Our Guiding Principles
The Eastern Alliance for Production Katahdins is a group of like-minded Katahdin producers established to facilitate the sharing of information and genetics to improve the commercial value of the Katahdin breed to the US sheep industry. Further, the Eastern Alliance functions as a liaison between Katahdin Hair Sheep International (KHSI) and the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP) by providing technical expertise to the KHSI Board and its members on issues pertaining to quantitative genetic selection and by assisting the NSIP Board and Program Director by facilitating breed-specific outreach and mentorship opportunities for Katahdin flocks enrolled in NSIP.
Our vision is that of a Katahdin Sheep that possesses a suite of economically important production traits each of which may be balanced, emphasized or de-emphasized to fit the unique nature of an operation’s genetic base, environment, management system, and philosophy. Simply put, to use the latest tools of genetic selection to build hard-working sheep that fit their environment, excel for the shepherd, and are profitable.
Mission Statement:
To advance the development of production-oriented Katahdin Hair Sheep using quantitative genetic selection and producer education for the benefit of the U.S. sheep industry.
Goals:
- Assist with recruitment of new Katahdin flocks into NSIP and to encourage increased use of EBVs by commercial as well as seedstock producers.
- Develop a mentorship program for new and existing Katahdin breeders enrolled in NSIP to improve data collection, encourage submission, improve interpretation and selection decisions, and foster greater retention of enrolled Katahdin flocks.
- Organize educational opportunities for Katahdin breeders enrolled in NSIP including dissemination of the latest relevant genetic research and technologies, provide training in management of on farm data and use of software to assist in data collection/management/visualization, and to discuss emerging trends in sheep management and marketing.
- Promote the purchase and sale of high quality production-oriented Katahdins to the entire sheep industry with special focus on commercial producers through a greater understanding and use of estimated breeding values.