WWI launches fourth annual Lamb-A-Year Program
The Wyoming Wool Initiative (WWI), in partnership with the University of Wyoming (UW) College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, is now accepting applications for its 2025-26 Lamb-A-Year program.
This flagship program, now in its fourth year, offers UW students valuable industry experience and provides regional sheep producers with individualized lamb quality data.
The program
“Lamb-A-Year is a value discovery program where producers donate lambs, we feed out those lambs here at the Laramie Research and Extension Center (LREC), collect performance and meat quality information and give the information back to producers,” says Whit Stewart, UW Extension sheep specialist. “Lamb-A-Year is an investment in the sheep industry in the state of Wyoming.”
Participating producers are asked to donate feeder lambs of 70 to 90 pounds. WWI will coordinate with donors to arrange drop-off and pick-up locations this fall, with all lambs delivered to LREC at the beginning of October.
In order to receive meaningful results, donors are encouraged to enter at least two lambs into the test, which begins in mid-October and runs through February 2026.
In 2024, 26 producers donated a total of 125 lambs to the program.
“Some producers have shared data from Lamb-A-Year with potential buyers as a means of marketing the genetic potential of their lambs,” Stewart notes. “Others have used the lamb quality information to better understand the optimal finishing weight of their lambs.”
Program benefits
Lamb sales help support educational programming for students and producers, workshops at the annual Wyoming Sheep and Wool Festival, UW meat science curriculum, lamb quality research and more. Producers receive a tax-deductible charitable gift receipt based on the market value of their lambs.
A total of more than 150 youth and university students from UW and other institutions benefited from educational opportunities related to the 2024-25 Lamb-A-Year program, WWI reports.
“Lamb-A-Year funds enhance our ability to deliver curriculum in a unique way,” says Stewart. “I think this is when we’re doing things right – when we’re getting students out of the classroom.”
For those interested in donating lambs, visit bit.ly/lay-2025 and fill out the online form by Sept. 30.
WWI also accepts financial contributions and in-kind donations, such as feed, to support the Lamb-A-Year program. Visit bit.ly/lay-2025 to make a donation.
Brooke Ortel is a writer and editor for UW Extension. This article was originally published by UW Ag News on Aug. 20.
