The U.S. sheep industry is poised for growth, and one Iowa producer is glad to have a hand in the movement. Marsha Spykerman of Sibley has been appointed by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to sit on the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center (NSIIC) Board of Directors. Administered by the USDA, the NSIIC provides grants to help producers increase efficiency.

"We’ve given grants for projects like producer education, product flavor profiles and genetic improvement," says Spykerman. "We’re here to help grow the sheep industry from within the industry."

Spykerman was first...