NSIP Marketplace

07/25/2026

The Center of the Nation Sale is tomorrow - Saturday, July 25 at 11 AM Central Time.
Here is a link to additional information on the sale and the sale catalog: https://www.dvauction.com/events/269699-nsip-sheep-nation-7-25-26

Online bidding will be available through DVAuction:https://www.dvauction.com/

07/20/2026

07/20/2026

07/20/2026

The Center of the Nation Sale will begin at 11 AM Central Time on Saturday, July 25, at the Clay County Fairgrounds in Spencer, Iowa. The sale will feature 136 sheep bred for performance and profit, including Polypay, Suffolk, Dorset, Hampshire, Ile de France, Texel, and Katahdin rams and ewes. Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) will be available on all sale sheep.

Heartland Livestock Services is managing the sale. Donuts and buyer’s numbers will be available at 9 AM. Lunch will also be available on the grounds. Consignments can be viewed on https://plauctions.live/auction/33492. Online bidding will be available through https://www.dvauction.com/There will be many options for transportation of sheep across the country. Contact Bret Oelke, Sale Manager, at 218-770-2428.

07/18/2026

Todd Taylor, University of Wisconsin, and Dr. Andrew Weaver, North Carolina State University, will offer an informative session, Reproductive Technologies for Genetic Improvement, as part of the free NSIP educational program on July 24 at the Clay County Fairgrounds 4-H Center in Spencer, Iowa. This session will explore the opportunity for reproductive technologies to accelerate genetic progress. Tools such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer can increase selection pressure and decrease generation interval, moving flocks closer to their goals.

To view the entire program schedule and register for the program, go to https://go.ncsu.edu/nsipeducationalprogram26.

07/17/2026

Carolyn Ihde, Small Ruminant Outreach Specialist, University of Wisconsin Extension and Iowa State University Extension will provide an update on an exciting new wool pellet project. This session will be offered as part of the free NSIP educational program on July 24 at the Clay County Fairgrounds 4-H Center in Spencer, Iowa.

A research team from Iowa State University is exploring the use of wool as an alternative to peat moss in berry production. As part of this NC SARE-funded project, the team is seeking input from sheep producers to better understand opportunities for collaboration between the sheep and berry industries.

Join us to learn more about the project, share your perspectives, and discover ways to get involved in this innovative research effort. Your insights will help shape potential partnerships and future market opportunities for wool producers.

To view the entire program schedule and register for the program go to https://go.ncsu.edu/nsipeducationalprogram26

07/12/2026

Genetic Selection in New Zealand and Tools for U.S. Sheep Producers will be an enlightening session offered as part of the free NSIP educational program on July 24 at the Clay County Fairgrounds 4-H Center in Spencer, Iowa.

Dr. Tricia Johnson will present the session. She is a Senior Scientist and Team Leader for the Bioeconomy Science Institute (Formerly AgResearch) Animal Genomics Team, based in Mosgiel, New Zealand. Dr Johnson grew up on a sheep and beef farm, a foundation that has shaped both her research focus and her approach to industry engagement throughout her career.

Dr Johnson's research programs center on collaborative data collection with sheep breeders for traits of importance, generation of estimated breeding values, and advancing genomic selection. Her current traits of interest relate to feed efficiency, meat quality, and heat stress.

A hallmark of Dr. Johnson's work is her commitment to genuine industry partnership — engaging meat processors, commercial farmers, and breeders to ensure research is both relevant and adopted. Married to a sheep and beef farmer, she brings a rare and valuable dual perspective to her role — one foot firmly in the science, the other on the farm.

Dr. Johnson is well placed to provide valuable insights into how genetic improvement is progressing in the New Zealand sheep industry, with a specific emphasis on the role genomics is playing in driving that progress.

To view the entire program schedule and register for the program go to https://go.ncsu.edu/nsipeducationalprogram26

07/12/2026

Might be the best sheep we have raised when you combine phenotype and genotype. Triplet raised a triplet that weighed an actual 214 pounds on 6/17. Dam is also mother of ewe lamb we sold to Mint Gold Ranch at the 2024 National Ram Sale. We purchased her yearling son back this spring from Dale to use at stud.
July 1st EBV percentiles:
- WW EBV: Top 10%
- PWW EBV: Top 10%
- Fat EBV: Top 2%
- EMD EBV: Top 17%
- NLB EBV: Top 2%
- NLW EBV: Top 3%
- CARC + Index: Top 2%
- SRC Index: Top 2%
No ram in the history of the Suffolk breed has covered the columns like 1850!

January ram lamb, LOT323 - 2026 Center of the Nation NSIP Sale

07/09/2026

Join us for an exciting weekend sponsored by the National Sheep Improvement Program. The weekend program will kick off with a farm tour of Goeken Family Farm on Friday, July 24, followed by afternoon educational sessions at the Clay County Fairgrounds 4-H Center. Both programs are free of charge. The weekend will culminate with the NSIP Center of the Nation Sale starting at 11 a.m. Central Time on Saturday, July 25.

The tour will feature Goeken Family Farm, a 1,200-head commercial Polypay flock that uses both terminal and maternal NSIP rams. They have been raising sheep for 25 years and using NSIP rams for the last 15 years. They utilize accelerated lambing with about one-third of the flock each year to optimize year-round production.

Kevin Goeken and his son, Noah, will lead the tour, which will give you great ideas to take home and use in your own operation. They use 11 hoop barns converted from hog finishing barns. They have a dedicated handling system in one of the barns that allows them to quickly sort, vaccinate, and weigh ewes and lambs. They also have a specialized milk replacer facility attached to their heated lambing barn.

Dr. Andrew Weaver will facilitate a discussion on ram selection using EBVs and phenotypic evaluation, with the opportunity to view some of the rams in production in the Goeken operation.

Free registration for the tour and/or the educational program is available at https://go.ncsu.edu/nsipeducationalprogram26

07/05/2026

Don't miss the NSIP Online Ram & Ewe Sale this week! The sale is July 8 and opens at 8 a.m. Central time. There are 46 lots. Visit the sale site for details on each of the sale lots. https://plauctions.live/auction/32546