MADISON, Wis. – Jan. 17 marked the end of a steady leadership presence for Wisconsin’s sheep industry. It was Dave Thomas’ last day as University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of sheep management and genetics. Thomas retired after more than 25 years as sheep specialist at UW-Madison.
Top Story
25 years plus: Sheep odyssey ends
1 of 12
Dave Thomas's retirement from the University of Wisconsin and absence at sheep-industry events will leave a void that will be difficult to fill.
Dave Thomas oversees the last sheep-research effort in August 2016 at the Spooner Agricultural Research Station. After 80 years of sheep research all the station’s dairy sheep were sold in October 2016. Four blood samples were collected from each of 400-plus dairy sheep for disease and genetic analyses.
Ewes in the former Spooner Agricultural Research Station flock are milked. The flock dispersal in October 2016 due to University of Wisconsin budget cuts and a pullback of support for Wisconsin's sheep industry.
As a University of Wisconsin-Madison undergraduate student, a much-younger Dave Thomas in 1971 works with miniature pigs.
Retiring University of Wisconsin-Madison sheep researcher Dave Thomas and his wife, Lynda, now own this 1847 house in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. Thomas says the house, which they bought in 2016, will keep him busy for a while during his retirement, along with raising bees and traveling.
Retiring University of Wisconsin-Madison sheep specialist Dave Thomas visits with producers during one of the Spooner Agricultural Research Station's Sheep Day lamb lunches.
Receipt shows the sale in 1970 of some of Dave Thomas' lambs to Equity Livestock Cooperative. He raised and showed Hampshires during high school and college.
Students, instructors, University of Wisconsin-Madison staff -- including Dave Thomas, sixth from left in the back row -- attended the 2012 Beginning Shearing School at the university’s Arlington Agricultural Research Station.
Duane Klindworth, left, presents University of Wisconsin-Madison sheep professor Dave Thomas with a shepherd's crook for shepherding Wisconsin's sheep producers during his long career. Thomas retires in January 2017. The university is not expected to fill his sheep point-person post.
Long-time University of Wisconsin-Madison sheep specialist Dave Thomas retires this week.
Dave Thomas, right, receives the Sheep Industry Award from the late Rudy Erickson of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, at Spooner Sheep Day 2013.
Dave Thomas, right, presents Yves Berger, now-retired Spooner Agricultural Research Station shepherd, with the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative's Art Pope award, named for the late University of Wisconsin-Madison sheep specialist whose position Thomas stepped into more than 25 years ago. Thomas and Berger are responsible for introducing two dairy-sheep breeds to the United States and conducting ground-breaking dairy-sheep research.
