Stewart brings back industry expertise from New Zealand
This year, University of Wyoming (UW) Sheep Extension Specialist Dr. Whit Stewart stepped away from his day-to-day work juggling research, teaching college students and conducting producer outreach in Wyoming to spend a sabbatical in New Zealand – one of the most efficient and globally-competitive sheep industries in the world – where he got an inside look at large-scale, pasture-based sheep production outside of the U.S.
Upon returning to Wyoming, Stewart has made a few appearances to share highlights from his experiences abroad, which he claims have given him a renewed sense of purpose and a long list of ideas he believes could help strengthen U.S. sheep production far into the future.
Stewart provided a virtual presentation during the West Central States Wool Growers Convention, held in Cody Nov. 5-7 and guest starred on the American Sheep Industry Association’s Research Update Podcast in mid-November.
New Zealand sabbatical
Stewart explained his goal for spending a sabbatical in New Zealand was to better understand how Extension and research inform one another and how U.S. Extension programs can be more effective in working with sheep producers to stay productive in a rapidly changing environment.
In a country where the sheep flock is roughly five times the size of that in the U.S., Stewart also saw an opportunity to evaluate a large-scale, pasture-based system where the entire industry is based around adapting to global consumer expectations and constant market pressure.
He also noted the sabbatical served as a “gut check” for him personally.
“I think we all get in stages of our career – no matter what we do – where we’ve got to do a gut check and ask ourselves if we are still listening, still learning, still adapting to change and still working to be a better asset to the people we are serving,” he stated. “This was really the motivation for me.”
During his months abroad, Stewart spent time with Beef and Lamb New Zealand and Lincoln University, where he taught undergraduate classes and certificate-level courses, mentored honors students and worked with faculty on everything from forage agronomy and parasite management to animal welfare and pasture-based production.
He also partnered with Headwaters Genetics to host two study tours for Wyoming producers and UW Extension’s Sheep Task Force.
Industry highlights
Stewart noted once he got past the initial shock of how enormous New Zealand’s infrastructure is compared to the U.S. – from processing plants to genetics companies and feed systems – he was struck by how similar the challenges are between the two countries.
“Once I got past the initial awe, I realized something – and this sounds cliché – but a lot of our producers here in the U.S. and those in New Zealand are not that different, especially in the challenges they face,” he said. “I think we assume our competitors are living high on the hog, but they’re struggling too and they’re facing pressures that mirror ours.”
Stewart noted producers in New Zealand are dealing with land-use pressures as sheep country is being converted to pine plantations and dairies; environmental regulations such as nitrate leaching, water quality rules and emissions proposals; depressed wool markets and crippling labor shortages.
On the other hand, one of the largest differences Stewart noted between the two countries is that New Zealand lambs are typically finished on pasture with minimal grain inputs and slaughtered at 120 to 150 days of age at 80 to 85 pounds liveweight.
This is opposite of the American system where lambs are often fed in feedlots to heavier weights, nearing a year of age before slaughter.
Composite breeds, especially Romney-influenced bloodlines, dominate New Zealand flocks, and heterosis is embraced instead of avoided.
Stewart further explained most sheep in New Zealand are sold on a carcass-based pricing grid versus “on the hoof,” and he mentioned the country’s genetic selection mainly focuses on maternal efficiency, growth rates, carcass yield and parasite resistance.
Additionally, Stewart noted New Zealand’s parasite control methods are a model worth mimicking. One of the most memorable lessons he learned involved targeted selective treatment for internal parasites.
“New Zealand producers often manage mobs in the thousands, using digital tools which combine pasture conditions, animal weights, growth trajectories and environmental risk,” he explained. “Apps and automated drafting systems generate a ‘worm-risk score,’ which tells producers exactly which animals need treatment, preserving refugia and extending the life of dewormers.”
“Efficiency isn’t just about speed,” he added. “It’s about precision – making sure labor and treatments go where they matter most.”
Stewart further emphasized New Zealand’s use of technology isn’t about getting hands on the newest, flashiest equipment. Instead, producers utilize what they have available to make real-time, on-the-ground decisions quicker and easier.
Tools like FarmIQ allow producers to estimate grazing intervals, track pasture growth, plan rotations and record lamb performance instantly. Although, like everywhere else, adoption is varied.
“People everywhere are just people – some love technology and some avoid it,” he said. “What impressed me, though, was how the Kiwis translate technical information into something everyone can use.”
Community spotlight
One of the things Stewart valued most about New Zealand’s sheep industry during his time abroad was the culture of intellectual debate, including morning teas, farm visits and conversations where ideas could be challenged without defensiveness.
He pointed out community-driven learning groups serve as the backbone of the country’s Extension model, and programs like Hogget 101 allow farmers to meet up at a host ranch, discuss challenges, share real-world outcomes and stay connected long after the in-person visit ends.
“I think one aspect that makes Hogget 101 work so well is that there is a community in which producers engage with each other,” he said. “These producers had a WhatsApp group chat, where, in the evenings when they would get back to their houses and put up their feet after a busy day of running around, they were able to dialogue.”
“A passionate group building connections with each other to solve problems is a good thing,” he continued. “In the world we live in where isolation is increasingly becoming a problem, sitting down and connecting with people is also a good thing. A natural consequence of farmer-to-farmer learning groups is building networks and friendships in the industry.”
Perhaps one of Stewart’s strongest takeaways was New Zealand’s urgency to invest in its next generation.
“Lincoln University is incredibly holistic,” he noted. “They’re training a pipeline of students who can step into managing agricultural enterprises immediately.”
He also mentioned time spent at New Zealand’s cadet training farm, a full-scale working operation that hosts high school students pursuing pathways into agriculture.
“In the U.S., we have got to double down on pathways for the next generation. A pathway to getting more people in our industry is not in an internship and not in one or two companies – it’s everybody getting involved in getting the next generation passionate about and trained to be successful in our industry.”
Stewart also pushed back against the belief sheep aren’t profitable for beginning producers and the next generation.
“I will always challenge the concept that there is no money in the sheep industry,” he said. “There is no livestock species with more potential for favorable capital investment than sheep. We just need to build the systems to help people succeed.”
Now that he’s back in the Cowboy State, Stewart said he plans to launch farmer-to-farmer learning groups modeled after those in New Zealand, integrate real-time decision support tools into Extension programs, expand applied forage and genetics work and create pathways for Wyoming youth to enter sheep production.
“New Zealand reminded me why this work matters,” he concluded. “Our producers deserve the best science, the best support and a system built for the next generation – not the last one.”
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
