Students enrolled in ANSC 442: Sheep Management applied their classroom knowledge to real-world situations through a series of community outreach projects during the Spring 2026 semester, according to a May 27 announcement from Purdue University Department of Agriculture.
Throughout the semester, student teams designed and implemented projects addressing practical needs within the sheep industry. These initiatives included topics such as sheep education, flock management, accessibility remediation, and broader outreach efforts. Among the projects were developing standard operating procedures for laparoscopic artificial insemination at VIP Club Lambs, conducting an Ag Week Sheep Industry Education program with the Purdue Ag Week Council, surveying perceptions on solar panel grazing with the Indiana Sheep Association, creating an elementary school curriculum for Carroll Consolidated School Corporation, and producing educational models for The Farm at Prophetstown. Other efforts focused on making extension publications accessible per ADA guidelines and designing on-farm feed systems.
Students said these experiences helped them strengthen both technical abilities and professional skills while communicating information to wider audiences. One student shared, “This experience helped me build strong communication skills and reinforced the importance of presenting technical information clearly to different audiences.” Another added, “This project was a fantastic way to demonstrate our knowledge to a broader audience. We were able to meet a community need while continuing our education and service learning. My learning is enriched and reinforced by assisting the needs of the community and applying my learning in practical ways.”
Lucas Koedyker, a recent animal sciences graduate who participated in a project about solar grazing—using sheep for vegetation management on solar sites—said his group created informational handouts for farmers considering leasing land for solar panels. Koedyker said their interest was inspired by class discussions and guest speakers from the Indiana Sheep Association, “Our group was inspired from in-class discussion about solar grazing and from guest speakers from the Indiana Sheep Association that drove our interest into exploring an up-and-coming industry that can integrate sheep as a more productive animal species in the United States.” He continued that it was rewarding “finding misconceptions and concerns that farmers had” regarding solar fields “and being able to gather supporting data and research to help reduce those concerns… It was rewarding to show the increase in green practices these companies are now supporting.”
By integrating technical concepts with community-focused learning opportunities like these projects, ANSC 442 students gained hands-on experience while supporting agricultural education initiatives. Purdue University Department of Agriculture functions as a core academic unit within Purdue University; its extension programs aim to foster vibrant communities through educational outreach efforts, according to the official website.
