With Dr. Joe Emenheiser

For producers who plan to breed and raise their own animals, choosing the correct breed(s) is only the beginning. The second webinar in this series will cover the basics of molecular and quantitative genetics and how to use these principles to make accurate and effective selection and culling decisions in a breeding program. Strategies for improving purebreds, as well as using breeds together in well-designed commercial crossbreeding systems, will be presented.

About the Presenter

Dr. Joe Emenheiser is the former Vermont Extension Livestock Specialist, and he is currently an independent consultant and an Animal Science lecturer at the University of Vermont and Vermont Technical College. He has a PhD from Virginia Tech and his dissertation was on pasture- based  beef systems. Beginning on a small family farm in PA, he has extensive experience in the sheep and meat industries, particularly in the areas of meat quality evaluation and breeding  genetics. He was a member of the Reserve National Champion Intercollegiate Livestock and Meats Judging teams at Oklahoma State University and has worked as a butcher, meat plant supervisor, and livestock supply manager. He has managed commercial flocks as large as 2,200 ewes and was instrumental in developing ultrasound carcass EPDs  for the National Sheep Improvement Program. His purebred Suffolk flock and breeding program has earned national recognition. He lives in Middlebury, VT.

This three-part VSGA Webinar Series is supported by the Vermont Grass Farmers Association and New England Grazing Network. Special thanks to Jenn Colby and Colene Reed at UVM Extension for facilitating this event.  You can click on the hyperlinks to sign up for each webinar in Eventbrite.  You will be sent a digital ticket to the event.

CONTACT: Please contact Dave Martin at settlementfarm@comcast.net with any questions.