PRINCESS ANNE, MD – (August 30, 2018) – Another farm bus tour is on the horizon, as University of Maryland Extension at UMES prepares for the New Holland Farm Bus Tour on Sunday and Monday, September 23 and 24. The tour bus will leave the Richard A. Henson Center on Sunday at 11 a.m. and return on Monday after 6 p.m. from the New Holland Livestock Auction.
While a production deficit of lamb and chѐvon allows for an unprecedented demand for sheep and goat, marketing for sheep and goat producers continues to be complex. In response, the UMES Small Ruminant Program has organized a visit to the New Holland Sales Stables in New Holland, Pa., to allow producers to observe the largest sale of sheep and goats in the United States.
Preceding the sale on Monday, members of the USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service team, who weekly record and report the sales volume and sheep and goat prices at the auction, will explain the trends and other peculiarities of sheep and goat marketing on Sunday evening.
The sale begins at 9 a.m. on Monday and concludes at 2 p.m., when the bus will return to UMES. Parallel to the goat sale are auctions for cattle, pigs, horses and hay.
The $50 registration fee will cover bus transportation, hotel accommodations, educational materials and dinner on Sunday night. For the hotel stay, each guest will be paired with another tour participant. Limited scholarships are available. Register today at newhollandbustour2018.eventbrite.com or for more information, call 410-651-6070.
Anyone in need of special accommodations must call two weeks in advance.
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Suzanne Waters Street, agricultural communication specialist, UMES – University of Maryland Extension, 410-651-6084, sstreet@umes.edu.
