2023 American Lamb Board News

The American Lamb Board (ALB) is pleased to introduce its sustainability director, Camren Maierle, PhD. He will lead the ALB’s research and producer education initiatives in this area and contribute to advancing the sheep industry’s commitment to sustainability, one of the top priorities for this checkoff-funded association. 

The legacy and ongoing commitment of American sheep producers to preserve and protect natural resources was passionately communicated to consumer media during a virtual event June 14, 2023, spearheaded by the American Lamb Board (ALB).

The continued trend toward local food sourcing has put hometown butchers and specialty meat shops on the radar of likely lamb consumers. In June, the American Lamb Board (ALB) connected with 50 of these US businesses through its new “Butcher Box” direct mail kit. The goal is to re-engage with this audience for long-lasting relationships that lead to increased sales of domestic lamb.

In a continued partnership with the American Lamb Board (ALB), Taziki’s Mediterranean Café will now feature two American Lamb Burgers on its menu. The Mediterranean Lamb Burger, a previous summer promotion fan favorite, will be added to the permanent menu.

Kittch is a platform for a new generation of culinary enthusiasts who love to cook.

Fox 13 Seattle hosted Chef Nico Murratore of Mamnoon restaurant to share his Lamb Jam Restaurant Month dish, American Lamb Sharma Croquette, using braised lambshoulder paired with spring onion yogurt, pickled rhubarb relish, preserved lemon sauce and pomegranate molasses. Murratore had the opportunity to promote Lamb Jam, the American LambBoard (ALB) website and the news anchor closed the segment saying that she “loves lamb!” 

Home Grown Flavor is a new recipe brochure presented by American Lamb Board (ALB) just in time to promote American Lamb at summer fairs and festivals. The checkoff-funded brochure is an all-in-one economical piece with recipes, cooking recommendations and nutrition information to save costs when the industry needs large quantities for fairs and festivals. 

The American Lamb Board (ALB) and the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) have released the April market summary report aimed at delivering timely and useful information for American Lamb producers. The report summarizes lamb supplies, prices, trade, retail trends and more for the first quarter of 2023.

The American Lamb Board (ALB) is making lamb promotion easier with its cooperative funding program. These matching funds support programs aligning with ALB’s strategic initiatives:

What started over a decade ago as a tasty tour showcasing local chefs and innovative lamb dishes to lamb lovers in six target markets has broadened its scope to a month-long dine around celebration. The American Lamb Board’s (ALB) Lamb Jam restaurant program will take place in Austin, Boston, Washington, D.C., Denver, San Francisco and Seattle during the month of May.

The American Lamb Board (ALB) has released the final video in a five-part series emphasizing lamb quality. The videos are funded in part by Premier 1 Supplies and produced by North Dakota State University. Travis Hoffman, Ph.D., North Dakota State University (NDSU) and University of Minnesota Extension Sheep Specialist, spearheaded the project.

Spring holidays are traditionally when there is the most demand for American Lamb. Easter, Passover and Ramadan are the biggest holidays when lamb is consumed. The American Lamb Board (ALB) hosted a virtual cooking class to teach American Lamb consumers how to roast a leg of lamb for their spring holiday celebrations, but the recipe can be enjoyed anytime of the year.

April is Earth Month and the ideal time for the American Lamb Board (ALB) to release a new grazing video featuring the benefits of sheep grazing. The video features American Lamb farmers and ranchers across the US using sheep to enhance landscapes, improve habitat, support wildfire prevention, and even help other industries be more sustainable, as sheep offer natural weed control around vineyards and solar operations.

Sustainability has become a top priority for the American Lamb Board (ALB).  Several new projects have been funded and more are in the works to promote the sheep industry’s commitment to sustainability and to quantify and improve the industry’s environmental impacts.  

Know someone who should be nominated for the American Lamb Board (ALB)? Board nominations must be submitted by certified nominating organizations and are due to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service by May 5, 2023. The US Secretary of Agriculture appoints the board members. USDA is now soliciting nominations for these board positions to begin January 2024:

Last week at the Annual Meat Conference in Dallas, Anne Marie Roerink from 210 Analytics presented the latest Power of Meat Study (POM), a consumer study on meat usage, attitudes and trends. This 18th annual study reflects on another unusual year, disrupted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and supply chain challenges. Leveraging the long trendlines, the 2023 study aims to understand how and what changed in shoppers’ perceptions, attitudes and behaviors of meat consumption, buying and preparation.

The American Lamb Board (ALB) works with food influencers, food media, journalists and chefs to educate beyond cooking and lamb cuts. The most recent installment of influencer education took place in Napa, California wine country.

The American Lamb Board (ALB) is pleased to welcome new member Karissa Isaacs of Milliken, Colorado to serve the American Lamb industry.

The American Lamb Board (ALB) is thrilled to sponsor the 36th Annual National Lamb Feeders Association (NLFA) Howard Wyman Leadership School. The deadline to apply is April 1. This year’s event is scheduled for July 9-13 in Columbus, Ohio. Participants will explore the Ohio sheep industry, visiting several lamb producers, feedlots and barns; live processing, ultrasound and discussions about lamb round out the agenda.

The American Lamb Board (ALB) and the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) provide monthly market reports aimed at delivering timely and useful information for American Lamb producers. The recently released January report summarizes USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) annual sheep inventory report and provides insight on lamb imports, market values and retail lamb prices.

The American Lamb Board (ALB) is celebrating February as Lamb Lovers Month with their Ewe Complete Me consumer promotion. The campaign has a strong digital presence through ALB's consumer social platforms reminding followers there is no better way to show their love than preparing delicious American Lamb.

As the American Lamb Board (ALB) releases its new Strategic Plan, the industry is facing dynamics never seen before. “Instability in global economies and supply chains, consumer uncertainty, the rollercoaster sheep market, increases in non-traditional markets, and pressures from imports are examples of critical issues top of mind with the board,” says Chairman Peter Camino. “We are determined to find proactive ways for the American Lamb Checkoff to help our industry.”

The American Lamb Board (ALB) elected leadership and set the course for 2023 checkoff programs at its annual meeting January 18. It’s all aimed at the end goal of increasing demand for American Lamb by 5% and taking 5% market share from lamb imports by the end of 2028, the target set in ALB’s new strategic plan. The best way to stay informed about the Mandatory American Lamb Checkoff is the weekly enews.

The past year has been challenging for the U.S. Lamb industry, between price inflation, labor challenges and the economic downturn, added to the lingering Covid pandemic. The American Lamb Board (ALB) released its FY22 Annual Report to inform Mandatory Lamb Checkoff stakeholders of its work to mitigate the effects of outside forces and take advantage of opportunities.

The USDA has announced that three members of the American Lamb Board (ALB) will be reappointed to new three-year terms serving on the board, and one new member has been appointed. These terms run January 2023 through January 2026.

Podcasts are gaining popularity among sheep producers as valuable learning tools. The American Lamb Board (ALB), a participant in the Global Sheep Forum’s Next Generation Podcast Series, announces the forum’s latest podcast features Brady Rose Evans of Defaid Livestock Company of Texas.