Ewe might learn a thing or two when Sheep Week comes to Crookwell

An upcoming five-day event is set to showcase the Southern Tablelands’ sheep meat and wool industry.

Australian Agricultural Centre chief executive officer Jo Marshall said Sheep Week was a chance for people young and old to learn something new.

“Last year, we started interactive programs for career-taster days around shearing with AWI [Australian Wool Innovation], and they were extremely popular – as they have been this year,” she said.

“From that, we decided to develop a week that was educational around everything to do with sheep.”

The event will be held from 28 August to 1 September at the Australian Agricultural Centre and the A P & H Society Showground in Crookwell.

“The area in and around Crookwell is a region of top woolgrowers and has been since the 1970s,” Ms Marshall said.

“I think an event like this is important because it focuses on how amazing our wool producers in the area are.

“This is a chance to represent them at the Ag Centre.”

Over the five days, the program includes sessions and demonstrations on wool handling, wool classing, nutrition, sheep fencing and financial management of farms.

“We’ll cover the handling, the mustering, the fencing, everything,” Ms Marshall said.

There will also be sheepdog demonstrations, stallholders, and Merino wool stud displays.

Sheep Week will then finish with an evening celebrating all things wool.

“The week is finished with our wool ball, and we’ve got the famous wool designers and brands, including Iris and Wool,” Ms Marshall said.

“It’ll be great to celebrate our woolgrowers at the end of the week and celebrate the whole week.”

Ms Marshall said a key part of Sheep Week would be encouraging young people to consider a career in agriculture.

“That is our core market – bringing up the next generation and showing them how great agriculture is,” she said.

“It’ll be great having the kids and families there at Sheep Week.”

Ms Marshall hoped Sheep Week would also help to give Crookwell a higher profile.

“Quite often, people say, ‘Where is Crookwell?’,” she said.

“We have some of the most amazing woolgrowers in the whole of Australia, and in the world.

“We should be having Sheep Week here and we should be celebrating them.”

Sheep Week will be held in Crookwell from 28 August to 1 September at the Australian Agricultural Centre and the A P & H Society Showground.

Tickets are available via TryBooking, with a list of events available on the Agricultural Centre’s Facebook page.