023 lambing rate was 103 lambs per 100 ewes, one year old and older on January 1, 2023, which is down 2 percent from 2022. These numbers can be deceptive due to the heavy influence of the western range sheep production and the impact of environmental conditions, but no one can deny there is room for improvement in sheep production.

Meet Susan and Bill Shultz, sheep industry superheroes

Although the sheep industry is falling behind in terms of improvement, people like Bill and Susan Shultz are coming in to do their part in educating and informing people on how to make a difference. Improvement will look different for every operation, but every shepherd can use the same tools to achieve their goals. I had the privilege of meeting with Susan Shultz, who is a very familiar and friendly face in the sheep world. Susan and her husband Bill operate Bunker Hill Farm out of DeGraff, Ohio, where they raise Suffolk terminal sires primarily for the western commercial industry. Susan has previously served as the American Sheep Industry president, Ohio Sheep Improvement Association president, and a co-chair on the American Sheep Industry Let’s Grow committee to name a few of her  incredible leadership roles. Both Susan and Bill are dedicated to improving the sheep industry as a whole through genetic performance improvement with the use of Estimated Breeding Values, commonly referred to as EBVs. Susan and Bill’s expertise and dedication to the industry has not gone unnoticed, as they were the 2004 winner of the American Sheep Industry Environmental Stewardship Award.

How can I improve my flock’s genetics?

Susan emphasized that the very first step to advancing the performance of your flock is to know exactly what your end goal is. What is my desired outcome with my sheep? Am I trying to sell lambs that are a certain weight? Do I want to bring home a purple banner? Oftentimes it can be easy to try and replicate what your neighbor is doing that has given them success, but your flock and end goal is different from your neighbor’s goal. After determining your goal, the next step is to evaluate your flock and ask yourself questions. Why am I not hitting the top market? Why are my sheep not competitive? What can I do?  Answer these questions in relation to your own flock, then begin filling in the gaps. 

While genetic improvement starts with your flock at home, it continues with the new genetics that will be brought into your bloodlines. Having baseline genetic requirements is important- leaving out dwarf genes and being fully aware of scrapie designation at codon 171 (RR, QR, QQ). Susan also commenetd about the importance of bringing sheep home from a farm that you find is sanitary and hygienic, leaving any sort of visible illnesses away from your barn. For instance, f you see sheep that appear sick and limping, they may have foot rot. Battling foot rot in your flock is a sure way to lose profits, good sheep, and have a lot of headaches.  Susan stated that good genetic selection goes far beyond the phenotype, but rather the use of EBVs and quantitative genetic selection. 

It’s all about the EBV

Estimated Breeding Value and quantitative genetic selection sounds difficult, but it really doesn’t have to be! EBV’s go further than the knowledge on a registration paper or basic barn records. They help the shepherd make the most informed choice while breeding to help ensure the desired outcome, and take the management environment piece out and just focus on the genetic piece. While the environment the animal is raised in is incredibly important, having a detailed view of the genetics with no environmental factors is important as well when. purchasing animals. EBV’s measure maternal characteristics, milking characteristics and give incredibly accurate growth rates through pre weaning weight, weaning weight and post weaning weight records. They also keep track of entire family history, including parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, siblings and cousins to provide the most accurate family tree for breeding. EBV’s also show where your animal is at in relation to other animals in the breed, which helps breeders know if they are on track to reach their goals. These accurate and incredible records happen by ultrasounding loin eye area and fat, which provides a detailed carcass report while the animal is still standing in the barn! Having this knowledge and information can help breeders know exactly what their flock is worth and what needs to change to reach their goals. While looking ahead at the future of our industry, EBV’s also have the potential to help with parasite resistance!

How to get EBV’s in your flock

EBV’s are incredibly easy to obtain and can be done by becoming a member of the National Sheep Improvement Association (NSIP). A link to the NSIP enrollment form can be found here (http://nsip.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2024-Enrollment-Form.pdf). To learn more about becoming a member about NSIP, click here http://nsip.org/nsip-become-a-member/. More information about EBVs, more links, and how to use them can be found here http://nsip.org/nsip-resources-2/estimated-breeding-values/. Interested breeders do not need to be enrolled in NSIP or understand the ins and outs of EBVs to reap the benefits of the program, as purchasing animals from a NSIP flock gives you a full insight of what you are purchasing. This is incredibly helpful to help everyone reach their flock performance goals! Customers of NSIP flocks rave about the thorough consistency of the sheep they are purchasing, and those NSIP genetics just help their flocks keep getting better.

The Ohio Suffolk Sheep Association would like to thank Susan Shultz for providing information and expertise for our blog.

According to the World Economics Forum, over half of Americans are claiming to actively eat healthier and change their lifestyle in a way to achieve or maintain good health and wellness. As many people embark on a health journey and begin to dig into food labels and understand ingredients, they are beginning to reach for fresh lamb on the shelves. Serving as the lowest calorie red meat option, lamb is packed with vital nutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and an excellent source of protein, to name just a few. The health benefits of including lamb on your plate is astonishing- and many Americans and people across the globe are beginning to incorporate lamb into their diets. Throughout the past few years, lamb sales have jumped around 28%, an incredible leap in the industry. As more people begin to delve into a world of health and wellness, they are willing to pay the price tag for a quality, delicious and extremely nutritious cut of lamb.

As Suffolk sheep producers, we should be excited. We have an industry goldmine standing in our barns and grazing in our pastures, as Suffolk sheep are highly sought after by butcher shops and resteraunts due to their rapid growth rate, and lamb enjoyers for their delicious meat. Understanding the needs and wants of both the industry and your local community can help you maximize profits on your Suffolk sheep.

I had the privilege of meeting with Katie Kramer, owner of Hurdwell butcher shop in Arlington, Ohio, to discuss the use of Suffolk sheep in her operation. Hurdwell serves as a place for local community to have access to fresh, local meats and a wide variety of other products. Every product in her store is sourced from a local farmer or producer, and Katie has served as a wonderful pillar for the industry through her passion and expertise in the meat industry and providing her community with locally sourced food. Prior to opening up Hurdwell in 2022, Katie worked as an attorney practicing law and taught law at Ohio Northern University. Her idea for her business started after her father was diagnosed with Alzheimers, and she began her journey of researching all about it. After she began her own research, she found that Alzheimers can have a connection to preservatives and additives added into meat. Her ardor for sourcing local meats began there, as well as her mission to provide and market these products without fear mongering. Alongside serving as a shop for the community, Hurdwell also provides meat to surrounding businesses and restaurants like Fort Eighty Eight in Findlay, Ohio.

Both the butchers and shoppers at Hurdwell love Suffolk lamb. Katie and the other meat experts at Hurdwell have a very specific profile they require for their lamb, and Suffolks seem to always make the cut. The Hurdwell lamb profile consists of lambs less than 6 months old, yield grade 2 or 3, and 80 pounds plus hanging/dress weight for more efficient processing. Butchers at Hurdwell have and continue to work with multiple different breeds of sheep, but love working with Suffolks. Butchers enjoy their high yield at a young age, dressing 80-100 pounds at 5 months old. When talking with Katie about primarily using Suffolk lamb, she mentioned that she thinks of Suffolks as the ‘Angus of the lamb world’ – desirable and delicious. Gyro patties and lamb chops are a few of the most  popular cuts of lamb sold at Hurdwell, and customers just keep coming back for more delicious lamb.

The Ohio Suffolk Sheep Association would like to thank Katie Kramer, owner of Hurdwell butcher shop in Arlington, Ohio, for providing information and expertise for our blog.

Eagle Creek Suffolks new lamb out of their ram, ‘Hurdwell.’ Eagle Creek Suffolks is the lamb provider for Hurdwell.