Ballots will be mailed out the 1st of November, and are due back to the election chairperson by December 1st. Ballots will be mailed to all active members as of October 1st. Here are the candidates:
1 CANDIDATE FOR VICE-PRESIDENT
Joan R. Chapin – Atlanta, IN (formerly of CT and Milton, NH)
I would be pleased to serve on the Board of Directors of the Bluefaced Leicester Union of North America.
After 35 years of shepherding, I developed a spinners’ flock of Bluefaced Leicesters (with a few Border Leicester crosses), and my passion for sheep and fiber arts has only grown. In 1984 I was working Federal Crop Insurance field assessments as a summer job, when the Farmer at Connecticut Junior Republic handed me a pair of bottle lambs, gifting me and my children with their first sheep. That started my children participating in 4-H before they were eligible. They attended the Vocational Agriculture supplement in high school, were active in FFA, and in County 4-H. One of my children and his family now keep a flock of Romneys, my granddaughter has a small flock of —wait for it — Bluefaced Leicesters!
I have been a leader in 4-H, a breed secretary for a few years for the New England Youth Show, and clerked the junior show ring. I have been vendor co-chair for the New Hampshire Sheep & Wool Festival, managing approximately 100 vendors, for several years before moving lately to Indiana with 4 Bluefaced ewes and 2 ewe lambs. (Oh, and Great Pyrenees guard dogs – brother and sister.)
I am retired from public education after 30 years as a school psychologist. I have always had a deep commitment to personal development of youth. As with my own children, I believe that sheep ownership is the perfect venue for a growing sense of responsibility, developing work ethic, and for maturing social interactions. The youth community active in raising and showing sheep is a good environment to learn animal husbandry and to learn to help others. And the role models and mentors are not bad either
2 CANDIDATES FOR BOARD POSITIONS
Carol Densmore – Webberville MI
Greetings! I’m Carol Densmore and together with my husband, Steve, operate Cross Wind Farm. We primarily raise Bluefaced Leicesters and Lincolns. The BFL breed was the first sheep we started with and remains my favorite. Our farm is located in an agricultural community in the central part of Michigan. We raise our sheep for breeding stock and wool.
After growing up in farm country on opposite sides of the state Steve and I continue our life long desire to farm and raise livestock. Steve has many years of livestock experience, having grown up on a dairy farm; and I grew up on a farm that raised pigs and chickens, boarded horses, and chased cattle from the adjacent farm.
After owning a herd of alpacas raising sheep was a natural choice because of my insatiable love of fiber and the fiber arts. As a master spinner (Olds College, Alberta, Canada) I teach all aspects of spinning and working with wool as well as judge for handspun skein competitions and wool shows. I shear all of our sheep myself and stay up close and personal to the wool as it grows.
The approach at Cross Wind Farm is to breed our sheep for wool, conformation, and disposition. They are bred for soundness and manageability, while producing a beautiful, marketable fleece. Ewe lambs that we retain as replacements are not bred until they are yearlings. Our goal is to keep select ewes even after their breeding
career so they can grow fleece without the stress of pregnancy and lambing. Our rams are selected for fleece characteristics and temperament.
If elected, I will diligently work to contribute to the Bluefaced Leicester Union’s mission and its events and activities. I’ve always been a vocal spokesperson for the Bluefaced Leicesters and am passionate about educating others and gaining support for the breed.
Heather Landin – Baldwin, WI
I’m running for my second term on the BLU board. As a board member I have been maintaining the files for imported BFL rams as well as assisting in other activities. My daughter and I have a flock of approximately 80 BFLs on our farm in west central Wisconsin and are working on maintain and collecting for storage a number of different bloodlines. We have been members of BLU since 2007.
I am a fiber artist and working with BFLs to maximize their potential as productive wool sheep that can also deliver an excellent crossing carcass is out flock goal. My other life as an engineer and clinical researcher has led me to focus on sheep health. We have an OPP/CL tested flock and have done a great deal of research into good herd health practices which we try to share as much as possible.
I’ve learned a lot about how the board functions to promote the breed during my first term and would like to take advantage of that to continue to help promoting the BFL breed and making the next national show happen next summer. I hope you’ll agree and vote me in for a second term.