Vermont sheep and goat leader warns of processing, genetics and market bottlenecks

Mark, president of the Vermont Sheep and Goat Association, told the Agriculture, Food Resiliency & Forestry committee that several linked problems are limiting growth in Vermont’s sheep and goat sector: lack of processing capacity, low value for wool, costly attempts to import improved genetics, and regulatory and infrastructure barriers.

The testimony focused on immediate processing shortages and longer-term industry barriers. "We can't find a place to have our lambs processed," Mark said, noting that one local processor told him "they're not gonna process any lambs in October and November next year." He added that Vermont Natural Tannery, which produces high-quality hides, "does 6 a day" and currently has a backlog of about "900 hides in their attic," limiting options for producers seeking premium tanning.

Why it matters: Producers told the committee those bottlenecks affect farm incomes, product availability and the ability to scale to supply restaurants and regional markets. Mark said his farm raises "60 or 80 lambs a year and 20 pigs and hundreds of chickens and, you know, several dozen turkeys," and that without accessible slaughter and custom processing, many small-ruminant operations could not survive.

Key details from testimony and questions

- Processing and slaughter capacity: Mark described multiple processors declining lamb due to labor and throughput constraints. He said some facilities will not accept lamb because "they can't push enough lambs through their facility to pay their help." He described on-farm, custom processing as critical for small producers and said some processors will not handle lamb at all.

- Tanneries and value chain limits: Mark said Vermont Natural Tannery produces high-quality, all‑natural hides but is a boutique operation and cannot scale to meet statewide demand. "They have 900 hides in their attic, and they're only turning out 6 a day," he said, adding the business has limits that make it an insufficient statewide solution for producers seeking timely tanning.

- Wool markets and value: Mark said most wool in Vermont is treated as a waste product and that producers lack a reliable way to aggregate and market fleece. He described attempts to establish a wool pool and a failed $10,000 grant application to Working Lands to start one. He said small-scale spinners and new mills are experimenting but that "we don't know how to accumulate a volume and quality necessary to supply" larger buyers such as Johnson Woolen Mill.

- Genetics and imports: Mark described efforts to diversify genetics by importing embryos and using embryo transfer. He said he "imported the very first Dutch spotted sheep into North America in 2023" and that he "implanted 44 embryos in December" at a cost of about "$55,000," producing "20 pregnancies." He said quarantine and testing can cancel shipments—one donor tested positive for a disease that canceled a planned 60-animal shipment from the U.K.

- Market scale and uniformity: Mark argued that producing consistent carcass weights and uniform animals is important to serve restaurant and wholesale buyers. He cited breed differences in growth and dressing weights and said producers need clearer pathways to standardize supply for meat and wool markets.

- Programs and supports: Mark said he uses a rotational-grazing payment through the Agency of Agriculture (FAP program) and receives "$30 an acre" for that practice. He also described training and outreach run by the Vermont Sheep and Goat Association, including lambing clinics and workshops aimed at improving animal welfare and management.

Representative John O'Brien asked about the small number of sheep dairies and referenced regulatory changes: "Mark, why why is David Major the only sheep dairy?" Mark attributed the decline in part to new HACCP rules that required investment in modern cheese houses and said it contributed to the drop from several sheep-milk dairies to the current small number.

Representative Nelson asked about on‑farm processing and sale: "So you're able to do this, on premise order and, custom meet your a lot of your stuff going to custom, but you can't sell it in a store yet," to which Mark confirmed that custom-processing sales into retail require different handling and regulations.

Nut graf: The testimony presented a mix of operational problems (processing and tanning bottlenecks), market failures (limited wool aggregation and pricing), and technical barriers (costly genetic imports and regulatory compliance costs). Together, those issues, committee members were told, constrain producers’ ability to scale and to capture more value from meat, milk and fiber.

Background and context

Mark traced historical shifts in Vermont sheep numbers and the sector’s changing economics, noting past peaks and declines. He highlighted uses for small ruminants beyond meat and milk, including vegetation management at solar farms and vineyard weed control. He also described voluntary animal-welfare certification work with the nonprofit A Greener World and encouraged more humane on‑farm practices, including pain mitigation during castration.

Ending

Mark asked the committee to consider the full set of constraints—processing capacity, value-chain aggregation for wool and hides, support for genetics and training—and to maintain engagement with producers. He said the Vermont Sheep and Goat Association plans surveys and continued outreach to gather data on flock numbers and producer needs; he also offered to return for further discussion on related issues such as poultry welfare and processing.